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FILE DELIVERY TO PBS for producers and stations

Chris Fournelle Director of Post-Production WGBH

Emeric Feldmar Engineering Manager WGBH

POST PRODUCTION • Mostly Avid based • Close to air, not live • Reduce delivery time • Increase editorial time

DELIVERY TO PBS, 2011

Producer Station PBS

FILE-BASED MASTER • Captioning • File Limitations • Delivery Mechanism • Archive

FILE LIMITATIONS • Exporting from the Avid • Multiple Audio Tracks • Ancillary Data • Codecs and Wrappers • Acceptance

FILE SPECIFICATION • Operational Patterns (OP1a) • XDCAM 50mb 422 Codec • Multiple Audio Tracks • Playable on XDCAM Disk • Data Track

Delivery Mechanism • Physically • Electronically • Time





PRODUCER BENEFITS • Lowered captioning cost • Higher captioning quality • Faster delivery • Weather a non-factor • HDCAM decks not needed • Exports are faster than real-time

PRODUCER CONSIDERATIONS • Simple change means re-export, not insert • Tape still easier to view • Qualitative debate • Workflows do change



File Delivery to PBS for Producers and Stations

Where we came from…



Where we came from…

… and still are.



• Final programs are transferred from file to tape




• FedEx delivery to PBS




• FedEx delivery to PBS

• When critical, hand deliver as a backup (put someone on a plane)



File delivery to PBS



File delivery to PBS • Some reluctance to implement




• Established workflows were in place

• “It’s not broken”






• Signiant was installed and tested for delivery to PBS






• Signiant was installed and tested for delivery to PBS

• Aspera also available, and used as an alternate transmission path



First Steps



First Steps • Sneaker Net delivery to Signiant server

• File placed on drive, loaded into Signiant for delivery

• MAC drive not compatible with MS Server 2008? Worked with PBS in testing compatibility



First Steps • Sneaker Net delivery to Signiant server

• File placed on drive, loaded into Signiant for delivery

• MAC drive not compatible with MS Server 2008? Worked with PBS in testing compatibility

• Initial transfer was 60 GB file, USB2 or Firewire would be slow



Implementation



Implementation • Frontline workflow to transfer files to PBS

Dell R510 server running Windows Server 2008 with a RAID disk set for media. One Ethernet port is connected to the OC-3 switch to PBS. The other is on the subnet for Frontline. The OC3 circuit is bandwidth limited to prevent data loss of the World video feed.



Implementation

• Concern over other workflows, NOVA, AMEX, etc.



Implementation


• Create SAN space allocated for PBS delivery, watch folder



Implementation


• Create SAN space allocated for PBS delivery, watch folder

• Send test file, process and QC eval at PBS



PBS Receipt of File • Pass PBS Virus Check




• Move from PBS DMZ to MOC SAN





• Baton Tech Evaluation





• Baton Tech Evaluation

• Explode into OP, transfer to Avid



Timing • File placed into WGBH Signiant folder at 14:50

• File arrived at PBS DMZ at 17:38

• File checked into MOC Avid at 21:32

• Transfer time: 6 hours, 48 minutes

• Email receipt notifications to WGBH



Issues • Failed transfer, file shows as transferred but file size not correct




• Transfer was started before file was completely loaded into watch folder



• Transfer was started before file was completely loaded into watch folder

• Adjusted media watch check time from 1 min to 5 minutes Allowed file to finish loading before transfer


WHAT’S NEXT • More comprehensive roll-out for entire station

– Buy-in – OP1a Export Training and protocols – Faster, more automated workflows – International and Textless versioning – Looking ahead

CHALLENGES AND WISH LISTS • Higher quality codec in OP1a • Better captioning tools • Straight from Avid to PBS • Optical disks that can play larger file • 4K • Better distribution system


Chris Fournelle Director of Post-Production WGBH @chrisfournelle


Documents

FILE DELIVERY TO PBS - Amazon Web Servicespbs.bento.storage.s3.amazonaws.com/hostedbento-prod/filer_public... · FILE DELIVERY TO PBS . for producers and stations . WHAT’S NEXT