MIDDLE EAST BROADCASTING EMPLOYS VIZRT SOLUTIONS TO STREAMLINE GRAPHICS CREATION
Bergen, Norway, March 10, 2005 – As a satellite network serving more than 130 million Arabic speakers throughout the world, Middle East Broadcasting (MBC), located in Dubai Media City in the United Arab Emirates, has a mission to deliver top-shelf news and entertainment to its viewers in a timely and dynamic manner. A large part of delivering on that mission comes down to eye-catching graphics and a streamlined workflow for the network’s staff members. With those parameters in mind, MBC installed a Vizrt graphics system to make it stand out from the competition. The system was purchased through Salam Technical Services, Vizrt’s dealer in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
In the last few years, MBC has seen explosive growth. It currently operates three channels: MBC1, an entertainment channel; MBC2, a film channel; MBC3, a children’s programming channel; and Al Arabiya, a 24/7 news channel. “MBC had employed Viz|Artist animation software successfully for news, sports, promos, finance programs at MBC and Al Arabiya, but all in post production,” said Fadi Radi, News Graphics Manager at MBC. “We soon realized that to get the most out of our real-time 3D system, we needed to add a control application and a template-based graphics system. This would allow us to store our repetitive graphics as templates and let the journalists or anyone who wasn’t a graphics designer quickly create high-quality graphics.”
In 2004, MBC purchased a complete template-based and asset management system from Vizrt. The system featured Viz|Content Pilot content management software, and Viz|Ticker, a 3D ticker system used to produce the horizontal crawl on Al Arabiya. The system was purchased through Salam Technical Services, Vizrt’s dealer in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. "MBC is one of the key installations for us in the region. A successful implementation of the Vizrt system here has set a trend for generating quality on-air graphics solutions for other broadcasters in the region," stated Manoj Bhatia, Director, Sales & Marketing, Salam Technical Services.
The main component of MBC and Al Arabiya’s system is the Viz|Content Pilot server, the centralized database for the template-based graphics system. “This is an Oracle database, where all the data and templates are stored, offering full flexibility and scalability of the system,” said Kristian Kim Eikeland, Regional Manager, Vizrt Middle East.
Getting the templates prepped and on air as efficiently as possible was another challenge. “We needed the setup to be highly automated and integrated with our existing Avid® iNEWS and Harris automation systems,” said Radi. “The workflow had to be as simple as possible.” To that end, Vizrt installed Viz|Content Pilot ActiveX embedded in Avid iNEWS on each journalist’s desktop PC. This allows journalists to call up templates from a visual list and access images and clip file databases located on the server, all within the iNEWS workspace. Journalists can check graphics for errors, link stories with the required graphics, and create the rundown. Once the journalists select a template on their workstations for the graphics they want to use for a story, they enter the content, such as text, images, objects, and audio, then save the graphic, which can be dragged and dropped into the story.
In order to streamline operations, Vizrt devised a new integration between Viz|Artist and Viz|Content Pilot and the Avid iNEWS newsroom system and iNEWS ControlAir server. This new device manager, contained within Viz|Content Pilot, provides direct control of graphics playout from the iNEWS ControlAir server and bypasses the need for the MOS interface option within iNEWS.
Once the journalist creates a rundown in Avid iNEWS, it is downloaded to the iNEWS ControlAir system and to the Viz|Content Pilot for playout. During on-air operation, the iNEWS ControlAir operator manually triggers all elements of the show, including graphics rendered on Vizrt’s Viz|Engine 3D rendering software. All graphical elements created for stories are extracted and sent to Viz|Content Pilot. Graphical elements remain as separate units until they reach live playout to air, making it easy to make last-minute changes.
MBC also purchased Viz|Ticker to do its horizontal crawl. “We’ve already included the market bug with live stock values from Reuters through our Viz|Datapool, [a plug-in that takes real-time financial or web-based data and updates live graphics],” Radi said. “We will also soon use it to separate news, sports, and business news in the ticker, similar to what CNN does with its Viz|Ticker system.”
The Viz|Datapool receives and manages data from Reuters and passes it directly to Viz|Engine for live updates. The Viz|Datafeed Manager plug-in also makes the data available for selection and modification in the Viz|Content Pilot templates. Although the data is currently part of the market bug, it can be used as any type of graphic—in the crawl, full screen, and supers.
If MBC wants to add more features to the Vizrt system, that’s not a problem. Since the system is modular and open, upgrading and adding features is easy. “Graphics quality has gone up significantly,” said Radi. “Vizrt is a graphics system created for high-quality ouput. We produce much more live, updateable graphics than we did previously. We’ve also simplified parts of our workflow. Our Vizrt system provides our journalists with a speedy and accurate graphics system that allows them to create and deliver content in the most efficient and most presentable manner possible.”
Vizrt has supplied graphics solutions to broadcasters throughout the Middle East. In addition to MBC and Al Arabiya, it has installations at Dubai TV News, Ary Digital, Geo TV, Sharjah TV, Kuwait TV, and Saudi TV. Vizrt also works closely with Dubai Men’s College on broadcast graphics design education initiatives.
About Vizrt
Vizrt is the world’s leading provider of real-time 2D and true 3D broadcast graphics. The company’s software suite offers a complete graphics solution including: character generation, content management and newsroom integration, 3D tickers, virtual studio, weather data integration, virtual sports analysis, information display and virtual effects.
All Vizrt’s graphics products are powered by a single core renderer, the unique and powerful Viz|Engine. Vizrt’s graphics solution goes beyond the visual aspect and includes highly customized user interfaces for the designer, operator, journalist and engineer.
The world’s leading broadcasters, such as CNN, CBS, BBC, Sky, ITN, ZDF, Star TV, TV Today and NHK, use Vizrt’s solutions in conventional digital and high definition content delivery. Production houses and corporate institutions, including the New York Stock Exchange, are Vizrt customers.
Vizrt is a public company traded on the Frankfurt Prime Standard: VIZ, ISIN: IL0010838154. For further information please refer to www.vizrt.com.
Avid is either a registered trademark or trademark of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. iNEWS and iNEWS ControlAir are trademarks of iNews, LLC.
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Editor’s Note: Color screen shots of Vizrt software products are available upon request.
This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to the business, financial condition and results of operations of VIZRT and its affiliates. These statements are based on the current expectations or beliefs of VIZRT's management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties relate to changes in technology and market requirements, the company’s concentration on one industry, decline in demand for the company’s products and those of its affiliates, inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, and loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition, which could cause the actual results or performance of the company to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. VIZRT undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
