Canal+ Group partners with EVS for IP-based infrastructure at Canal+ One HQ

Canal+ Group has deployed an IP-based infrastructure built on EVS end-to-end solutions in its new Canal+One headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris. The installation follows the decision of Canal+ Group to concentrate its master control room (MCR), playout and production workflows into one building to streamline its operations, reduce redundancies and increase automation.

“Our relocation into the new HQ gave us the opportunity to rethink the way we work and completely transform our workflows,” said Pierre Maillat, head of technical studies & architecture at Canal+ Group. “The idea was to accelerate our SDI-to-IP transition, limit as much as possible the use of hardware and move towards more software-defined and cloud-based solutions, which offer the scalability and flexibility needed to optimise our operations while benefitting from future-ready workflows.”

To deliver on this vision, EVS teamed up with global media services company Red Bee Media to build a new IP-enabled production infrastructure based on EVS’ LiveCeption, MediaCeption and MediaInfra solutions. The setup consists of several XT-Via servers for multi-source ingesting and delivering fast turn-around productions in any format and resolution.

Supporting a high-speed, 100GbE live IP fabric connectivity, the servers work in 1080p with the ability to easily switch to UHD in the future if needed. This LiveCeption workflow also integrates the IP-based LSM-Via replay system, giving operators direct access to all the content on the network and allowing them to focus on delivering compelling live replays and highlights much faster.

The conversion and processing of the signals is performed by EVS’ Neuron Network Attached Processor, which also acts as the main tool for SDI/IP bridging and a firewall. Being able to activate a wide-ranging number of different functionalities from the same hardware will contribute to helping Canal+ Group reduce rack occupancy and power consumption.

Interfacing with the entire infrastructure of Canal+ Group, the EVS Cerebrum broadcast control and monitoring system offers advanced visual control for production and flexible orchestration of all devices for the engineering teams.

Finally, on the MediaCeption asset management side, users can access remotely a fully virtualised, multi-site IPDirector system to browse, control, edit and playout content from easy-to-use interfaces. With its open, modular architecture, IPDirector can be adapted to any production environment and allows for easy integration and media exchange with any third-party system.

Nicolas Bourdon, chief marketing officer at EVS, said: “EVS has worked as a transforming partner with the Canal+ Group for over 25 years, helping them to adapt to new live production realities while supporting their ambitions in terms of programme quality. This project combines all layers of EVS’ live video creation frontends, central production platform and resources management based on a highly reliable recording and processing infrastructure. It is a clear example of our EVS Balanced Computing vision that optimally integrates on premises equipment with software-defined and cloud-based solutions.”

Ralph Atlan, CTO, operations & executive production at Canal+ Group, added: “EVS has helped us migrate to new technologies many times in the past and has done it again for our transition into the world of IP. In a very short amount of time, both EVS and Red Bee have managed to implement a comprehensive IP-based workflow that will allow us to significantly optimise our live operations, transform our workflow capabilities and deliver compelling media experiences our audience expects.”

Pierre Maillat, head of technical studies & architecture at Canal+ Group, concluded: “Our long-standing relationship gave us the confidence to partner with EVS for this project. We trust their reliability, expertise, as well as the consistent guidance and support they have shown us over the years. Moreover, their workflows reflect our ethos that are behind the design of our Canal+ One building – a true concentrate of next-generation technologies, ultra-connected and with particular attention to sustainability.”