Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Remote Collaboration Is Here to Stay

27/05/2020

Brought on suddenly by the coronavirus pandemic, the new normal of remote workflows has been getting a lot of press lately-but the truth is that media enterprises have been moving toward more decentralized operations for some time now. Emerging technologies such as IP and the cloud have ushered in a whole new era of seamless collaboration among team members working from remote locations across the globe. And the benefits are so compelling that it's a safe bet that remote collaboration workflows will continue to expand, long after the current crisis has passed.

In this article, we'll take a look at the drivers for remote collaboration and the tremendous advantages to media operations. We'll also present some strategies for building a technical foundation to support remote collaboration in the long term.

CLEAR ADVANTAGESThere are plenty of compelling reasons for media operations to move toward remote collaboration workflows on a permanent basis. We see three key factors at play: reduced costs, global creativity and new levels of localization for global audiences. Let's break them down.

It's easy to see why decentralized workflows can bring about tremendous cost reductions. With the lion's share of creatives collaborating remotely, organizations can get by with a smaller physical footprint at headquarters and therefore lower opex. In addition, capex is reduced through the use of key enabling technologies such as hybrid cloud computing and SaaS-based solutions. If there's anything the pandemic is proving, it's just how little money broadcasters need to spend to mount seamless and professional productions, with most contributors-even on-air talent-working from home and only a limited crew of engineers in the studio.

Global collaboration spurs creativity in content creation through the ability to leverage contributors from all over the world-each of whom can offer top expertise, unique insights and a regional perspective. Rather than being limited to the editors, producers, colorists and other contributors based at headquarters, operations are able to expand to a virtually unlimited talent pool that brings huge diversity in ideas, perspectives and creative approaches. Global audiences are the winners, with a richer array of high-quality content from which to choose.

Speaking of those global audiences, remote collaboration enables productions to take their content localization capabilities to new levels. When we've thought of localization in the past, it usually meant captioning and/or audio dubbing the original content in the local language. But now, working with teams of remote contributors-editors, camera operators and script writers, for example-productions are able to produce truly local versions of content that raise the engagement level of audiences in those areas, reflecting their own tastes and expectations.

STRATEGIES THAT GO THE COLLABORATIVE DISTANCEGiven those drivers, what are the technical requirements and approaches that will help media enterprises make a successful leap to remote collaboration workflows? From Primestream's perspective, these boil down to the following:

A hybrid cloud infrastructure that provides the flexibility for the operation to leverage both on-premises and cloud resources as appropriate for different elements of the production. For example, rendering could be performed in the cloud and playout could be done on premises, or vice versa.

A centralized management platform that allows the operation to track, analyze and monitor every production and gives a clear view of assignments, tasks and status updates across all globally dispersed contributors. Consider a production house with 15 different projects in various stages of production. At a glance, producers can see which contributors are involved, what tasks they're assigned and how close they are to completion without having to be concerned with where the contributors are physically located.

A SaaS business model that enables ad-hoc workflows, offering the ability to grow dynamically and offer a menu of features and capabilities tailored to the production; for instance, a stable of local editors to work on footage only for the duration of a specific event. Here's where the cloud really comes in, offering the ability to spin up a temporary workflow and then spin it down when the event is over, rather than having to maintain expensive on-premises equipment that sits idle when not needed.

A one-stop shop for tools of the trade. Most SaaS offerings today only offer a few pieces of the overall production puzzle, such as remote editing in the cloud. But we foresee a future when an entire live production service might be available through a cloud SaaS model, with the ability to segment different capabilities and parcel them out to various remote contributors. By the same token, different contributors would be able to access any of the tools they need from a common service, perhaps on an a la carte basis, rather than having to piece together disparate solutions from different vendors.

SUMMING UPGiven the current global health crisis, these are uncertain times for our industry. But one of the silver linings might well be a chance for broadcasters and other media operations to experience first-hand just how effective remote collaboration can be-and how much money they can save, without having to compromise on the richness and quality of content. There's no doubt that remote collaboration workflows will continue to grow into the future, supported by ongoing innovation in hybrid cloud and SaaS solutions.

Namdev Lisman is executive vice president at Primestream.
LINK: https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/remote-collaboration-is-here-to-stay...
See more stories from tvtechnology

More from TV Technology

25/04/2024

Peacock Subs Jump 55% YoY to 34M in Q1 2024

PHILADELPHIA Comcast beat earnings estimates in its Q1 2024 financial report, as streaming losses continued to decline and Peacock's paid subscribers spiked...

25/04/2024

Seattle Kraken Inks Deals with Tegna and Prime Video

SEATTLE The Seattle Kraken have inked new multi-year agreements with Tegna and Prime Video that will expand access to their games over broadcast stations and st...

25/04/2024

Qurate Launches The Big Dish on The Roku Channel

WEST CHESTER, Pa. Video commerce provider Qurate Retail Group has launched The Big Dish, a new culinary-themed FAST channel on The Roku Channel....

25/04/2024

HPA Opens Submissions for 2024 HPA Engineering Excellence Awards

LOS ANGELES The Hollywood Professional Association has announced that submissions for the 2024 HPA Engineering Excellence Awards are now being accepted. This re...

25/04/2024

DV Earns MRC Accreditation for CTV Viewability

NEW YORK The digital media measurement and analytics firm DoubleVerify has announced that it has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for Video Vie...

25/04/2024

DAZN FAST Channels to Launch on Tubi

SAN FRANCISCO Fox Corp.'s ad-supported streaming service Tubi has announced a licensing agreement with the sports platform DAZN that will see DAZN Ringside ...

25/04/2024

IAB Makes Three Appointments to Its Leadership Team

NEW YORK In the runup to the 2024 IAB NewFronts, the IAB has announced three key appointments to its leadership team....

24/04/2024

Mundo Hispano Digital Launches MundoNow Connect

ATLANTA Mundo Hispano Digital has launched a new advertising product, MundoNow Connect, that is designed to help advertisers reach Hispanic audiences on connect...

24/04/2024

Epic Games Releases Unreal Engine 5.4

Epic Games has released a major new version of Unreal Engine, which has become a mainstay in virtual production, that includes new features and improvements to ...

24/04/2024

NAB Show Welcomes Creators to Las Vegas

The National Association of Broadcasters welcomed the industry to its annual extravaganza last month in Las Vegas. The sights and sounds were similar to previou...

24/04/2024

Chptr, Gray Television Launch on Video Obituary Platform

NEW YORK Chptr and Gray Television have announced that they are introducing a new video solution for funeral homes and communities that will allow funeral direc...

24/04/2024

NEP Belgium Taps manifold CLOUD in Virtual OB Setup for Live Sports

FRANKFURT, Germany Software solutions provider manifold technologies has announced that its manifold CLOUD was selected by NEP Belgium to provide a signal proce...

24/04/2024

Integral Ad Science Achieves MRC Accreditation

NEW YORK Integral Ad Science has announced that it has earned Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its sophisticated invalid traffic (SIVT) filtration f...

24/04/2024

Plex Launches NFL Channel

LOS GATOS, Calif. Streaming media company Plex has announced a partnership with the National Football League that will add the NFL Channel, the NFLs 24/7 free l...

24/04/2024

NAB Extends Contract for President & CEO Curtis LeGeyt

WASHINGTON, D.C. NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt has agreed to a contract extension that will keep him at the helm of NAB through 2029, according to NAB Joi...

24/04/2024

GlobalM, scoopa Form Strategic Partnership To Enable Speedy Content Distribution

GENEVA, Switzerland Software-defined video network (SDVN) platform specialist GlobalM and broadcast-quality content distribution expert scoopa have formed a str...

23/04/2024

IBC Now Accepting Nominations for 2024 Innovation Awards

LONDON IBC is now accepting nominations for its IBC2024 Innovation Awards, which honor achievements in technological innovation and social impact media & entert...

23/04/2024

NAB Backs Broadcast VOICES Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. In response to the introduction of the Broadcast VOICES Act that seeks to encourage more diversity in the ownership of TV and radio stations, t...

23/04/2024

Hemisphere Media Group Launches WAPA+ on the Roku Channel

MIAMI, Fla. As part of a push to expand its FAST channel and streaming operations, Hemisphere Media Group has launched its free ad supported television (FAST) c...

23/04/2024

DirecTV Launches New Streaming Channels from Cineverse and Scripps Networks

LOS ANGELES DirecTV is adding seven new channels to its rapidly expanding streaming lineup through new licensing agreements with Cineverse Corp. and Scripps Net...

23/04/2024

Bolin Technology Integrates NDI Across Product Portfolio

BREA, Calif. Bolin Technology is integrating Network Device Interface (NDI) across its product line, bringing support for the latest NDI technologies to its PTZ...

23/04/2024

Aaron LaBerge Joins PENN Entertainment at CTO

WYOMISSING, Pa. PENN Entertainment has announced that longtime Disney and ESPN executive Aaron LaBerge has been named chief technology officer effective July 1,...

23/04/2024

Nexstar Disputes FCC $1.2M Fine, Order to Sell WPIX

In response to an FCC ruling in March proposing a $1.2 million fine against Nexstar and a ruling that Mission Broadcasting sell WPIX, Nexstar has filled a respo...

23/04/2024

Sony's Ci Media Cloud Keeps NHRA Moving

Sony has announced new details about how the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is using Sony's Ci Media Cloud platform to streamline its workflows and spe...

22/04/2024

The CW Will Not Renew Affiliations with Scripps Stations in Seven Markets

The Nexstar Media Group has decided not to renew affiliation agreements for The CW broadcast network with stations owned by Scripps in seven markets....

22/04/2024

Tegna's WTHR and WALV to Broadcast Indiana Fever WNBA Games

INDIANAPOLIS and Tysons, Va. In the wake of record viewing levels for the NCAA Women's Championship games, Tegna has announced that it has signed an agreeme...

20/04/2024

PBS Kids Adds American Sign Language to Streaming Content

As part of a push to improve the accessibility of its content, PBS Kids has announced that it has integrated American Sign Language (ASL) interpretations into m...

20/04/2024

Survey: Concerns About Deep Fakes Spike As Election Approaches

SAN JOSE, Calif. Online security solution provider McAfee has released new research exploring the impact artificial intelligence (AI) and the rise of deepfakes ...

20/04/2024

FCC Sets April 25 Vote on Net Neutrality Rules

The Federal Communications Commission has announced the agenda for an Open Meeting on Thursday, April 25, 2024 that will include votes on Net Neutrality Rules a...

20/04/2024

Virtual Reality Becomes the New Production Reality

Virtual reality and its close relatives, such as extended reality, have been completely accepted into the workflow of high-end productions. Stepping into an LED...

19/04/2024

Intel Lays Out 8K Production, AI Tech Plans for Paris Olympics

PARIS Intel has announced that its plans for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 will include using artificial intelligence technology powered by Intel ...

19/04/2024

Tech Advances Boost Adoption of 8K Production

LAS VEGAS Technologists working on all aspects of the 8K media production chain offered an optimistic update at the 2024 NAB Show on the state of 8K in video pr...

19/04/2024

Sony Considering Bid to Acquire Paramount

Sony Pictures Entertainment is reportedly in talks with Apollo Global Management to make a bid to acquire Paramount which itself is currently discussing a merge...

19/04/2024

Comcast Launches NOW

PHILADELPHIA As government subsidies for broadband services come to an end, Comcast has launched NOW, a new product portfolio of lower-cost Internet, mobile and...

19/04/2024

DirecTV Stream Adds CW Affiliates

DirecTV Stream has added more local CW stations for its streaming customers in Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Hartford-New Haven Conn., Phoenix, San ...

19/04/2024

MediaCo Acquires Estrella Media's Content and Digital Operations

NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES MediaCo Holding Inc. has announced that it has acquired all of Estrella Media's network, content, digital, and commercial operations....

19/04/2024

Adobe Launches New Adobe Express Mobile App with Firefly AI

SAN JOSE, Calif. Adobe has announced that the all-new Adobe Express mobile app is now available for free worldwide in many languages and on most Android and iOS...

19/04/2024

Netflix Adds 9.3M Subs in Q1

LOS GATOS, Calif. Netflix reported another blockbuster quarter by adding 9.33 million new subscribers in Q1, 2024 as global paid memberships hit 269.6 million, ...

18/04/2024

2024 NAB Show Attendance Topped 61,000

LAS VEGAS The National Association of Broadcasters is reporting that more than 61,000 people attended the 2024 NAB Show, where artificial intelligence and the c...

17/04/2024

Graham Media Selects Bitmovin Playback

DENVER Video streaming infrastructure provider Bitmovin has announced that the Graham Media Group has selected Bitmovin Playback to enhance its viewer experienc...

17/04/2024

Survey: LGBTQIA+ TV Visibility Drives Viewership Among Young Americans

LGBTQIA+ representation in TV content boosts viewership among young (18-34) Americans, according to a new report from Horowitz Research....

17/04/2024

TV Tech Announces Winners of Best of Show Awards at 2024 NAB Show

TV Tech has announced its Best of Show Awards for the 2024 NAB Show, April 14-17 in Las Vegas. The awards are judged by a panel of industry experts on the crite...

17/04/2024

Biggest Events Deserve the Biggest Screens, IMAX Says

The Olympics is the world's biggest sporting event, so doesn't it deserve to be shown on the world's biggest screens? That was the subject of Going...

17/04/2024

Broadcasters Tout Milestones for NextGen TV

NAB Show provides an annual opportunity for broadcasters to gather in person and assess the progress the industry has made in its transition to ATSC 3.0. At thi...

17/04/2024

U.S. Digital Advertising Revenues Hits High of $225B

$225 billion: That's how high U.S. digital advertising revenues were in 2023, according to the newly released IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full...

16/04/2024

Quickplay: 2024 OTT Solutions 'Market Is On Fire'

Following a difficult 2023 market for OTT solutions and technologies that saw considerable economic uncertainty, Quickplay chief business officer Paul Pastor sa...

16/04/2024

March Madness Lifts Cable's Share of TV Viewing

NEW YORK TV usage dropped by 3% in March compared to February and March Madness helped cable to gain a larger share of TV viewing but overall changes in TV usag...

16/04/2024

AWS Expands NAB Show Presence

If there remains any doubt that the cloud and artificial intelligence are transforming the workflows that drive the Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry, Amazon...

16/04/2024

IMAX and the Marvelous Magic of Disney Come to NAB Show

Evan Jacobs, VP Finishing & Stereo at Marvel Studios, cautioned not to downplay the home entertainment environment too much, noting that it's now hard to bu...

16/04/2024

FAST Talk: A Step Toward Increasing Revenue and Viewer Engagement

The age of streaming the opportunity for different viewing habits for many. Entire seasons could be binged whenever you had the time to spare and didn't m...