Unprecedented Growth Demands New Workflow and Storage Solutions
Pictured are Bill Macatee and Jimmy Conners (center) interviewing Maria Sharapova on the set of Wimbledon Primetime, Tennis Channel’s Wimbledon show. Photo credit: Fred Mullane/camerawork usa
Tennis Channel has called on Integrated Media Technologies, Inc. (IMT), to design and build a new state-of-the-art file-based workflow to allow their broadcast operations, editorial, graphics, and post production teams to share content.
“Recent growth at our network required an expanded approach to production workflow and storage,” said Dean Hadaegh, senior vice president of broadcast operations and CTO, Tennis Channel. “We contacted IMT because of their well-known expertise in this field, their engineering talent and support services. Within a short amount of time they diagnosed our specific needs and came up with an across-the-board strategy that allowed us
to re-design our operation without any downtime.”
IMT consulted with Tennis Channel to create and implement a new architecture for tiered storage. The new system connects all of their edit bays running Apple’s Final Cut Pro to a shared storage environment leveraging the StorNext and XSAN File system with high performance Fibre Channel attached storage.
Bruce Lyon, CEO at IMT remarked, “As big fans of the Tennis Channel, we are especially pleased to have this strategic relationship. The solution we designed was a perfect example of IMT’s fast growing, end to end Professional Services business, which includes our specialized StorNext and Digital Archive Practices.”
IMT worked closely with Tennis Channel to architect an asset management strategy that leverages Apple’s Final Cut Server with custom workflows built by IMT Professional Services. Tennis Channel can use Final Cut Server to move their content through their file-based workflow from primary storage off to their multi-petabyte capable digital archives managed by MassTech. Tennis Channel has an LTO archival data tape library at both their Culver City and Santa Monica locations. Utilizing Masstech, they can now move any content file between facilities.
Rob Kobrin, CTO for IMT explained, “This file-based workflow is an excellent example of IMT’s ability to provide comprehensive consulting, design, vendor selection, sourcing, project management, implementation, training, documentation, and ongoing support services.”
The extensive re-design and installation was done entirely at off-hours during a hectic production schedule. Careful planning was required between the Tennis Channel technical staff, Production Management, and IMT’s Project Management team to assure a smooth transition to the new system. IMT is also contracted for 24/7 Remote Managed Services as well as Onsite Support Services for the Tennis Channel.
About the Tennis Channel
Tennis Channel (http://www.tennischannel.com) is the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle. A hybrid of comprehensive sports, health, fitness, pop culture, entertainment, lifestyle and travel programming, the network is home to every aspect of the wide-ranging, worldwide tennis community. It also has the most concentrated single-sport coverage in television, with telecast rights to the US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros (French Open), Australian Open, Olympus US Open Series, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events, top-tier WTA competitions, Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, and Hyundai Hopman Cup. Tennis Channel is carried by nine of the top 10 MSOs, Verizon FiOS TV, AT&T U-verse, DIRECTV and DISH Network.
About Integrated Media Technologies, Inc. (IMT)
Integrated Media Technologies, Inc. (IMT) is a consulting, design, construction, and systems integration company providing scalable technology systems for business operations. Customers rely on IMT to deliver mission critical solutions and services focused on media technologies, storage, asset management, high performance computing, networking, and 24/7 support.
IMT addresses three major market sectors, Communications Media & Entertainment (CME), Information Technologies (IT), and Healthcare. Through active engagement, IMT consultants and engineers collect, interpret, refine, design, build and maintain technology systems that deliver optimum results for clients. Learn more at: http://www.imtglobalinc.com
IMT at NAB 2011, April 11-14, Las Vegas
IMT will be hosting a number of technology briefings in their hospitality suite on the second floor of the Renaissance Hotel located at 3400 Paradise Road. The hotel is conveniently located across the street from the Las Vegas Convention Center.
