X-PLATFORM
June 2018
33
Studio Invate masters
the power of eSports
In South-east Asia, the growing
popularity of gaming is fuelling the
continent’s 44% contribution to the
total global population of eSports
enthusiasts. Therefore, it is a perfect
market for Bangkok-based video
company, Studio Invate, where gaming
is a passion for nearly the whole staff.
Studio Invate produces highly
creative videos, live broadcasts and
commercials for companies of all sizes.
But in between the studio and on-
location work for clients, the company’s
crew of 14 employees and freelancers
enjoy live-streaming video game
tournaments.
own use to integrate with the features
of its existing Blackmagic cameras.
Building for speed
eSports like any other sport
Studio Invate’s public mission is to
be the force behind transforming
the eSports industry in Thailand, and
this involves producing broadcasts so
compelling that “audiences will watch
game tournaments with the same level
of excitement as sports tournaments”.
This does not go unnoticed by the
tournament producers of big-name
gaming events. Overall, the studio
produces live-stream broadcasts for
15 major eSports tournaments every
year, each with up to 40 gamers
competing and up to 50,000 spectators
viewing the live stream. The rest of the
company’s weekends are filled too,
with an additional 30 medium-sized
and smaller eSports events.
Studio Invate has grown to become
the largest production company
specialising in eSports in Thailand and
it still has big growth plans.
Gaining size and power
Studio Invate has the desire to
expand, but face the limitations of
SDI-only production in a computer-
based world. As a result, Pachara
Ruangrasameejantorn (Benz), the
company’s co-founder, knew they had
to go with IP-based video production.
In order to overcome the limitations of SDI-only production in a computer-based world, Studio
Invate decided to go with IP-based video production, with NewTek the chosen solutions provider.
The Studio Invate team was already
using the NewTek TriCaster 8000
integrated production system, along
with the NewTek 3Play 4800 replay
solution for its live production services,
but the requirements in eSports
production were changing quickly.
JM Lim, technical training specialist
for Blonde Robot, a NewTek Elite
reseller-distributor, said: “When
you talk about covering eSports
competitions in terms of game play,
you could have 20 individual players.
In other words, it’s not a field or court
group sport. In eSports competitions,
since anything can happen at any time,
each player has coverage.”
Eamon Drew, director of Blonde
Robot, added: “Switching live between
real-world players and the actual
game on a computer screen, without
having to use scan converters, is a
challenge. With eSports, the content
is on a computer and playing out at
1080p 60f. But by using NewTek’s NDI
technology, the video coming over the
network is already in the right format.”
Looking at the size of the typical
tournament events it produces, Studio
Invate calculated that it would need
to switch among at least 24 hybrid
IP/SDI feeds. For instance, 12 come
from SDI sources such as the players’
POV cameras, the announcers’ fixed
cameras, and the roaming action
cameras. The rest is from computer
sources, such as the gaming screens
of the players, as well as graphics and
effects, added Studio Invate’s Benz.
NewTek Mark II
In order to hit that 20-plus input
requirement, Benz and his team
selected a NewTek IP Series, including
a VMC1 video mix engine (which can
switch up to 44 external inputs, from
both SDI and IP sources) and a four-
stripe control panel.
In the first instance, Studio Invate
expanded the VMC1 unit’s built-in
SDI capacity with a NewTek NC1 SDI
input unit to achieve a total of 12 SDI
inputs. Studio Invate then added a
NewTek TimeWarp replay controller, so
the company could have an operator
performing live replays during