The real-time video production enables seamless integration with the NRCS to fully automate loading of program content and templates, automated rundowns generation, and real-time rundowns modification. It requires minimal human operation through simple keyboard controls (or a page turning pen) that trigger coordinated actions across multiple systems and devices. This improves program presentation, work efficiency, and device utilization. It reduces errors and relieves personnel workload pressure from multi-operator coordination, while also lowering labor costs.
The studio automation system consists of a set of automated equipment control system (control flow) and a set of studio content management system (content flow, template flow). Using program templates, effective automated control of devices are achieved based on the program rundown. The super director interface allows full automation of the studio production workflow through a simple press of the space bar. This enables one-person recording or near-live production, and two-person live production for new media.
Application Scenarios
News studio, column programs, short videos, PGC live, large variety shows, game live streaming, lecture recording and interactive teaching, travelogues, and automated AIGC video production, etc.
The automated equipment control system includes device control and monitoring alerts. Device control can frame-accurately control over all the studio equipment operations such as switchers, audio mixers, video recorders, audio playout, streaming, robotic camera systems, matrix switchers, lighting consoles, media servers, CG graphics, VR/AR graphics, video wall graphics, peripherals, multiviewers, etc. Monitoring alerts provide graphical real-time status visualization of authorized devices via SNMP or third-party protocols.
1. The basic module mainly consists of software and hardware operating environment platform, management database, interface server, broadcast control room automated graphic broadcast control, log management system, etc.
2. The video switcher is the main device for signal synthesis, mainly connected and controlled in two ways: network or RS422 serial port. First, the video switcher supports open external control protocols, and then controls the cross points, keys, auxiliary channels and other functions of different manufacturers' switchers. In actual use, the first level ME is mainly responsible for signal switching and subtitle raising, and other MEs are responsible for dispatching open window signals to packaging equipment.
3. The digital mixer is connected and controlled in two ways: network or MIDI. It supports volume control of each audio channel, etc.
4. The video server is connected and controlled in two ways: network or RS422 serial port. Different manufacturers use different control protocols. Non-linear editing network completes the video editing through the reviewing process, migrates the video files to the video server to complete MD5 verification, and then passes the program ID to the Script Rundown Sheet to generate the video server Running Order. The control system controls the Running Order in sequence to trigger the video server to work.
5. Trigger and control open protocol-based CG graphic system equipment over the network to automatically load content and CG graphic templates, trigger playback at the scheduled time, and realize automated production in the broadcast control room.
6. Trigger and control open protocol-based VA/AR graphic system equipment over the network to automatically load content and VA/AR templates, trigger playback at the scheduled time, and realize automated production in the broadcast control room.
7. Trigger and control open protocol-based video wall graphic system equipment over the network to automatically load content and video wall graphic templates, trigger playback at the scheduled time, and realize automated production in the broadcast control room.
8. The signal scheduling matrix is mainly connected and controlled in two ways: network or RS422 serial port. The matrix requires an open control protocol. It is mainly used for preparing the input signal source of the switcher and dispatching the open window signal of the packaging.
9. The robotic camera system control is through the network protocol to control the robotic pan/tilt head or camera installed on the robotic crane, the X, Y, Z motion of the crane, pan/tilt head, and the zoom, focus, and aperture motion of the all-servo lens, and can run the preset positions of the robotic camera system, linear motion between points and curve motion between multiple points.
10. The digital dimming system is connected and controlled via network or MIDI. It adopts the standard MIDI SHOW CONTROL protocol and can trigger the macro commands, group commands and single lamp commands of the dimming console.
11. The audio server is triggered and controlled through the network for the audio server to play audio files and realize automated production in the broadcast control room.
12. The audio software control panel automatically maps the fader heights currently used in program production to the desktop control panel to realize real-time mixing. Equipped with a network software control panel.
13. The clock display system of the broadcast control room provides the director, editor-in-chief and host with program positive timing, program countdown, camera entry time, video clip playback countdown and other clock information to facilitate program directory production in the broadcast control room.
14. Control peripheral devices through protocols, monitor the working status and complete function settings of peripheral devices.
Broadcast Control Room System Software Modules:
1. Control System Basic Module
2. Switcher Automation Control System
3. Mixing Console Automation Control System
4. Video Server Automation Control System
5. CG Graphic Automation Broadcast Control System
6. VR/AR Automation Broadcast Control System
7. Video Wall Graphic Automation Broadcast Control System
8. Video Matrix Automation Control System
9. Robotic Camera Control System
10. Lighting Automation Control System
11. Audio Server System
12. Audio Software Control Panel
13. Broadcast Control Room Clock Display System
14. Monitoring and Early Warning System
The studio content management system contains modules for external newsroom system integration, a newsroom system, automated rundown generation integrating content, templates and device control, intelligent rundown modification, automated teleprompting, etc.
The studio automation system adopts a BS architecture and can integrate with any newsroom computer system (NRCS). The automated playlist production system can set up arrangements for various program process templates and equipment control process templates to ensure that automation can be set for each program content. It supports manuscript processes and standard manuscript processes to generate news linkage lists suitable for video news, radio and columns. The video review process supports the video item review process through H5 pages to complete the content migration from the production network to the broadcast server and control the broadcast through the program code. The automated teleprompter system connects the content management system to achieve automatic content access. During the director's playback control, the host's oral broadcast content in the news linkage list is automatically pushed to the teleprompter.
Broadcast Control Room Content Management System Software Modules:
1. Content Management System Basic Module: The basic module mainly consists of software and hardware operating environment platforms, management databases, etc.
2. Broadcast Control Room Third-party Content Docking Software System: Docking with different versions of news manuscripts systems. Through MOS protocol or database docking, real-time access to the content of required fields in the news linkage list can be achieved.
3. Broadcast Control Room Automated Content Management System: The content synchronized from the news manuscript system is managed, edited, and reviewed to meet the production needs of the broadcast control room. It includes complete modules such as topic selection, writing, reviewing, linkage list generation, archiving, assessment, and video review in the complete manuscript system.
4. Broadcast Control Room Automated Playlist System: An automated playlist system that automatically generates integrated content, templates, playback control and other data. According to the content of the news linkage list and the current program template and the control information of the broadcast control room equipment, it is integrated into a playlist system that can be played automatically by the automated playback system. It includes modules such as program template production, playlist automatic generation, playlist sending, playback control message return, and can achieve efficient program production.
5. Intelligent Rundown Editing System for Broadcasting: During live production in the studio, when there is a need to modify content on the video server, CG graphic, VR/AR graphic, video wall graphic, teleprompter, etc., adjustments can be made in the script and synced in real-time across all devices for live updates.
6. Broadcast Control Room Automated Teleprompter System: The automated teleprompter system connects the content management system to achieve automatic content access and connects the playback control system to achieve automatic playback control. The host's oral broadcast part of the content in the manuscript linkage list is automatically pushed to the teleprompter in the broadcast control room for the host to use in the form of an H5 web page according to the playback progress of the super director. At the same time, different functions such as font size, line spacing, and scrolling speed can be stored for different hosts, and manual adjustment is also possible.
