Los Angeles-based E! Entertainment network started out with a project to transfer content from the studio to Avid for post-production editing within a tapeless workflow and to provide a path to HD for the studio. The project grew to include the ability to share footage between multiple divisions, including two other studios and a Web-based division.
All EVS equipment, including the XT[2] production server, natively supports various popular broadcast codecs, including Avid's DNxHD codec. This native support means that E! never has to render content for transfer to post production, and editors can start to work on the content the instant it is ingested in the XT[2], even while recording is still in process.
The current setup is composed of four six-channel SD XT[2] SpotBoxes, two IPDirectors, two XFiles and XTAccess for transfer to and from Avid. The setup will eventually be split between two studios, each with two XT[2]s, one XF[2] and one IPDirector each.
The XT[2]s and associated tools are HD-ready for an upgrade scheduled in 2009. Additionally, the network is fully expandable, so when the channel operator Comcast Entertainment Group brings in an off-site studio next year, all studio locations will be able to share media easily and instantly.
For more information, visit www.evs.tv.
