TEL AVIV, Israel—OOONA has announced that the Flemish public broadcaster VRT has signed a contract for a multi-year license of the OOONA Integrated platform and has deployed the platform to handle its localization efforts. 

The Belgian-Flemish public service broadcaster has three TV channels, five radio stations and an online video platform that reaches 90% of the Flemish community. The broadcaster’s localization services include live and offline subtitling for both hearing and hard-of-hearing viewers, audio description and audio subtitling for the visually impaired, plus Flemish language voiceover and dubbing.

Currently an API connection provides the link for VRT localization orders to be created directly on OOONA. Resource planning includes the customary ADFS security authentication. Once localization production is complete on the OOONA platform, content is pushed back to the VRT servers for broadcast, the company said. 

“This integration includes a multilayer functionality in OOONA’s Create Pro tool for subtitling that was developed at the request of the VRT team,” says Karl Imbrechts, manager at DigiNet and OOONA reseller in Belgium and the Netherlands.

“VRT has always been on the cutting edge of developments in terms of innovative solutions for media localization,” says OOONA co-founder and CEO Wayne Garb. “Being the localization platform of choice for this future-looking broadcaster is an acknowledgement of our ability to deliver a platform that provides users with all the functionality required for today’s complex media localization workflows.”

DALLAS—Imagine Communications has jumped on board as a technology partner for the LiveIP Project, a collaboration between Belgian public broadcaster VRT and the European Broadcasting Union. The goal of the project is to advance the adoption of IP-based media systems and production facilities.

VRT and EBU have developed a fully functional IP production studio based on industry standards for a high level of interoperability and leverage the benefits of IP to for efficiencies like automation and remote production. The LiveIP facilities will be used to produce some programming for the upcoming IBC 2016 conference.

As part of the project Imagine is contributing its SelenioFlex Live encoding system and its EPIC multiviewer as part of the LiveIP studio production set-up. The EPIC MV will be used to monitor all video sources and destinations, while SelenioFlex Live will stream content to internet-connected devices.

“Demonstrating that IP-based production facilities are ready for primetime today, as well as providing an environment for media companies to test and validate innovative solutions, is of paramount importance and Imagine Communications is proud to assist the LiveIP project in meeting these timely and vital objectives,” said Brick Eksten, chief product officer for Imagine.

BRUSSELS-VRT has teamed up with the EBU to deliver the ‘first ever’ fully IP live broadcast.

The broadcast was completed via VRT’s Sandbox LiveIP Studio in Belgium.

It was used as part of the programming for Ketnet, VRT’s children channel.

The VRT Sandbox LiveIP is, according to VRT, ‘the first proof of concept of a complete live production that relies exclusively on IP.’

Driven by the VRT and the EBU, the studio is powered by partners including Nevion, Axon, EVS, Grass Valley and Lawo.

Using existing open standards SMPTE 2022-6, AES67/Ravenna, PTP and OpenFlow, it is designed to deliver high interoperability and leverage IP to create efficiency in remote production and automation.

ViedoIPath, Nevion’s software defined network solution, forms the backbone of the set-up used in the live production.

“A year into the project, we remain delighted to be involved and working with VRT, the EBU and other vendors to demonstrate the power and benefits of IP, particularly in a broadcast grade project,” said Geir Bryn-Jensen, CEO, Nevion.

“This live broadcast is the ideal proof point for further adoption of IP throughout the broadcast workflow and in live production, and of course in promoting interoperability and the use of common standards.”

This story originally appeared in TV Technology's sister publication TVB Europe.

GILZE, NETHERLANDS—As part of a recent collaboration, the European Broadcasting Union and Belgian public broadcasting company VRT have revealed the LiveIP Project, a multi-vendor system integration showcasing IP-based live broadcast production. EBU and VRT worked with a group of companies to implement a live TV production studio at VRT’s location in Brussels. Using IT hardware and software, LiveIP is designed to produce programs quickly and efficiently.

LiveIP Project

LiveIP uses open standards—SMPTE 2022/6, AES67, and PTP—to transport broadcast feeds through an SDN. It enables switching and limited redundancy of uncompressed video and audio feeds as they are transported over an IP network.

The LiveIP Project is part of Sandbox+, an international joint platform for collaborative innovation organized by EBU, VRT and iMinds. Vendors who contributed to the project include Axon, Dwesam, EVS, Genelac, Grass Valley, Lawo, LSB, Nevion, Tektronix and Trilogy.

EBU will demonstrate a scaled down version of LiveIP at IBC 2015 in booth 10.F20, Friday, Sept. 16.