Sky Sports using Abekas Mira servers for instant replay

Sky Sports is making use of two, eight-channel Mira Instant Replay servers and two Mira Control Surfaces in its Sky Sports News HQ newsroom. The Mira Instant Replay servers are operated by a team of news production assistants around the clock, seven days per week.

The Mira operators are not traditional live instant replay production team members, so require an intuitive, easy-to-use and comfortable interface. The operator makes programming decisions based on the live content on, and creates a playlist for, each Sky Sports channel in real time. All eight playlists are simultaneously played back to the video wall on the set of the Sky Sports News HQ studio where presenters can remotely control the rolling of the clips using an HTML 5 app on their tablet devices.

The Sky Sports Cricket Department has also used an eight-channel Mira server and controller to create montages to appear in on-set monitors in its programming.

Ian Brash, technical manager for Sky Sports News: “In use for up to 20 hours a day for over a year the Abekas Mira systems have been reliable with no on-air faults. The Miras have adapted to every change of workflow as the creative requirements have evolved.”

“We are very pleased that the Mira Instant Replay servers are meeting the demanding expectations of Sky Sports technical and operations staff,” says Junaid Sheikh, CEO of Abekas. “It’s gratifying to see that Abekas’ company and product reputation is being recognised by marquee European broadcast customers like Sky Sports.”