Shenzhen Media Group Merged News Center (first phase) is a typical project of Shenzhen Media Group’s transition from traditional media to merged media, which was fully enabled in May 2015, involving innovation and change in many aspects such as mechanism, process and technology. The project takes construction of merged news center as the core, making full use of advanced technologies such as cloud computing and big data, to implement the IP-based whole process of radio, film and television content production and broadcast system, preliminary build a private cloud of radio, film and television, and support news production and release on the shared platform of TV, weibo, WeChat and App. Its total investment is nearly 180 million Yuan, of which the process system equipment investment budget is 110 million Yuan with a total construction area of 3500 square meters.
Full view of open area
In the master control room
Construction Goals
In the Merged News Center (first phase) project, we plan to build a flat, open, fully merged news production and operation platform, integrate all kinds of news resources, and transform the traditional media’s "acquisition by single channel, enclosed production, node-to-surface one-way transmission" mode of operation to the new production and broadcast pattern of "convergence of entire media, production on shared platform, distribution by multi-channel". The main construction goals of this project are:
1. More splendid traditional TV programs presentation
To merge the new media content presentation, make programs presentation broader, faster, and more exciting; to strengthen the interaction with the audience by using social media; virtual studio upgrade and online packaging modular design make the pictures more exquisite, production more efficient; to further enhance capacity and support production and broadcast of 24 h news; to converge massive news materials, make programs more rich. To make new media content production as the built-in function of system, adapt the rapid development and iteration characteristics of new media.
2. Merged news production process change exploration
Change of business process, organization structure, technical support, appraisal mechanism; to implement the closed loop of planning, production, release and evaluation after broadcast, improve communication effect and quality; to carry out unified planning and topics selecting, multiple sources convergence, shared platform production, Omni-channel distribution and interaction.
In the new input Omni media merged news center, the clouded IT infrastructure makes IT systems to be deployed according to business properties, and improves the speed of the new channel, new programs launch; it can realize Omni media content production and broadcast anytime and anywhere, and let the users enjoy smooth, convenient audio-visual experience, greatly improving resource utilization, reducing operational costs by 50%, increasing content production speed by 60%, improving media assets return rate by 60 times.
We achieve IT resource pooling, service automation and intelligent management by building the cloud platform defined in the business, and provide a complete flow media data processing mechanism using merged architecture. All the business adopts the IP bearer, IP network sharing, resource acquisition and structure flexiblization upon recognition; In view of the data access, we insist to use virtualization to make end-to-end resource allocation, to realize flexible architecture; at the same time, we realized more efficient access of the data
System Scheme
Merged News Center process system mainly consists of two parts of the studio system and production network system, we will build: (1) a full HD, open merged technology platform, unified Omni media content platform supporting news center program production, to provide news resource sharing service for the whole group; (2) HD studio system which can be comprehensively utilized, to meet the demand of multi-types programs recording and multi spots design; (3) advanced news resources command system, to enhance the news production efficiency; realize editor full-time production, and combine the professional function area and the public service area together, to promote content production performance.
Merged News Center Studio System
Responsible for scheduling and recording of the signals needed by the news center, meeting the use requirement by all news programs to signal transmission scheduling, and broad spectrum recording of all kinds of transmission and broadcast signals to the production network, for materials filing, production and broadcast. The system has a large signal scheduling matrix for scheduling signals, and has the format transformation function. To reflect the new characteristics of the Merged News Center’s news production and broadcast process such as high efficiency, fast speed, interaction, sharing, etc. all signal resources in the studio video and audio system are unified scheduled and used, to carry out unified monitoring and scheduling management of switcher, matrix, and peripheral devices using equipment resources management system. In order to further improve the packaging form of news programs, we introduced new technologies such as robot trajectory camera, image-text packaging templated application, implanting virtual into live-action, interactive studio application, etc.
Figure 1 Sketch of Merged News Center Studio System
Merged News Center Production Network System
It contains five big modules of news command platform, Omni media convergence platform, merged production platform, Omni media release system and media data center, to achieve flattening editorial synergy of organizational structure, and improve production efficiency and sharing. The whole network realizes editing reporters’ full-time production, breaks through isolation of office network, Internet and production network, and promotes content production performance. It merges online packaging and content production system, and enhances the production efficiency and sharing. It introduces new media tools and release means, improves the spread effect and screen presentation of the programs, as well as interactivity. It uses cloud technology, virtualization, clustering technology and so on, reduces the cost of system construction, extension, and improves the scheduling ability of resource demand in peaks and valleys.
The Innovation of the Studio System Design
Under the guidance of merged production concept, the video and audio system design of traditional studio group also pays more attention to resources sharing and unified deployment, and follows the concept of cloud sharing in system design; whether the access way of signal source, signal processing, video camera sharing, monitor screen sharing, or core equipment such as switchers, bus in matrix, processing engine, resource sharing, they should be totally mutual shared and freely used. The system follows the following design principles:
(1) Three studios share 18 - channel camera, with the design of full floating sharing, the system can be still free scheduled and not affected in emergent multi-camera situations.
(2) The main/backup switchers in three studios share two core switching hosts, with a total of 14 levels M/E processing resources, and any signal source in the system can be directly chosen on each switcher control panel.
(3) All online advertising and virtual rendering workstations are designed according to the full floating sharing, and have the capability of materials sharing.
(4) Set up the signal recording dispatching center, for unified management of all included and external signals. Set up a studio shared matrix, for scheduling, monitoring the studio internal signals.
1. The whole domain intelligent equipment management system
KSC Commander system helps the studio group achieve rapid network equipment control management system with high efficiency and high security, and has great significance on unified control management of the studio's video and audio system and related equipment; it can not only reduce the chances of wrong operation, but also improve the work efficiency of technical personnel, as well as support security and flexibility of programs production and broadcast.
Figure 7 Overall framework of studio KSC Commander system
System scheduling operation uses the graphical interfaces and drag-and-drop way, which greatly improved the working efficiency. Unlike the cross-system signal scheduling of previous large studio group system needing to check the drawings, line tables, time consuming with the risk of wrong operation, now we can directly view the signal flow of entire studio group system, without considering the middle process; we can directly select the signal source and destination to complete the cross-system signal scheduling, reducing the cascade which easily leads to wrong operation, greatly improving the safety of broadcast.
The system has a "one key" quick scene conversion function, with the help of simple touch drag-and-drop operation completely based on graphics, it can completely transform the studio work status, and conduct joint scheduling of the routing equipment such as L-BAND (RF), video, audio, optical fiber, multiple screen monitor, etc. It can also apply "virtualization multi-layer matrix" to carry out multilevel distributed arrangement to the core routing equipment in master control system. Its powerful function of event management can automatically change the system and equipment configuration by time line way. And the system has a time line control and event trigger function, to take over some simple programs in the studio by the whole process automation.
This project is a cluster studio system, made up of two large matrixes and three sets of independent studio systems. At the same time, the systems such as monitor, synchronization, call, etc. adopt share-based design. According to the traditional mode of operation, the daily signal scheduling needs a two-stage matrix, and also needs to make a lot of routing information communication with the master control scheduling matrix. And this set of products allows staff to schedule the signal source of the master control matrix directly to the local switcher input through a switch on a panel, and see the UMD names of outside the master control and the studio system on the monitor screen directly, thus greatly improving the work efficiency on the device settings, routing adjustment, technology management and other aspects, which can be said to be a leap in the studio program running and system management.
2. The camera robots make pleasing visual effect
We referred to the international mainstream news channel design concept for the Merged News Center open studio scenery design, and put forward higher request to the camera viewing angle, movement, transformation, etc., implementing different kinds of broadcast in the same scenery, thus we introduced ROSS track robot.
Track robot
Open studio area scenery gives full play to the movement characteristic of the robot, which can shoot variety kinds of motion pictures according to the program requirements, and the supporting wide angle lens can obtain special perspective effect and highly dynamic footage, breaking fixed and rigid situation of the original news broadcast frame. Track robot can take motion pictures taking the center of a circle as a shaft; it can also rotate holder at 360 ° to shoot motion pictures in other locations of the studio, with association of dynamic and static, bringing more framing effects.
The system uses thumbnail server, undertaking graphical interface, allowing program directors to control robots more intuitively, call the next robot motion picture more conveniently and accurately, thus liberating the cameraman, improving work efficiency. A track robot can also be used instead of multiple cameras, which not only satisfy the demand of news studio mobile shooting, but also be used as fixed cameras at any position on the track, improving the efficiency of equipment according to the change of program requirements.
The application of virtual technology in the news programs by Shenzhen TV has been at the leading level in the domestic, we introduced orbit robots with tracking to be combined with virtual system, to cooperate with virtual application of advertising team. The track robot can not only move horizontally, but also move up and down flexibly, with strong camera visual impact, to provide more space for the advertising team; it can also transfer rise and fall, pitching, roll, zoom, focus, shift and other camera motion information to the rendering engine, breaking through the limitation of the previous fixed slots, greatly enhancing the visual effect.
3. The switch core design of shared and mutually backup resources
Based on the concept of cloud sharing, the system discards traditional design pattern in the aspect of switcher, and three studios share two multistage M/E core switching hosts, the control panel of each control room is from different core host control. Input and output of two core hosts are equal in size, with the entire signal source. Two core switch hosts have the same brand and model, and can be backed up with each other in the aspects of the inside card, module, with flexible configuration.
Two switcher hosts use host and backup cross mechanism, and the studio system can provide the signal from different hosts, to ensure the safety of the chat system at the maximum. In order to improve equipment utilization, the two sets of host are fully used for three studios.
Each switcher core host has I/O capacity on large-scale, which can be configured to 192 x 96 at most, actual configuration of 128 x 64, to ensure the multiple studio signals with mutual sharing; it can easily achieve the mutual backup of the whole studio system, satisfy the studio expansion, cascade, parallel broadcasting and other functional requirements, greatly improving the program production capacity of Merged News Center.
4. Network video and audio system
Audio system design adopts the concept of "group", all audio resources are shared for three studios, which can realize the one standby one, two standby one function; two or more studios can conduct linkage, and realize large live TV broadcast with the aid of cascade, parallel broadcasting and other ways; each studio has independent and complete master and standby audio system, as well as the stereo programing function; all audio signals of studio group can be shared in all the studios.
Three studio main mixers adopt large networked digital audio matrix and mixer system from StageTec Company, with the help of embedded DSP processor and powerful control platform, it can flexibly schedule and process audio signals in high quality, to improve the safety at the same time of reducing the complexity of system structure. Based on the audio signal network matrix, the main mixer of the system can share the entire input source and flexibly schedule signal routing; connection between each equipment unit in audio signal network matrix is star structure, with audio signal routing network architecture with high redundancy.
The system uses a low-cost digital backup mixer, placed outside the main mixer system network, to ensure the independence of the backup system architecture and the security of redundancy, sharing some important audio signals by Dante card, improving the use flexibility.
The system adopts broadcast passive manual multi-channel alternative switcher; under its control, we can realize the PGM output and master/standby one key synchronous switching of signals sending to the control room for monitoring, the internal matrix, etc.
5. Integration of Vizrt online graphic packaging and production system
Vizrt studio online image-text can make automatic synchronous production system manuscripts title and subtitle; after reporters make title and subtitle according to the template in the manuscripts system and manuscripts system record title and subtitle, it transfer to Vizrt graphic system by MOS interface to realize synchronization; any changes to the document in the broadcast can be real-time synchronized with Vizrt graphic system, it changed the early operation mode of manual modifying title and subtitle.
In making Vizrt show subtitles, generate a subtitle template according to demand first, and produce system scan, transcoding, then introduce the noncoding subtitles resource library; reporters call Vizrt subtitles plugin in the noncoding system, insert subtitles in the programs, realizing the full cycle documentation of Vizrt subtitles production, making the use of subtitles in programming simple and convenient.
6. Strengthen the interaction of studio with audience
The establishment of Omni media release and the interactive platform realized the fusion of traditional studio and emerging media, through platforms such as WeChat, weibo, APP, etc., using mobile phones, studio hosts can interact with the audience in the process of traditional live television.
Hosts can initiate related activities according to the form of program, in a given time, the audience can participate in activities while appreciating the program, and the activity results will be presented in the show, which strengthened the participation of the audience. Matching with the use of virtual studio, we can make the simulated full 3 D virtual interactive programs, and provide the data access platform support for possible future program interaction mode. Interactive platform has powerful network user analysis processing mechanism, and supports full platform user data connecting; if a user involved in interaction on any platform, its information can be shared by all platforms.
Shenzhen Media Group Merged News Center (first phase) is a typical project of Shenzhen Media Group’s transition from traditional media to merged media, which was fully enabled in May 2015, involving innovation and change in many aspects such as mechanism, process and technology. The project takes construction of merged news center as the core, making full use of advanced technologies such as cloud computing and big data, to implement the IP-based whole process of radio, film and television content production and broadcast system, preliminary build a private cloud of radio, film and television, and support news production and release on the shared platform of TV, weibo, WeChat and App. Its total investment is nearly 180 million Yuan, of which the process system equipment investment budget is 110 million Yuan with a total construction area of 3500 square meters.
Full view of open area
In the master control room
Construction Goals
In the Merged News Center (first phase) project, we plan to build a flat, open, fully merged news production and operation platform, integrate all kinds of news resources, and transform the traditional media’s "acquisition by single channel, enclosed production, node-to-surface one-way transmission" mode of operation to the new production and broadcast pattern of "convergence of entire media, production on shared platform, distribution by multi-channel". The main construction goals of this project are:
1. More splendid traditional TV programs presentation
To merge the new media content presentation, make programs presentation broader, faster, and more exciting; to strengthen the interaction with the audience by using social media; virtual studio upgrade and online packaging modular design make the pictures more exquisite, production more efficient; to further enhance capacity and support production and broadcast of 24 h news; to converge massive news materials, make programs more rich. To make new media content production as the built-in function of system, adapt the rapid development and iteration characteristics of new media.
2. Merged news production process change exploration
Change of business process, organization structure, technical support, appraisal mechanism; to implement the closed loop of planning, production, release and evaluation after broadcast, improve communication effect and quality; to carry out unified planning and topics selecting, multiple sources convergence, shared platform production, Omni-channel distribution and interaction.
In the new input Omni media merged news center, the clouded IT infrastructure makes IT systems to be deployed according to business properties, and improves the speed of the new channel, new programs launch; it can realize Omni media content production and broadcast anytime and anywhere, and let the users enjoy smooth, convenient audio-visual experience, greatly improving resource utilization, reducing operational costs by 50%, increasing content production speed by 60%, improving media assets return rate by 60 times.
We achieve IT resource pooling, service automation and intelligent management by building the cloud platform defined in the business, and provide a complete flow media data processing mechanism using merged architecture. All the business adopts the IP bearer, IP network sharing, resource acquisition and structure flexiblization upon recognition; In view of the data access, we insist to use virtualization to make end-to-end resource allocation, to realize flexible architecture; at the same time, we realized more efficient access of the data
System Scheme
Merged News Center process system mainly consists of two parts of the studio system and production network system, we will build: (1) a full HD, open merged technology platform, unified Omni media content platform supporting news center program production, to provide news resource sharing service for the whole group; (2) HD studio system which can be comprehensively utilized, to meet the demand of multi-types programs recording and multi spots design; (3) advanced news resources command system, to enhance the news production efficiency; realize editor full-time production, and combine the professional function area and the public service area together, to promote content production performance.
Merged News Center Studio System
Responsible for scheduling and recording of the signals needed by the news center, meeting the use requirement by all news programs to signal transmission scheduling, and broad spectrum recording of all kinds of transmission and broadcast signals to the production network, for materials filing, production and broadcast. The system has a large signal scheduling matrix for scheduling signals, and has the format transformation function. To reflect the new characteristics of the Merged News Center’s news production and broadcast process such as high efficiency, fast speed, interaction, sharing, etc. all signal resources in the studio video and audio system are unified scheduled and used, to carry out unified monitoring and scheduling management of switcher, matrix, and peripheral devices using equipment resources management system. In order to further improve the packaging form of news programs, we introduced new technologies such as robot trajectory camera, image-text packaging templated application, implanting virtual into live-action, interactive studio application, etc.
Figure 1 Sketch of Merged News Center Studio System
Merged News Center Production Network System
It contains five big modules of news command platform, Omni media convergence platform, merged production platform, Omni media release system and media data center, to achieve flattening editorial synergy of organizational structure, and improve production efficiency and sharing. The whole network realizes editing reporters’ full-time production, breaks through isolation of office network, Internet and production network, and promotes content production performance. It merges online packaging and content production system, and enhances the production efficiency and sharing. It introduces new media tools and release means, improves the spread effect and screen presentation of the programs, as well as interactivity. It uses cloud technology, virtualization, clustering technology and so on, reduces the cost of system construction, extension, and improves the scheduling ability of resource demand in peaks and valleys.
The Innovation of the Studio System Design
Under the guidance of merged production concept, the video and audio system design of traditional studio group also pays more attention to resources sharing and unified deployment, and follows the concept of cloud sharing in system design; whether the access way of signal source, signal processing, video camera sharing, monitor screen sharing, or core equipment such as switchers, bus in matrix, processing engine, resource sharing, they should be totally mutual shared and freely used. The system follows the following design principles:
(1) Three studios share 18 - channel camera, with the design of full floating sharing, the system can be still free scheduled and not affected in emergent multi-camera situations.
(2) The main/backup switchers in three studios share two core switching hosts, with a total of 14 levels M/E processing resources, and any signal source in the system can be directly chosen on each switcher control panel.
(3) All online advertising and virtual rendering workstations are designed according to the full floating sharing, and have the capability of materials sharing.
(4) Set up the signal recording dispatching center, for unified management of all included and external signals. Set up a studio shared matrix, for scheduling, monitoring the studio internal signals.
1. The whole domain intelligent equipment management system
KSC Commander system helps the studio group achieve rapid network equipment control management system with high efficiency and high security, and has great significance on unified control management of the studio's video and audio system and related equipment; it can not only reduce the chances of wrong operation, but also improve the work efficiency of technical personnel, as well as support security and flexibility of programs production and broadcast.
Figure 7 Overall framework of studio KSC Commander system
System scheduling operation uses the graphical interfaces and drag-and-drop way, which greatly improved the working efficiency. Unlike the cross-system signal scheduling of previous large studio group system needing to check the drawings, line tables, time consuming with the risk of wrong operation, now we can directly view the signal flow of entire studio group system, without considering the middle process; we can directly select the signal source and destination to complete the cross-system signal scheduling, reducing the cascade which easily leads to wrong operation, greatly improving the safety of broadcast.
The system has a "one key" quick scene conversion function, with the help of simple touch drag-and-drop operation completely based on graphics, it can completely transform the studio work status, and conduct joint scheduling of the routing equipment such as L-BAND (RF), video, audio, optical fiber, multiple screen monitor, etc. It can also apply "virtualization multi-layer matrix" to carry out multilevel distributed arrangement to the core routing equipment in master control system. Its powerful function of event management can automatically change the system and equipment configuration by time line way. And the system has a time line control and event trigger function, to take over some simple programs in the studio by the whole process automation.
This project is a cluster studio system, made up of two large matrixes and three sets of independent studio systems. At the same time, the systems such as monitor, synchronization, call, etc. adopt share-based design. According to the traditional mode of operation, the daily signal scheduling needs a two-stage matrix, and also needs to make a lot of routing information communication with the master control scheduling matrix. And this set of products allows staff to schedule the signal source of the master control matrix directly to the local switcher input through a switch on a panel, and see the UMD names of outside the master control and the studio system on the monitor screen directly, thus greatly improving the work efficiency on the device settings, routing adjustment, technology management and other aspects, which can be said to be a leap in the studio program running and system management.
2. The camera robots make pleasing visual effect
We referred to the international mainstream news channel design concept for the Merged News Center open studio scenery design, and put forward higher request to the camera viewing angle, movement, transformation, etc., implementing different kinds of broadcast in the same scenery, thus we introduced ROSS track robot.
Track robot
Open studio area scenery gives full play to the movement characteristic of the robot, which can shoot variety kinds of motion pictures according to the program requirements, and the supporting wide angle lens can obtain special perspective effect and highly dynamic footage, breaking fixed and rigid situation of the original news broadcast frame. Track robot can take motion pictures taking the center of a circle as a shaft; it can also rotate holder at 360 ° to shoot motion pictures in other locations of the studio, with association of dynamic and static, bringing more framing effects.
The system uses thumbnail server, undertaking graphical interface, allowing program directors to control robots more intuitively, call the next robot motion picture more conveniently and accurately, thus liberating the cameraman, improving work efficiency. A track robot can also be used instead of multiple cameras, which not only satisfy the demand of news studio mobile shooting, but also be used as fixed cameras at any position on the track, improving the efficiency of equipment according to the change of program requirements.
The application of virtual technology in the news programs by Shenzhen TV has been at the leading level in the domestic, we introduced orbit robots with tracking to be combined with virtual system, to cooperate with virtual application of advertising team. The track robot can not only move horizontally, but also move up and down flexibly, with strong camera visual impact, to provide more space for the advertising team; it can also transfer rise and fall, pitching, roll, zoom, focus, shift and other camera motion information to the rendering engine, breaking through the limitation of the previous fixed slots, greatly enhancing the visual effect.
3. The switch core design of shared and mutually backup resources
Based on the concept of cloud sharing, the system discards traditional design pattern in the aspect of switcher, and three studios share two multistage M/E core switching hosts, the control panel of each control room is from different core host control. Input and output of two core hosts are equal in size, with the entire signal source. Two core switch hosts have the same brand and model, and can be backed up with each other in the aspects of the inside card, module, with flexible configuration.
Two switcher hosts use host and backup cross mechanism, and the studio system can provide the signal from different hosts, to ensure the safety of the chat system at the maximum. In order to improve equipment utilization, the two sets of host are fully used for three studios.
Each switcher core host has I/O capacity on large-scale, which can be configured to 192 x 96 at most, actual configuration of 128 x 64, to ensure the multiple studio signals with mutual sharing; it can easily achieve the mutual backup of the whole studio system, satisfy the studio expansion, cascade, parallel broadcasting and other functional requirements, greatly improving the program production capacity of Merged News Center.
4. Network video and audio system
Audio system design adopts the concept of "group", all audio resources are shared for three studios, which can realize the one standby one, two standby one function; two or more studios can conduct linkage, and realize large live TV broadcast with the aid of cascade, parallel broadcasting and other ways; each studio has independent and complete master and standby audio system, as well as the stereo programing function; all audio signals of studio group can be shared in all the studios.
Three studio main mixers adopt large networked digital audio matrix and mixer system from StageTec Company, with the help of embedded DSP processor and powerful control platform, it can flexibly schedule and process audio signals in high quality, to improve the safety at the same time of reducing the complexity of system structure. Based on the audio signal network matrix, the main mixer of the system can share the entire input source and flexibly schedule signal routing; connection between each equipment unit in audio signal network matrix is star structure, with audio signal routing network architecture with high redundancy.
The system uses a low-cost digital backup mixer, placed outside the main mixer system network, to ensure the independence of the backup system architecture and the security of redundancy, sharing some important audio signals by Dante card, improving the use flexibility.
The system adopts broadcast passive manual multi-channel alternative switcher; under its control, we can realize the PGM output and master/standby one key synchronous switching of signals sending to the control room for monitoring, the internal matrix, etc.
5. Integration of Vizrt online graphic packaging and production system
Vizrt studio online image-text can make automatic synchronous production system manuscripts title and subtitle; after reporters make title and subtitle according to the template in the manuscripts system and manuscripts system record title and subtitle, it transfer to Vizrt graphic system by MOS interface to realize synchronization; any changes to the document in the broadcast can be real-time synchronized with Vizrt graphic system, it changed the early operation mode of manual modifying title and subtitle.
In making Vizrt show subtitles, generate a subtitle template according to demand first, and produce system scan, transcoding, then introduce the noncoding subtitles resource library; reporters call Vizrt subtitles plugin in the noncoding system, insert subtitles in the programs, realizing the full cycle documentation of Vizrt subtitles production, making the use of subtitles in programming simple and convenient.
6. Strengthen the interaction of studio with audience
The establishment of Omni media release and the interactive platform realized the fusion of traditional studio and emerging media, through platforms such as WeChat, weibo, APP, etc., using mobile phones, studio hosts can interact with the audience in the process of traditional live television.
Hosts can initiate related activities according to the form of program, in a given time, the audience can participate in activities while appreciating the program, and the activity results will be presented in the show, which strengthened the participation of the audience. Matching with the use of virtual studio, we can make the simulated full 3 D virtual interactive programs, and provide the data access platform support for possible future program interaction mode. Interactive platform has powerful network user analysis processing mechanism, and supports full platform user data connecting; if a user involved in interaction on any platform, its information can be shared by all platforms.