Welt delves into the automation of its new studio with Vizrt technology

A significant selection of Vizrt solutions has enabled German broadcaster Welt to rely on automation to implement “new narratives” in its daily news production.

The Welt team needed a solution that would bring flexibility and scalability to its news production. The chosen tools also needed to enhance creative opportunities through a simplified workflow. Together with solutions integrator, Qvest, Vizrt supplied several software solutions to meet these objectives: Viz Mosart for automation, Viz One for asset management, Viz Pilot Edge for journalist workflows, Viz Multiplay for videowall content control and Viz Engine for feed, interfacing and output.

Vizrt and Welt worked together to deep dive into the configuration of the new space (consisting of three control rooms, a real set and a hybrid set), as a great deal of customisation was required to achieve the envisioned workflows. Possibly the biggest challenge was the project’s main set, which features seven robotic cameras, LED panels and IP-controlled lighting. In order to manage all these elements, instead of having fixed hardware components routed via SDI to a hardware mixer, it was decided to use software tools and SMPTE 2110.

Automation in a SMPTE 2110 NMOS environment

The Welt team decided to take advantage of all kinds of automation solutions to streamline all processes in their workflow. Adrian Fiedrich, research and development project manager at Vizrt, elaborates: “What started as a tailored solution for Welt, developed into a completely new workflow approach. We created certain software components because some of the devices didn’t exist before in common broadcast workflows. This resulted in having a variety of new features and plugins. In the end, everything, all the various components, all the routing and the final compositing, was controlled by Vizrt solutions and was a success.”

Gerhard Lang, CTO of Vizrt, adds: “For us, this was more of an opportunity rather than a challenge. We shared the vision that WELT had for its new facility and stand fully behind the idea of software-defined visual storytelling with complete utilization of the IP infrastructure in place.”

Welt’s “mixerless” workflow means that producers and the editorial department have greater agility, even during live productions, to instantly implement any necessary creative or editorial requirements. Similarly, the development allows future extensions and upgrades of all types of components to be independent of other elements, driving “unprecedented” automation processes.