ARTE, a Franco-German TV network specializing in cultural programs, has signed an agreement with EVS-OpenCube, entrusting it with the management of its entire MXF AVC-Intra HD production.
ARTE TV Channel is headquartered in Strasbourg, France, with facilities in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, and Baden-Baden, Germany. Most of the programs it broadcasts are ingested and controlled in Paris and then sent to Strasbourg as files for broadcasting.
When ARTE decided to migrate to HD, continuing to produce in SD with its existing format while setting up the new HD installation and workflow was important. In addition, ARTE’s specific workflow — ingesting at one site and then broadcasting in different geographic locations — made choosing the right file format a matter of strategic importance.
The choice of MXF for media production was obvious not only because of the broadcaster’s cross-border workflow, but also because the new HD playout center in Strasbourg is based on MXF AVC-Intra 100 Mb/s. The combination of MXF Op1a for ingest and exchange, and MXF Op1b for playout, simplifies multi-audio HD channel management for ARTE. This is important because the broadcaster produces programs in both French and German, and broadcasts them in a variety of different countries.
ARTE France found EVS-OpenCube to be well suited for ingesting and mastering its HD workflow in MXF. The OpenCubeHD ingest server offers comprehensive MXF AVC-Intra support and full compatibility with final playout servers as well as AVI MPEG-2. This ensures that SD programming can continue without a hitch while the broadcaster seamlessly transition to HD.
