SBT in Brazil adopts Avid solutions

The system decreases the time between the arrival of gross material and its issuance by integrating storage into AVID ISIS servers with new intake, edition and playout tools.

The writing of the Brazilian SBT has made a great leap of quality with the update of the systems used for the receipt of files produced by the ENG (intake) equipment, storage, access and previous editing of the images by the journalists, as well as the postproduction and final review of each report.

A complete solution with technology of Avid, composed of CIS Group, has allowed the almost total elimination of disc trafo, cards and tapes in the writing. "The solution is in line with what we already have in the entertainment editing and postproduction area, which also uses AVID solutions," says Alexandre Sano, technical director and operations in SBT.

According to healthy, the solution has meant greater integration and dynamism throughout the department, which until now had been working on an environment of Leitch solutions (today incorporated in Harris), using numerous XDCAM discs to transfer the materials from one machine to another to review the content within the writing. Eventually, some materials even broadcast directly from the discs themselves. "Today these discs are only used in the uptake, which is carried out with XDCAM SD 50 mbits/s cameras. The entire system is ready for high definition, depending only on the replacement of the cameras with HD models," he says.

In the current workflow the transfer of files has been considerably simplified. When the images reach the BroadCaster headquarters, the data intake for the AVID system begins immediately, which recognizes the format used by Sony. The process is carried out to 50% real time, further accelerating the release of images on the AVID ISIS server, so that they can be immediately sought and edited in one of the 19 work stations.

Accessible average

SBT counts in Sao Paulo with 22 equipment for the production of reports, in addition to a SNG satellite unit and three units with terrestrial link. Since the intake is carried out from the XDCAM discs, the contributions made from the mobile units, the affiliated stations and the international correspondents, are also stored directly on the ISIS server. In this core of the system is all the average that will supply the news of this Broadcast.

This configuration facilitates the reissue and reuse of images, once the same interview or coverage of an event can be presented with different times and approaches throughout the day.

Another advantage provided by Alexandre Sano is the increase in the data entry (mean) in the system, instead of audio and base band video, which reduces the need for conversion. "Formerly we had a very large limitation to receive contributions via FTP. That bottleneck has also been eliminated, since we now have a much more agile structure to carry out the conversion to the pattern format we use," says healthy.

In the previous model, the reduced intake capacity forced the Broadcasters to even use the edit islands for this purpose. Now, all that is carried out from the new intake center, located next to the writing. It is divided into two rooms, being one for contributions from news agencies, affiliates and DSNG/UM, and another to serve the reports of reports that arrive from the street.

"This plant is prepared to receive any type of average, from discs and memory cards to images from smartphones or pen drives, with the agility that journalism demands," says healthy.

Increased sources safely

Highlight, on the other hand, that the emergence of the exchange for FTP increased the participation of affiliates since everything comes in time to edit and broadcast. Something that did not always happen before the implementation of the new system.
However, although new doors have been opened for the entry of data by Internet channels, this has not meant, in healthy opinion, to compromise the safety of the operation. All external communication goes through a Linux server that receives the content and does not let any virus pass within the system. It is a bridge that guarantees communication between the two sides without risks.

Drafting and pre-educational

All journalists have the AP/ENPS system to prepare their reports, as well as to establish associations with materials and automation for characters, teleprompter… “ENPS and AVID systems are complete necessary.

The average shot, including GC and TP, began to automate in 2005, but the recent update incorporated new resources and greater precision.

For low resolution and pre-educational visualization, the old preditor Newsflash software was replaced by Avid Interplay Access, in addition to incorporating stations with Avid Interplay Assist.

Review that between 6 and 7 in the afternoon in the SBT writing, 120 journalists are concentrated with 40 simultaneous accesses to Interplay Assist. Thanks to this, it is possible to search, access the files and make a complete edition to the cut, always in low resolution. When the piece is defined, a high resolution version is consolidated in the 16 stations with Avid NewScutter and 3 Avid Media Composer, which have sophisticated edition and effects.

Flow

One of the relevant advantages of the system is the time invested between the arrival of a team from the street and the availability of the files for editing and exhibition. "With a simple command, the files are ready to air," he says healthy.

This change in intake, edition and exhibition processes has not meant any difficulty for professionals. The five informative programs that are broadcast daily have carried out migration at different stages, needing a week for a week so that all writing personnel adapt.

The writing has 60TB of storage on the ISIS server and, to prevent it from saturating without disk space, the Media Center team defines with the editors the files that must remain online or that must be deleted or transferred to a file on XDCAM discs.

In addition to the storage available in the writing, there is another server to place the materials and reports in the air. When they are finished, the editors publish them at the Avid Air Speed, ready for broadcast.

Although the entire system is ready to work in high definition, this will not occur until the end of 2014, a necessary period for the replacement of cameras and other elements of the production and contribution chain, including microwave and affiliate links.