Joined-Up Thinking: Inside the New Generation of Combined Audio, Video Production Systems

Joined-up thinking: Inside the new generation of combined audio and video production systems By David Davies

Friday, November 8, 2019 - 16:43

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Grass Valley's Kula AV - a multi-format video and audio mixer - was one of the most high profile of several combined AV production systems launched at IBC 2019. Oriented towards more streamlined and space-restricted applications, including remote production, these solutions look set to presage a new generation of integrated systems with extensive video and audio functionality.

Grass Valley's Kula AV was launched at IBC 2019

The logic of such solutions in terms of space and operational burden does not require too much unpicking - but the implications for personnel and workflows could be more complicated.

SVG Europe spoke to vendors and service providers to assess the role of these systems and consider how the scope of combined technologies might expand in the future.

Single operator, smaller operations

The messaging around the Kula AV system emphasises its multi-purpose remit. Capable of mixing video and digital or analogue audio, Kula AV also has built-in multiviewer capability and is designed for smaller broadcast operations as well as venue productions, corporate projects and houses of worship.

Geared towards single operator usage, Kula AV's 2RU mainframe offers a specification including 1 ME HD switching as well as FormatFusion3 technology to auto-sense and convert SD, HD and 1080p to the required outputs for unrestricted mixing of video signal types across all inputs and outputs.

But what is most striking about the system's capabilities is its extensive and fully integrated audio mixing capabilities, which include embed/de-embedding, clean and quiet audio switching, and audio-follow-video mode for simplified control.

Mark Hilton, vice-president, live production at Grass Valley, confirmed that space constraints remain a primary driver of R&D in this area. Supplying solutions with additional features is hugely beneficial for users because it reduces the space required for the equipment, he said. In the case of Kula AV's audio functionality, the combined solution allows users to deploy it in even the most confined spaces.

Streamlined workflows

Sony has also developed multiple combined AV production solutions. Its current offer includes the Anycast Touch portable live content producer AWS-750 - which is geared towards streaming and includes a video switcher, streaming media encoder, recorder, audio mixer, titler and remote camera controller - and Video Production, an on-demand cloud production service incorporating a complete production toolset for multi-platform content creation and delivery.

Mark Harrison, Sony Professional Solutions Europe

Mark Harrison, product manager of live production infrastructure at Sony Professional Solutions Europe, provides a neat capsule summary of the combined A/V solution's typical benefits, namely that they simplify operations and streamlined workflows, reduce staff and overall equipment cost, and minimise set-up time.

But he also readily acknowledges the potential pitfalls: Deploying these combined solutions does slightly reduce creative flexibility and generally doesn't necessarily benefit every single type of production. Overall, though, the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks and we will continue to see widespread adoption of these solutions.

Inevitably, the rise of remote production and the ever-escalating demand for extra content will add further impetus to proceedings. Broadcasters will explore remote production workflows to reduce the amount of equipment and resources needed on-site, thereby reducing the cost of content creation and distribution, said Harrison.

For instance, if the capital cost of a single OB van can be halved it becomes possible to deploy two units at two different locations at the same time. With IP scaling any need for additional capacity on-site can be supported by bringing both units together easily as one larger resource.

The role of storytelling

Speak to Matt Allard, product marketing manager for Vizrt Group - which as of this year now includes NewTek - and one forms the impression of the current trend towards combined production solutions having a much longer historical trajectory than some might think. NewTek, he said, kicked off the original combined production system with the Video Toaster in 1990. That system evolved to become the first TriCaster introduced in 2005. Today there are a variety of systems available at various price points, but TriCaster still remains the product line with the largest installed base.

As of 2019 NewTek's integrated AV production range includes three TriCaster systems and VMC with a

Matt Allard, Vizrt, product marketing manager

range of I/O, control and pricing choices. Functionality includes IP integration with NDI, format flexibility to UHD, multi-source video and audio mixing, live streaming output, social media integration, Skype video calling, recording, clip players, replay, chromakeying, virtual sets, multi-viewers, automation and custom control.

Like the other contributors, Allard readily acknowledges the importance of space and minimal personnel requirements to the popularity of these systems. But, he said, the largest influencer on why such combined systems not only remain popular but are growing in number is that the desire for visual storytelling is expanding well beyond just traditional broadcasters.

There is an increasing amount of people in educational, corporate, government and religious organisations driven by the constant use of video on social media, and for mobile devices that want to add video to their storytelling capabilities. [Simultaneously] broadcasters are bringing alternative digital media channels to life that output to the interne

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