Quantel Launches LiveTouch Studio Sports Highlighting System

Fast, sure, simple and robust package delivers flexible configuration and unique editor integration

Quantel launched its new studio sports highlighting system, LiveTouch, at IBC2014.  LiveTouch is a scalable system capable of supporting productions in several studios to maximise ROI. Uniquely, LiveTouch offers bidirectional editor integration making it faster and easier to integrate editing and highlights operations.

LiveTouch comprises three major new components: a dedicated control panel, a control application and the new LiveTouch sQ Server. Scalability and resilience is addressed through a mid-tier layer, separating control surfaces from the servers. LiveTouch can grow to meet the needs of any size event - from a single server with six inputs to a multi-server system with more than 40 record ports. The LiveTouch architecture means any control panel can access any clip on any server and play out highlights instantly via a new inter-server streaming mechanism.

The LiveTouch panel is purpose-designed to make highlights selection sure, simple and robust. It has a mix of dedicated and soft-programmed buttons with a jog/shuttle wheel for fast and accurate clip navigation and a slow motion T-bar for precision playback speed control. In developing the LiveTouch panel, Quantel has consulted extensively with sports broadcasters and their on-air operators to ensure that it exactly meets the rigorous needs of live production.

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Uniquely, LiveTouch offers an optional integrated Quantel editing desktop and can work with other editing workstations on the same storage. The workflow is two-way - editors can access the highlights, with no media movement and the panels can play back any completed sequence. For example, while the LiveTouch operator is capturing highlights on the fly and providing instant playback and slo-mos, an editor can be simultaneously editing the media recorded on the LiveTouch server, assembling the individual highlights into packages that are ready for playback from the LiveTouch panel the moment the live action is over. The media does not first need to be transferred to a separate editor with the cost and complexity that involves.

LiveTouch works stand-alone or as an addition to Enterprise sQ  - offering full editing and playback access to all media on any part of the combined system.

"LiveTouch is something our customers have been asking us to do," said Ray Cross, Quantel CEO and Executive Chairman. "This is the start of a new product range that will make Sports highlighting easier, faster and better connected into the workflow."

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