Input Media using Snell systems to deliver live sports production

One of Europe’s leading sports production companies, Input Media, has deployed a new Kahuna 360 multi-format production switcher and Sirius 830 router with AHP (advanced hybrid processing) from Snell to deliver live production of sports programming across multiple studio galleries.

The Snell systems, supplied and integrated by Gearhouse Broadcast, give Input Media the flexibility to leverage existing resources within the company’s London Production Centre to run a greater number of productions more efficiently and cost-effectively. With built-in support for 1080p supplied as standard, Kahuna 360 and Sirius 830 also expand Input Media’s current and future HD capabilities.

The new equipment was taken live earlier this month for production of The Football Association Challenge Cup (The FA Cup), launched in 1871-72 and now known as the world’s first soccer cup competition.

Nick Symes, director of technology at Input Media, comments: “We became the first UK production facility to implement the Kahuna 360 because we very quickly realized the agility the new system could bring to our business. The combination of Snell’s Kahuna 360 and Sirius 830 systems, supported by Snell’s control and monitoring and IQ Modular infrastructure, has facilitated a next-generation expansion of our live production capabilities and enables us to grow our business intelligently.”

Multiple galleries or studios run from a single Kahuna 360 mainframe, and the system allows Input Media to take on a variety of job types with differing resource requirements. The resources in the Input Media system can be allocated as required and run multiple concurrent jobs with varying requirements. Delivery of everything from sports rebranding and turnaround, to Superfeed programmes, studio-based programmes and even a major tournament final programme show is possible. The advantage of this installation is the ease and speed with which Kahuna 360 can be adapted to any job, thereby improving engineering workflows and time spent on set-up and cabling of studio galleries.

The 15-RU Sirius 830 multi-format hybrid router features high-performance modules for flexible and cost-effective routing of SD, HD, ASI and 3Gbps signals. Embedded audio and AES/MADI processing modules with AHP facilitate embedded audio routing, audio track swapping, and processing on all inputs and outputs. This allows Input Media to route any combination of embedded, discrete AES and MADI signals.