Live 4K Production with EVS

EVS serves up world first 4K instant replays for live 4K production of top Japanese football match

Japan’s Kyodo Television chooses technology innovator EVS for its flexible and future-proof live production server technology

Japanese outside broadcast production company, Kyodo Television, has chosen next-generation server technology from EVS, a leading provider of high-speed broadcast and media production systems for sport, entertainment, news and media, to power a live 4K production of a J League football match for SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, the Japanese-based broadcasting network and J League rights holder. This unique trial has for the very first time made it possible to provide instant highlights and slow motion replays for a live 4K production.

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From Kyodo’s OB truck at Japan’s Sendai football stadium, two EVS XT3 servers were used to manage the 4K multi-cam ingest, recording and playout operations, enabling instant replays, highlights packages and slo-mos for the live 4K broadcast of the J League football match over 200 miles away in Odaiba.

This was made possible thanks to the unique 3G single link in and out configuration of the XT3 servers. The two XT3 servers (in a four in/four out configuration) provided the four 60p synchronized feeds needed for the world’s first 4K slo-mo trial. Kyodo Television controlled the 4K slo-mo operations using the XT3’s unique single link 3G SDI connectivity capabilities for ingest and playout . The two servers were linked through EVS’ live media sharing network and controlled using EVS’ Live Slow Motion (LSM) system.

Responding to ever-changing market requirements for more flexible, higher bandwidth and higher resolution live video productions, Kyodo Television recently invested in EVS’ XT3 server technology for its OB trucks. This enables them to switch seamlessly between SD, HD, 3D, 1080p and 4K live productions with just a simple reconfiguration of the server using the unique 3G in/out link.

EVS’ expertise in live sport production technology is the reason we selected their innovative servers for the core of our OB operation,’ said Mr Ishiguro at Kyodo Television. ‘For this high-profile trial we needed to be very confident we could maintain the same speed and reliability despite the huge bandwidth demands of 4K. Having EVS technology at the heart of our end-to-end 4K operation meant we could manage a full live 4K operation and deliver live instant replays, highlight packages and slow-motion functionality. We also have the peace of mind of knowing that the investment is future-proof, a key factor in a rapidly changing technology world.’

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Mr Iwawaki, Assistant Manager, Broadcasting & Production Engineering Division, Engineering & Operations Group at SKY Perfect JSAT, added: ‘The Japanese market has always pushed the boundaries of what is possible in high-quality video production. 4K playout is the industry’s next big opportunity as broadcasters look to make sports fans’ experiences ever more engaging. Delivering high-quality content quickly and reliably in ultra-high definition brings with it many challenges but the combination of the talented Kyodo Television team and EVS’ state-of-the-art technology delivered simply stunning results.’

Two EVS XT3 servers, configured in 1080p/3G with 4 in/4 out unified channels and controlled with a single Remote Control Unit, were employed in Kyodo Television’s OB vans at the Sendai Stadium. Live feeds of the football match were ingested into the XT3 servers through four 1080p input channels, decoded and made ready for broadcast on 4K projector in Odaiba.

The success of this 4K 60P trial will enable the technology to be deployed for future large-scale productions.

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About EVS
EVS designs leading broadcast and media production systems for sports, news and TV entertainment. Its innovative Live Slow Motion system revolutionised live broadcasting and its reliable and integrative tapeless solutions are now widely used for non-linear editing and 3D HD productions across the globe.
The company's dedicated systems offer a complete production platform: live slow motion (LSM), super and ultra slow motion, clips creation, fast turnaround editing, production and archive asset management, time delay, multi-camera and multi-feed recording, logging, live graphic analysis, digital transmission, multi-format ingest and play-back, second screen delivery. Main software applications like the IPDirector® or MulticamLSM® are designed to control the industry's most robust and flexible production platform, the XT series server. The world's leading broadcasters, such as NBC, BSkyB, FOX, RTBF, RTL, NHK, CANAL+, ABC, ESPN, TF1, CCTV, PBS, CBS, BBC, ZDF, Channel One, Channel7, RAI, TVE, NEP, MEDIAPRO, EUROMEDIA, BEXEL, ALFACAM, TopVision and many others use EVS' solutions.
The company is headquartered in Belgium and has offices in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America. Approximately 400 EVS professionals from 20 offices are selling its branded products in over 100 countries, and provide customer support globally.