The Korean Television Network master control operation
DULUTH, GA.—The Korean Television Network (KTN) imports about 85 percent of its Korean-language content/programming via satellite and creates additional local programming in house, In 2007, KTN sought a file-based master control system that would allow us to increase local spot insertion for up to 10 hours a day, address our unique production needs, be robust enough for our small technical staff, and also be cost-effective enough to meet our conservative budget.
The goal was to acquire a flexible video server to act as the heart of a workflow that could provide redundant channels of ingest and playback, and allow us to easily trim/edit programs and schedule revised program and commercial spot playback accordingly, as there are no network-provided cue tones.
Video Technics proposed, and subsequently delivered, a complete solution for us that has been in use since mid-2008. The file-based system includes three Apella SDX video servers, each with two SDI inputs and four SDI outputs that are all networked together with a centralized SQL database and a shared network attached storage system (NAS). This design approach allows satellite feeds to be ingested, quickly edited, and played out on any server channel for optimum redundancy.
VT SCHEDULER IMPORTANT ASSET
We ingest hours and hours of high-resolution video and audio along with automatically generated proxy media for frame-accurate, low-resolution browsing and editing. Given the sheer volume of satellite footage required daily, we use the VT Scheduler client software to automate the recording of feeds that includes router input switching and a "checkerboard" record pattern, where continuous feed streams are fed to different channels to make recorded media files more manageable without losing any content.
Once media content is recorded to the shared storage, the VT Proxy Editor software is used to immediately review incoming material and to perform simple cuts-only edits for local ad insertion.
These quick edits are ready to be played to air, or if more sophisticated editing is required, the edit decision list created in Proxy Editor is easily imported with media linked on the NAS to nonlinear editing projects in either Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, the two craft editing platforms used in our facility.
Once editing is complete, the content is quickly and easily pushed back to the server without any transcoding. This newly edited content is on the server and ready for playout in the amount of time it takes to copy a file. This is extremely important, given the volume of media that we deal with on a daily basis.
In play-to-air operations, we're pleased with the ease in which we can interweave a mixture of incoming satellite feeds, local content and commercials into programming using VT Scheduler.
The Video Technics suite of products and their responsive support team provided the system that has enabled us to meet our objectives. They offered a workflow that meets our needs, increases our production efficiency, and ultimately provides value and a high return on our investment that positively impacts our bottom line.
Susan Oh is the vice president of business development for Korean Television Network and has been with KTN since 2001. She may be contacted at susansim@ktn-tv.com.
For additional information, contact Video Technics at 404-327-8300, ext. 308, or visit www.videotechnics.com.
