EVS Trials Second-Screen Experience at Sporting Park, Partners with Centralparq

EVS, a leading provider of live video production systems, has partnered with Sporting Innovations, a provider of software and technology solutions for the sports and entertainment industry, to trial a second-screen experience at Sporting Park, home of MLS team Sporting Kansas City. Integrating C-Cast, EVS’ second-screen solution with the venue’s existing Cisco and EVS infrastructure, the new technology allowed a test group, made up of fans, to access action replays and alternative angles on their tablets and smartphones over the stadium’s Wi-Fi during the game.

EVS’ C-Cast technology allows fan test group at Sporting KC stadium to review multi-angles action on their tablets and smartphones over the stadium’s Wi-Fi during the game.

C-Cast enables live highlights from Sporting KC matches to enhance the spectator’s viewing experience by accessing unused camera angles and replays from their existing EVS server and delivering them to second-screen devices anywhere in the stadium. It can allow viewers to select replays, other video packages, graphics and information relating to the game. Sporting Innovations deployed the proof of concept during the 2013 season home opener against Chicago on March 16, and is currently undergoing extensive testing at subsequent matches.

“We created a technologically advanced stadium with Wi-Fi and extensive video facilities when we built Sporting Park in 2011,” said Asim Pasha, Managing Partner, Sporting Innovations, and CIO, Sporting KC. “Our supporters look to us to provide innovative and unique fan experiences, and giving them the opportunity to choose their own replays on their devices is the next step in that innovation. We think we’re the first to do this anywhere, and we’re excited for Kansas City and for fans of Sporting KC to be part of this opportunity.”

The innovation at Sporting Park, an 18 500 seat venue, was made possible by the stadium’s existing Cisco Connected Stadium Wi-Fi infrastructure, which provides one of the most robust stadium Wi-Fi services in the world. During the trial, Sporting Innovations tested the impact of C-Cast on the stadium Wi-Fi in order to determine how effectively a large number of users would be able to access the content coming through the C-Cast platform.

The C-Cast system was implemented into Sporting Park’s existing infrastructure, including Cisco’s StadiumVision application for IPTV, EVS’ XT series server, which is used for ingest, action replays and playback, and Sporting Innovations fan experience applications. EVS’ IPDirector suite of video production management applications has also been deployed as part of the trial.

“The ability to get the second-screen experience live in the stadium is a huge leap forward for fans of all sports everywhere,” said Luc Doneux, EVP Sports Division, EVS. “With minimal investment, C-Cast enables Sporting Innovations to enhance the fan experience, maximise content and create new revenue streams.”

During NAB, EVS will host an interview with Brian Smith, Video & Stadium Vision engineer at Sporting Innovations to discuss the new opportunities for stadiums to deliver enhanced fan experience and generate new revenues streams. The event will take place at the EVS booth (SL2416), on Wednesday April 10.

EVS has also partnered with Centralparq, a private cloud platform that’s part of Infostrada, one of the largest providers of cloud-based broadcast and editing services in Europe, to create an automated news and sports ingest workflow. The collaboration will see EVS’ IPDirector and Centralparq’s MediaDoQ ingest system speed up the ingest process.

MediaDoQ automatically stores content within any editing platform without intervention from operators, making it an efficient and cost-effective option for use in any production. Using a MAM platform, MedaDoQ is able to seamlessly ingest media and match metadata into one central storage location.

Centralparq teamed up with EVS to help it create a streamlined platform for the automated ingest of raw content from ENG crews into an IPDirector nearline workflow, with the help of its MediaDoQ ingest workflow. This would enable the relevant metadata to be introduced into the production pipeline faster, resulting in a more accurate and collaborative production to get news and sports stories to air fast.

“We needed an additional solution to help our customers get content to air faster than before,” said Peter Bruggink, chief technology officer at Infostrada. “EVS’ IPDirector is that solution and incorporating it into our customers’ workflows means operators will save time during ingest. EVS has become a vital partner for the Centralparq platform and we’re pleased to be working with them.”

Users are able to complete automated ingest to an EVS IPDirector from any location using a MediaDoQ. Before any shooting takes place, operators can log onto Centralparq’s cloud platform using IPDirector and retrieve the correct keyword grids, bin and metadata structures.

Operators are then able to fill in the metadata fields for their planned ingest and print QR code labels that are attached to the carrier to be used. Users can choose to shoot footage on an XDCAM Disc, P2, CompactFlash or SxS card. Using Centralparq’s tablet application while shooting, a logsheet is automatically created and updated in the Centralparq cloud and then transferred to the EVS IPDirector database.

After shooting and the insertion of the media carrier into the MediaDoQ ingest device, the QR code on the disk is automatically scanned using a built-in scanner. This enables the MediaDoQ to recognise the project and transfer materials in the right format with the Centralparq database’s metadata fields into the IPDirector.  If multiple clips have a continuous timecode they can be stitched together creating a continuous clip inside the IPDirector’s database. Users can then edit and publish the material containing all the metadata to air.

At NAB 2013, EVS Sports will introduce extended solutions to increase connectivity and facilitate remote collaboration from live venues to any sites, and unveil new tools for accessing, browsing and editing content remotely.

The company will also be launching a range of new production asset management (PAM) capabilities for sports centers. These include:

• intuitive software and web browsing tools in the IPDirector suite of video production management applications to enable integrated multi-site operations

• real-time timeline editing features based on Xedio CleanEdit

• new live logging tools including an app-based logging solution..

To facilitate OB operations, we’re introducing a range of new tools for operators including a new user interface for LSM operators. These tools are based on a multi-touch sensing tablet that’s fully integrated into the LSM remote control panel and other advanced timeline editing features for the LSM.