News Technology & Live Sport
Managing sport at
France Télévisions
IBE looks at how EVS has integrated its systems to the
Metadata describing the action during
benefit of France’s largest broadcaster.
each match is created by France Télévisions’
operators using their script solution, called
ith five national channels - France 2, challenge for us was to manage the MICADO, based on XML file-logging system
W
France 3, France 4, France 5 and implementation of the field-proven EVS and the database of the IPDirector content
France Ô - six thematic channels, an technology for the ingest and the management system.
international broadcast network management of all our sport media while "The reliability of EVS solutions was a key
covered by RFO (France Outre Mer Network), interoperating with MICADO, our integrated factor in our decision process to build an
and the largest editing and distribution centre logging and metadata management system integrated sport media server," said Bruno
in the country, France Télévisions is the based on standard IT technology," said Michel Tézenas du Montcel, head of technology and
leading broadcast organisation in France today. Feuillye, sports project manager at France2. exploitation at France2.
France2 is the main channel in terms of The resulting workflow needed to meet the
audience, commanding slightly under a 20% following requirements: Streaming and metadata locators accessible
market share. It offers a large range of • Manage a full online broadcast service to post production
entertainment programmes including TV news, including multiple feeds ingest.
cultural reporting, and sports broadcasting. • Increase productivity and quality. During live events, satellite feeds (multiple
• Guarantee full access to media with the football or tennis matches, for instance) are
The challenge highest level of reliability. ingested live on the three XT[2] production
• Allow easy management of the recording servers in loop-recording mode under the
The sport production workflow of its process. control of the content management system,
Parisian broadcast centre was under the • Integrate with the metadata management IPDirector. Based on the streaming application
spotlight. The system is dedicated to the system put in place by France2. of the EVS XFile software, live content is
production of a large number of sport imported in real-time on the Avid Unity and
programmes, including live shows, highlights, The solution made available to all Avid Media Composer
reports, and more. The main objective was to stations. Editors can even work on the content
improve the speed at which editors and The system is based on a combination while it is still in import mode.
journalists would be able to access relevant between the IBC award-winning instant Using MICADO - a piece of software
information in order to improve the relevance tapeless technology of EVS and the metadata developed in-house - France2 operators can
and quality of live and near-live sport solution previously developed by France2. add keywords and descriptive metadata that
programmes. The EVS solution consists of three 6- are associated to the live ingested feeds based
Based on a long and fruitful partnership channel XT[2] production servers controlled on the time code. New metadata is created as
with EVS, including the production of live by one IPDirector to permanently loop-record standard XML files and gathered on a
sport events like Tennis French Open in all matches. A 5TB XStore[2] storage system, centralised database.
Roland Garros, the Tour de France, and Paris based on SATA technology, is used to mass Using the Avid web-service system, XML
Dakar, France2 once again appointed EVS to store all the matches. XFile software is in files, including keywords and additional
collaborate closely on establishing an place to manage the transfer and streaming metadata, are instantly imported on the Avid
integrated workflow solution, combining EVS’ operation between the different post Interplay system. All imported metadata
instant tapeless production solutions with the production stations. All EVS devices are becomes immediately visible on the Avid
existing and future information system connected to the XNet[2], EVS’ high editing timeline as locator-associated to time
technology developed by France2. "The bandwidth production network system. code.
"Thanks to the IPDirector, I just pick up the content I
Online and near-line browsing and transfer
need and transfer it on my editing station, which allows
to post production
age 32.
me to prepare my edit step by step during the day.
Then, my edit can easily be adapted and finalised when
For the preparation of specific highlights
the journalist arrives just before going on air."
or reports, post production editors needed to
be able to retrieve specific media available
Jean-Jacques Brouart, chief editor on Avid at France2
either on the XT[2] production server or
Continued on P
30 IBE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008
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