However, just being able to press a button to make multiple things happen isn’t – on its own – enough. Users expect – as any of us would – the highest degree of quality and reliability.
One way to ensure that, is through the likes of our new EMU3, which is a remote-access power unit, and our new Scheduler element, which enables users to remotely schedule a certain area to power up and set up before the user even gets there, and turn off automatically at a scheduled finish time, there’s no need to ensure anyone’s around other than the talent. The talent doesn’t even have to turn the lights off.
This comprehensive technical package is, again, designed for non-technical users. If you can navigate a programme guide, you can use an IDS-equipped remote studio just as easily. IPE has taken care of all the complicated technology. All the user has to do is turn up, press a button, and do what they do best without the complication or expense of additional, perhaps specialist, technical personnel.
And that’s just what many of the world’s biggest broadcasters are doing right now. The reason you may not have heard of IDS-equipped remote studios is because they work so well. Quietly, deliberately and cost-effectively doing their job while saving time and money.
But let’s not be narrow minded and limit this remote approach to traditional broadcast operations. OTT production facilities use IDS kit too. You can have remote studios on ships, in corporate facilities, at remote weather stations, houses of worship…the list is endless. You could even have a small studio space in your home for making videos of your cats…and you could operate it remotely without a scratch.
I would be remiss if I didn’t close without mentioning that a significant portion of the industry is now moving to hosted, hybrid infrastructures where a lot of “technology” is virtualised and humming away in a data centre somewhere. IDS easily consolidates virtualised functions into multi-function touchscreens that can be located anywhere in the world. In fact, speech recognition/activation to control multiple, remote functions is probably not too far off either, but that’s for another article.
Rest assured, virtualised routing panels, comms panels or whatever is needed, can easily be incorporated into IDS touch screens. In short, IDS and IPE are well positioned to capitalise on the virtualisation of our industry, localised or remote, but all while “keeping it real”.
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