Quantel powers ARD-aktuell's next-generation news workflow

1. Quantel – share our passion
Digital production enables ‘Tagesschau’ to go multimedia
Quantel powers ARD-aktuell’s next-generation news workflow

2. Digital production enables ‘Tagesschau’ to go multimedia
In early 2008, German television broadcaster ARD switched all of its news production to digital.
As of the end of January, all news programs including the flagship ‘Tagesschau’ and
‘Tagesthemen’ were broadcast directly from ARD’s Quantel Enterprise sQ server-based
production system which has significantly accelerated the workflow. The successful integration
of Quantel’s sQ server technology with the existing Open Media newsroom system has enabled
news editors to create additional products such as ‘Tagesschau in 100 Sekunden’ for mobile
devices or flash video for the tagesschau.de website almost effortlessly.
By introducing new workflows to the newsroom In July 2007, the mobile TV format ‘Tagesschau As time-to-air with the Sony solution was
and production department with a focus in 100 Sekunden’ joined the ‘Tagesschau.de’ significantly inferior to the tape-based system,
on enabling journalists to edit their footage website which offers flash based news content ARD-aktuell started to examine other
themselves, ARD-aktuell has assumed a leading on the internet. “Only digital production enables manufacturers’ newsroom systems. “There
position among European news providers. us to offer as wide a variety of products as is no noteworthy system on the market which
we do,” stresses Gniffke. “Going digital was we haven’t checked,” says ARD-aktuell Senior
From its new system, based around four
essential to making ARD-aktuell future-proof.” Managing Editor, Georg Grommes, who was
Quantel sQ servers, ARD supports multiple
one of the team that implemented ARD’s
channels. Every day, up to twenty editions Gradual conversion
digital strategy. With Quantel he finally found
of ‘Tagesschau’ air on Erstes Deutsches
Before the final switch-over of all of its news a system that met ARD-aktuell’s demands.
Fernsehen, accounting for three hours of
production to digital in January 2008, ARD
news programming. A further ten hours “Quantel signalled very early on that their
had been gradually converting its workflows
are broadcast on the digital news channel software could be integrated into our Open
to digital over a period of almost seven years.
‘Eins Extra’. By the end of May, the airtime for Media newsroom system and next to speed
The foundations of this process were laid with
news coverage on the digital channels will be and reliability, this was a decisive factor for
the introduction of Dalet ANN’s Open Media
increased by a further hour. “As of then, we will us,” explains Gniffke. “The acceptance of
newsroom system, which was initially linked to
be producing 14 hours of news every day,” the editors was very important to us as well,
Sony’s NewsBase system. In a two-year pilot
says Kai Gniffke, Editor-in-chief at ARD-aktuell. because the best system is worthless if those
project, which commenced with ARD-aktuell
who are supposed to work with the system
introducing a digital news desk, the news
can’t operate it.”
channel ‘Eins Extra’ broadcast its six o’clock
edition and its nine o’clock edition directly off
the server.
Front cover: The ARD-aktuell newsroom
Right: News editor Norbert Illes at work
Far right: Lead journalists scheduling the news rundown

3. Right: Recording the voice-over for a story on sQ Edit Plus
Integrated working Journalist editing speeds workflow
To this end, the Quantel editing interface was In addition to the integration of the Open Media In 2006, following the project stage, the course
customized to ARD’s requirements to integrate newsroom with the Quantel playout system, was set for the collaboration that has now
into the Open Media newsroom system as an ARD contracted local media asset management resulted in permanent use of the Quantel
Active X application. Quantel configured the supplier – Solutions For Media (S4M) to provide system. The innovative newsroom technology
system accordingly and delivered a tailor-made ingest and media management of the Quantel has helped to significantly accelerate the
solution for ARD-aktuell which has now system. S4M manages recording of both live workflow at ARD-aktuell.
become a Quantel standard product. Close and scheduled feeds into the Quantel sQ
“The most dramatic change in the newsroom
co-operation with Dalet ensured that both system using its VPMS client. The recording
was to let the journalists edit their own
systems communicate with each other and application had to be specially adapted to
material,” says Gniffke. “This allowed us to
remain stable. “A test array was arranged at meet ARD’s demands for a mirrored production
streamline the workflow and re-design it so
Quantel headquarters in Newbury so that we system. All feeds are simultaneously recorded
production and newsroom interact closely
could reproduce all our workflows using our to the two mirrored sQ production servers.
with each other, which in turn adds up to a
own material,” Gniffke explains. “Quantel Each zone features a redundant Quantel ISA
better end result.” The new workflow enables
realized everything we had envisioned.” database manager and ingest control interface.
ARD-aktuell’s 100+ news editors to preview
Edited clips for transmission are also published
incoming material, edit their stories, add
to the two mirrored Quantel playout servers.
voice-overs, and pass their contributions
on for acceptance through the transmission
schedule – all directly from their workstations.
“A test array was arranged at Quantel headquarters in Newbury
so that we could reproduce all our workflows using our own
material. Quantel realized everything we had envisioned.”
Kai Gniffke, Editor-in-chief, ARD-aktuell

4. Left: ARD-aktuell Editor-in-chief, Kai Gniffke
Easy to learn The fastest system on the market
ARD-aktuell editors began previewing While a news story is being edited it is In order to be able to broadcast cutting-edge
incoming raw material on the Quantel system automatically locked for all other users. news around the clock when there are several
during the transitional stage in order to get The ready-to-broadcast items that are major events going on simultaneously, the
acquainted with the new interface without approved by the managing editor are ingest-to-air time had to be at least maintained
the added stress of the production stage. marked ‘OK’ in the transmission schedule. or improved. This is why the server-based
“The colleagues got used to the graphical user The transmission schedule, which links system was tailored to meet the demands
interface (GUI) very quickly,” says ARD-aktuell the news stories as well as still pictures, of the newsroom: new footage transmitted
Senior Duty Editor, Ben Buck. inserts and texts for the teleprompter to their by correspondents or news agencies while
appropriate position in the show, is compiled the news program is on-air can begin
“Most of the elements are self-explanatory.
by media designers and programming broadcast even before ingest is completed.
I can choose the first frame by setting an ‘In’
assistants. As operations are carried out “This operational speed is not achieved by
marker, let the footage roll and then set an
in a networked environment, every editorial any other supplier in the market,” Buck asserts.
‘Out’ marker. To edit the footage, I simply
change to the transmission schedule is In fact, the limiting factor for ARD-aktuell is
press return. The keyboard shortcuts are easy
immediately visible at all production-related not the technology but the maximum speed
to memorize such as ‘I’ for ‘In’ and ‘O’ for ‘Out’.
workstations including the director’s. Within at which its news editors can process the
Once a window is highlighted these commands
this new production topology the media footage, he says. Most delays in the system
simply apply directly to it.” This ease of use
producers carry out tasks that are relevant which otherwise has a time-to-air latency
has led to many editors starting using
to the broadcast process such as editing, of near zero are caused by its human
keyboard shortcuts instead of their mouse.
triggering and playout while the technical staff components.
This was not the case with the Sony system.
take care of ingest and manage the content
“It has made us faster as we use our left
on the servers.
hands for keyboard shortcuts more often
while using the right hand for other tasks.”
Right: ARD-aktuell’s lead journalists monitor finished pieces for
quality and check running orders in the newsroom in conjunction
with their colleagues in the on-air gallery
Far right: The signal light in the newsroom clearly shows which
of ARD-aktuell’s two system zones is currently in use

5. Right: The Quantel editing interface is integrated into the Open Media
screens as an Active X application
”We can start broadcasting the footage Raw footage is previewed in low-rez at 1.5 “This preventive measure against system
even before the ingest is completed,” states Mbit/s making use of the progressive scan failure, which was developed by Wolfgang
Grommes. “This is a major advantage of the MPEG-1 format to offer excellent picture Kuhlmann’s project group in collaboration with
Quantel system.” Quantel’s technology owes quality and to ensure that every detail in the Quantel, is an exceptionally good solution,”
its speed to the ‘FrameMagic’ technology frame is visible. All finished material is stored says Grommes, “because ‘Tagesschau’ cannot
that manages every frame in the store as as 50 Mbit/s MPEG-2 files with standard afford any uncertainties.”
an entity in its own right. A single copy of IMX compression.
Because of this, the production of ARD-aktuell
the raw footage is kept on the server so
Stability and reliability guaranteed programs has gradually been switched to
all rendering processes are applied only to
Quantel technology. Before the flagship
the delta frames (i.e. frames that are being As ‘Tagesschau’ has a reputation for absolute
‘Tagesschau’ magazine and ‘Tagesthemen’
modified in some way). stability and reliability, the entire production
made the transition to server-based production,
system is designed so that broadcasts can
The Quantel system at ARD-aktuell offers the entire system was subjected to an
continue uninterrupted even in the event
a total storage capacity of 660 hours for endurance test. “We have let the system run
of a complete server failure. “The system is
incoming SD footage, stored as 50 Mbit IMX under full load several times, by simulating
structured so that all the footage is duplicated
files. “This ensures that incoming footage peak-level work-loads,” Gniffke explains.
between two physically separate zones,”
can be edited and broadcast without any “It was only afterwards that we accepted
explains Grommes. “If one zone fails, the other
noticeable loss in quality,” explains Wolfgang the system as Quantel passed these tests
one is always available in Hot Standby mode.”
Kuhlmann, Project Manager for systems with flying colors.”
A signal light on the ceiling of the newsroom
planning/television.
indicates which zone to use.
“We have let the system run under full load several times,
by simulating peak-level work-loads. It was only afterwards
that we accepted the system as Quantel passed these tests
with flying colors.”
Kai Gniffke, Editor-in-chief, ARD-aktuell

6. 2122-56-513 04-08
“Quantel managed to create
an intuitive interface that
was readily accepted by
our editors.”
Kai Gniffke, Editor-in-chief, ARD-aktuell
Multimedia news
“When implementing new technology, it is The transition from a tape-based solution At a glance
imperative that it runs smoothly in order to to a server-based architecture has a historic
■ German broadcaster ARD has
convince the staff of the benefits of a new way significance for ARD-aktuell. “The real
switched all its news production
of doing things,” reflects Gniffke, summing up sensation is that the system is stable,”
to digital
his experiences after four weeks of entirely concludes Grommes, “after all, the server
server-based news production at ARD-aktuell. architecture is the only one of its kind in ■ The system is built around a
“Of course, four weeks are not sufficient to Germany.” Using network technology to Quantel Enterprise sQ integrated
develop the kind of routine we have established integrate the workflows of the newsroom and production system, closely
in 55 years of film and tape-based production. the production stage created a significant integrated with ARD-aktuell’s
However, Quantel managed to create an advantage for ARD-aktuell because many Open Media newsroom system
intuitive interface that was readily accepted additional products can now be created
■ ARD-aktuell’s 100+ journalists
by our editors.” without much extra time and effort. The
and editors have taken easily to
fundamental philosophy at ARD-aktuell is
the Quantel system, finding the
‘produce it once and play it out in several
desktop editing and shot selection
formats’. “We want our brand to continue to
GUI particularly easy to use
reach our audience while they venture along
other paths – be it online, on a mobile phone ■ The system is now producing
or on a laptop computer. It is our ambition that 14 hours of news programming
‘Tagesschau’ be present wherever our audience every day, supporting multiple
benefits from it. With the Quantel system we channels as well as ARD-aktuell’s
are well equipped to pursue that goal.” website news service
Above: Transmission schedule for the ‘Tagesschau in 100 Sekunden’
Right: News Anchor Thomas Bade reviewing the rundown
and preparing his linking scripts
Far right: Senior Duty Editor Ben Buck
quantel.com