Graphics in the cloud: Behind BBC Sport's innovative RowZed cross-platform web app By John Maxwell Hobbs
Thursday, January 12, 2023 - 09:07
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The BBC's RowZed is a cross-platform web app that makes use of opensource technologies
Developed by Ryan McKenna, executive product manager for graphics and automation at the BBC Technology Group, RowZed is a cloud-based system that drives HTML graphics in real time across streams and linear TV.
It came out of a collaboration between BBC Design Scotland and BBC Sport in Salford, called the Sport HTML project. A full suite of motion graphic templates were developed in HTML to cover football, rugby, and snooker.
RowZed is a cross-platform web app that makes use of opensource technologies. The system can provide a web template source that can be added as an input to cloud production platforms such as OBS Studio, Grabyo and vMix. Additionally, by using CasparCG and a Decklink card, RowZed can control a video source delivered via SDI or NDI.
BBC Sport began work on a Streaming Lab in Salford 2018 in response to challenges introduced by several freezes to the licence fee. On why RowZed was created, McKenna states: The consequences of less funding sometimes mean less of the premium tournaments, but BBC Sport pledged to broadcast 1,000 extra hours of live sport a year.
The goal was how to ensure that graphics are flexible, scalable and cost effective for TV, streams and red button' content. Broadcast graphics were very expensive before HTML became practical for real time graphics, and now we're clearly seeing more focus in web technology post-pandemic. We can look towards web animation working with linear and digital, real time and files, and tools, working remotely or on-prem, McKenna explains.
As to the development of RowZed, which was ultimately created with BBC Scotland, BBC Technology, BBC Sport, and BBC R&D working together, McKenna says: They were building a streaming lab, which ended up being put into production use as a streaming gallery, but they were kind of stuck with what to do for graphics.
We'd been working with CasparCG at BBC Scotland for BBC Alba's sustaining service, so I knew it was promising in that that we could add HTML graphics, and it's really capable when it comes to streams, because you can have multiple graphic sources. It was a case of rebuilding all the existing VizRT graphics as web components. RowZed was like a companion for the templates. We wanted to have an app that people could control and use to drive the graphics.
Ryan McKenna, executive product manager for graphics and automation at the BBC Technology Group
Development phase
The RowZed project kicked off in May 2019, and the initial goal was to be ready to broadcast a match in four months' time. The work done during that time was to recreate all match graphics in HTML, do user research to develop requirements, create a control application, train users, test, and then deploy the application.
They love it. We recently did a bit of an anonymous survey to find out what people think. And we're getting high nines for satisfaction and high nines for ease of use. That's what you want, as a product manager, you want people to be happy using your products !
McKenna described the process: Research was conducted by observing gallery staff, seeing how they work and what challenges they face in tense environments. We learned so much being at the desk. One observation was how social posts were found, aggregated and then emailed over to the operator. This led to some of the features we have today of pulling from the Twitter API and giving the producer full control over aggregation and playout.
During the development phase, users had the opportunity to test the app by creating animated graphics for recorded matches, and the team went through a process of acceptance testing to ensure the product was ready. The initial coverage we aimed for was early FA Cup qualifiers, says McKenna. The first match was August 2019: Punjab United versus Broadbridge Heath. Now I'm hooked on the stories and glory of the FA Cup!
Since then, we've added further sport user interfaces: Rugby League, Rugby Union, snooker, shinty and GAA, says McKenna. We even added Kabaddi last year, reaching new audiences with affordable graphics. A big step for us was creating the rundown section of the app, which has let us explore productions outside of sport, such as Springwatch and the Reading/Leeds festival.
When you're using RowZed, it really is what you see is what you get, he says. The system does most of the work for you. This is what it's all about. Make it as simple as we can for production to drive the graphics, says McKenna
Positive reception
McKenna spoke of the aims for the application, Our main goal is to make tools that people really enjoy using to allow staff to get tasks done efficiently, he says. RowZed has scored high in any qualitative research we've undertaken; high nine's for ease of use, satisfaction, and goal accomplishment. We're happy when users are happy, and it's always good to hear directly from them on features and suggestions.
They love it, he says of the producers. We recently did a bit of an anonymous survey to find out what people think. And we're getting high nines for satisfaction and high nines for ease of use. That's what you want, as a product manager, you want people to be happy using your products.
McKenna emphasised that the interests of the end user have been at the heart of the development work. When you're using RowZed, it really is what you see is what you get, he says. The system does most of the work for you. This is what it's all about. Make it as simple as we can for production to drive the graphics. That means for sele
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Graphics in the cloud: Behind BBC Sport's innovative RowZed cross-platform web app By John Maxwell Hobbs 
