
The Switch Debuts "Cumulus", First Cloud-Based, Real-Time Production Service posted: 06/05/2017
Richard Wolf, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications, The Switch
Taking its at-home-production efforts to the next level, The Switch debuted Cumulus, its first cloud-based, real-time television production service, at the 2017 National Association of Broadcasters NAB2017 Show. Cumulus leverages the company's advanced FiveNines rich transmission network, which is optimized for the success of live broadcasts and enabled The Switch to demonstrate a live television production environment that incorporates production control surfaces that can be located anywhere in the world.
With all aspects of production controlled from The Switch's booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Cumulus demonstration featured multiple live sources from The Switch studios in Los Angeles and London, and remote control of SkyCam's WildCat aerial broadcast cameras positioned at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Denver. The equipment and systems that would normally be co-located with the Control Surfaces in a typical Production Control Room/Mobile facility were installed and integrated in a shared-services/private cloud environment, The Switch Cumulus.
The high-quality and low latency of The Switch Network enables television to take a dramatic leap forward, said Scott Beers, Chief Executive Officer of The Switch. The Switch Cumulus proves sophisticated remote productions can be achieved in a centralized and shared-services environment without the requirement of costly capital investment in production studios or trucks. This method of production dramatically lowers operating expense without compromising the quality of the consumer experience.
The NAB Cumulus demonstration featured remote control capability of the SkyCam system with 3-D graphics virtually inserted over the live SkyCam video using SMT's patented Camera Tracker technology allows virtual graphics to be inserted over a moving camera. SkyCam had both a camera pilot and camera operator present in the booth to fly and control the SkyCam aerial camera system in Denver. The live feed was then integrated into the technical production infrastructure, located at The Switch Cumulus in New York City. Additionally, enhanced 3-D graphics, designed by SMT, were virtually inserted into the live SkyCam video feed in real-time by an SMT operator, also present at the control surface in the booth.
Remote Control
Utilizing green screens located at The Switch facilities in London and Los Angeles, personalities were superimposed on to the field in Denver for plausible, on-site, live commentary using a Brainstorm 3-D rendering engine located at The Switch New York that was being controlled in real-time by an SMT operator in The Switch Booth in Las Vegas.
Finally, C360 Technologies provided a camera to SkyCam which, in addition to being part of the SkyCam component of the demonstration, was also Virtual Reality (VR) capable and simultaneously streamed Over-The-Top (OTT).
I am truly excited for this next phase of linear and OTT virtual television production, said Beers, Our NAB demonstrations have proved that the time for truly remote and virtual production is now.
About The Switch: Beers Enterprises, LLC d/b/a The Switch is the leading video solutions service provider in North America. The Switch currently provides advanced video switching and local fiber circuit services, satellite services, scalable Ethernet, and HomeRuns remote production via its FiveNines Service across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. The Switch was awarded a U.S. System Patent for customer controlled video data content delivery (U.S. Patent # 9306873). The Switch was awarded the 2013 New Bay Media Product Innovation Award for Switch-IT and the 2012 Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award for Network Automation. The Switch was created in 1991 to provide cost-effective, customer controlled television signal routing services to the broadcast industry. The Switch has been embraced by the marketplace since its inception and has grown to its current market leadership position.
About SkyCam: As the global leader in aerial camera systems, SkyCam paved the way for safe and reliable operation with proprietary advanced software including line avoidance, obstacle avoidance and remote monitoring. Currently, SkyCam is the sole provider of three-axis aerial camera systems for the NFL, NCAA and their broadcast partners, most recently highlighted on Super Bowl LI, the College National Football Championships and NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship tournament.
About SMT: SMT, a leading innovator and supplier of real-time data delivery and graphics solutions for the sports and entertainment industries, provides clients with cutting-edge storytelling tools to enhance their live sports and entertainment productions. SMT's technology for scoring, statistics, virtual insertion and messaging for broadcasts and live events has been used to enhance the world's most prestigious live events, including the Super Bowl, NBC Sunday Night Football, major golf and tennis events, the Indianapolis 500, the NCAA Tournament, MLB games and the World Series, ESPN X Games, NBA on TNT, NASCAR events, and NHL games. SMT's clients include major US and international broadcasters as well as regional and specialty networks, organizing bodies, event operators, sponsors and teams. The 31-time Emmy Award-winning company is headquartered in Durham, N.C., with divisions in Jacksonville, Fla., Fremont, Calif., and London, England.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
(L-R) Dustin Hoffman and Leo Woodall appear in Tuner by Daniel Roher, an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of Sundance In...
02/05/2026
Versatile re-amping tool announced
Warm Audio are best known for their recreations of sought-after vintage studio gear, but their latest release brings a ne...
02/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/05/2026
Scripps Research immunologist Dennis Burton elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences A leader in broadly neutralizing antibodies, Burton has helped driv...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
01/05/2026
BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing ( BKB ), today announced the appointment of Will Wright ...
01/05/2026
Lawo has been at the center of the industry's transition to IP and other next-generation technologies. At NAB 2026, its story was the Edge One AV stagebox, ...
01/05/2026
HBA Media, acting on behalf of NBC Sports and Churchill Downs Incorporated, has announced broadcast and streaming distribution for Kentucky Derby 152, taking pl...
01/05/2026
By Bailey Pennick
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
01/05/2026
Florals for spring? Groundbreaking. But a playlist that tells you which The Devi...
01/05/2026
One of the world's biggest popstars is headed to El Cl sico. Later this mont...
01/05/2026
Limited-edition model celebrates 15th anniversary
Heritage Audio's range of monitor controllers has just gained a new member, the Baby RAM Black Edition...
01/05/2026
Dumble recreation now available as UAD plug-in
Along with their renowned processing plug-ins, Universal Audio have been steadily introducing emulations of c...
01/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/05/2026
To celebrate the opening of its new showroom and office, Lightware UK hosted a dedicated launch event at the new London location. The event welcomed partners, c...
01/05/2026
Choice without compromise
The broadcast industrys transformation is accelerating, and traditional broadcasters are having to fundamentally reinvent how they o...
01/05/2026
Beam Dynamics will return to MPTS 2026 with its asset intelligence platform, helping systems integrators, live production teams, media facilities and profession...
01/05/2026
Best-in-class UX design and rapid, scalable delivery for next-generation viewing experiences
Leading video software provider, Synamedia, today announced a coll...
01/05/2026
Compact new cforce MAX lens motor brings unrivaled speed and responsiveness to t...
01/05/2026
Panavision welcomes Fritz Heinzle as Vice President of Sales
Brie Clayton May 1, 2026
0 Comments
Heinzle will support Panavision's global growth s...
01/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/05/2026
LONDON, APRIL 30, 2026 The Post Republic London's Re-recording Mixer and Dialogue Editor Dan Johnson has built a reputation for clean, emotionally resonan...
01/05/2026
Adobe Unveils Powerful New Innovations in Photoshop & Lightroom
Deepa Subramaniam April 30, 2026
0 Comments
Your most tedious creative tasks just got ea...
01/05/2026
Berklee Partners with Santander US to Establish Global Opportunity Fund The $400,000 grant offers students access to experiential learning opportunities withi...
01/05/2026
Student Spotlight: Keziah Thomas The Indian composer, who was named the 2026 student commencement speaker for Berklee College of Music, talks about how shes p...
01/05/2026
Friday 1 May 2026
Hannah Waddingham and Ncuti Gatwa to host the series final tw...
01/05/2026
Friday 1 May 2026
Got plans? Cancel them. Sky Sports Big Weekend is coming
Sky Sports is preparing for a bumper weekend of live action, including Manchester ...
01/05/2026
Friday 1 May 2026
Sky Sports to broadcast all matches from World Sevens Football London edition
Sky Sports will be the exclusive UK broadcaster of the women...
01/05/2026
Back to All News
NIAJ Fest Gets Los Angeles In on the Joke With Free Pop-Up Events
Entertainment
01 May 2026
GlobalUnited States
Link copied to clipboard
...
01/05/2026
RT Sport awarded first pick free-to-air on Wednesday nights
Champions League and Super Cup finals
Highlights on Wednesday nights
RT today (Thursday 30 Apri...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
30/04/2026
The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) concluded its third regular season on Saturday, reporting growth across attendance, viewership, digital engage...
30/04/2026
NBC Sports will air national MLB coverage on Sundays beginning May 3, with MLB Sunday Leadoff on Peacock and NBCSN at 12:30 p.m. ET, followed by the debut of th...
30/04/2026
Clear-Com has appointed Brian Grahn as Market Outreach Manager of the Americas and Ben Turnwell as Business Development Manager for EMEA live.
Grahn joined Cle...
30/04/2026
ARRI has introduced the cforce MAX, a new lens motor for the Hi-5 lens control system. The cforce MAX is twice as fast as the cforce plus motor it replaces whil...
30/04/2026
Knuerr, Voxtronic, and IHSE will jointly present an integrated control room solu...