Archive notice: This article was originally published on March 16, 2010. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
As part of its investment in new broadcasting technology, New Zealand television broadcaster Sky Network Television has acquired a server-based sQ Enterprise system from Quantel, giving it a pioneering position in HD production in New Zealand. Quantel’s sQ system is used to produce all live broadcasts, current news and sports programmes, and on-air promotion for events, feature films and entertainment programmes. Sky, headquartered in Auckland, can be received by nearly half of New Zealand households.
Since Sky Network Television held the exclusive rights in New Zealand to television coverage of the Vancouver Winter Olympics, one of the system requirements was the ability to make full use of the extensive material from the Olympic Games. The new production platform entered operation in time for Sky to benefit fully from the advantages of server-based production.
The sQ Enterprise system has therefore ushered in the era of digital production at Sky. Whereas different production systems previously had to be combined, the integrated production platform now gives journalists, producers and editors immediate access to stored material, which they can review, select the relevant shots for a report, and edit. The system can process both HD and SD and has storage capacity for a total of 1,200 hours of HD material. Connected to the system are 48 sQ View review stations, 18 sQ Cut desktop editing stations, 17 sQ Edit workstations and two sQ Edit Plus workstations for more complex compositing and colour correction.
“The new sQ system is completely revolutionising the way we have produced television at Sky until now,” says Brian Himsley, head of production services at Sky. “We expect this completely server-based system to give us a more efficient workflow that leaves us more room for creativity.”
“We were very pleased to accompany Sky New Zealand through this transition phase,” explains Trevor Francis, Quantel’s international head of marketing. “At the same time, the new solution opens up the possibility of producing entirely in HD and gives the various editorial teams access to both raw material and edited reports, so the workflow is no longer interrupted by the obstacles associated with the previous half-tape, half-server-based technology. And Sky viewers can look forward to a brilliant HD image and even faster coverage of current sporting highlights.”
