Magnus Helander is Motion Media Producer for Svenska Spel.
Svenska Spel (Swedish Gaming) operates gaming all over Sweden and runs the country's national lottery. It also has a presence on TV and on-line, offering further gaming. In spring, 2010, it was decided to re-launch the Keno game and we turned to PlayBox Technology for a fully automated solution.
Keno draws 20 numbers out of a pool of 70. A machine randomly selects one numbered ball at a time and Svenska Spel wanted the number of each to be shown on-screen as it is chosen. The presentation shows each selected number highlighted on a 10 x 7-ball scoreboard, as well as being announced in the audio. The national daily on-air Keno show is hosted and runs for three minutes as a near live broadcast.
We had little time to complete the technical requirements for the Keno project. Just 20 days before the new show was to start, we approached PlayBox to work out and implement a practical work ing solution for the graphics and audio. We provided the artwork and audio – PlayBox did the rest, even installing and configuring our systems remotely.
PlayBox built a custom application for its TitleBox on-air graphics system to meet the requirements of the Keno presentation. I asked if it could be ready in 14 days. They said 'yes it could'. And they did it. They were very good; truly professional, met the deadline and did a fantastic job. It's been like that with PlayBox from the beginning with 24/7 support, updates and upgrades. It's just a stress-free effortless relationship for us.
The Keno application taps the power of the TitleBox graphics and interactive CG server by augmenting its control to provide a results-driven fully automated live video and audio presentation. The application they built allows us to update the project, altering the style of presentation and presenting a newly designed look and sounds for the results, or other programs, as and when required.
PlayBox Technology is an established supplier to Svenska Spel with AirBox playout, CaptureBox ingest/recording and TitleBox graphics all being a part of the station's all HD, file-based workflow. This infrastructure is relied upon to provide near-live broadcasts of the Keno draw, which must be correct. With prizes up to 250 million SEK, there is absolutely no room for error.
