TECHNICAL DIRECTOR DAN CASSIE IN THE REMI TRUCK ONSITE AT THE CANADIAN LITTLE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP IN ANCASTER , ON
Files are exchanged through secure Google Drive links from CBC ’ s work-from-home video editors , and approvals are also done by work-at-home producers with access to the same drives .
FORWARD THINKING Well before COVID-19 affected the way we work , CBC Studios has been on a steady path towards fully remote production facilitation . Our history of remote productions dates back to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing . For those games , all our technical operations were centralized in Toronto for the English broadcast , providing us an incredibly cost-efficient way to produce the games from Canada . Since that time , CBC has continued to develop workflows and invest in technologies that allow us to produce content , even when we can ’ t all be together in a single location .
CBC Studios and CBC Sports needed to deploy new tools that would allow our producers and colleagues to view feeds and program outputs with very low latency and high quality . To achieve this , we relied on the Haivision-developed technology , SRT . We deployed Makito encoders to allow producers to view feeds at sub-second latency at home . Once partnered with our Unity Intercom for communications , it all provided great results ! We ’ re also experimenting with WebRTC solutions for both incoming and outgoing feeds to get even lower latency and wider device compatibility .
One of the most potent tools we ’ ve been able to deploy is the LU-Smart and LU-Lite apps from LiveU . To optimize our workflow , we ’ ve recently installed several new LiveU decoders , which have allowed us to bring in a multitude of remote signals from a wide variety of devices and provided us with greater flexibility .
EXTERIOR VIEW OF A REMI TRUCK
A recent comedy special is a perfect example of the flexibility and power it ’ s given . Our host was at her home with a LiveU LU600 transmitter , two Panasonic PTZ cameras , and a Behringer X32 mixer . Then , we mixed in over a dozen iPhones and Android devices from other comedians all across North America who each shot with two smartphones . The PTZs were controlled remotely , and all control of the X32 , including IFB , was operated from Studio 42 at the Broadcasting Centre where all sources were cut live . Having multiple PTZ cameras and smartphones capturing different angles is something we did differently than most broadcasters on all the COVID-produced shows we aired .
A group effort was organized between CBC and TFO , where we produced Le bal ( dé ) masqué , a cutting-edge live graduation that featured two hosts , multiple live guests on smartphones , a DJ , and live performances . This was a fully-produced , French-language show that streamed live and was later re-cut and packaged for a radio show and one-hour TV special that aired on SRC .
Other technology we will use for similar shows in the future includes the Calrec RP-1 . This is a remote DSP console and Hydra network “ in a box .” It can physically be thousands of miles away and be controlled via a web GUI or the host console it is partnered with . Control data latencies are dependent on internet speeds and physical distance , but are routinely well within acceptable parameters . As an example , latency between Toronto and Ottawa was 7 ms .
We first used this setup for our domestic Canada Day 2019 broadcast . We also utilized this for our remote Dragons ’ Den locations in Vancouver and Edmonton for the upcoming season , as well as the next Olympics where the RP-1 will control the microphones and IFBs ( monitoring for hosts ) and all controls on the Apollo . All mics and IFBs will get muxed / demuxed into SDI camera feeds at the location in the RP-1 . This eliminates the potential of latency between picture and sound at the source .
For larger setups , any of Calrec ’ s Hydra I / O can be used with the RP-1 , including analog , MADI , Dante , AES3 , and their upcoming 2110-30 AoIP offering . The virtual faders and mutes of the RP-1 are controlled in real-time ( plus latency mentioned above ) by the host broadcast console , giving the talent at the remote site an experience equal to that of being in the broadcast studio .
There ’ s always a learning curve when working with talent unfamiliar with broadcasting , but this has been compounded with the need to collaborate remotely . We ’ ve had to get creative with shoe boxes , dictionaries , and other items around the house to help guests frame up their shots , explain the ins-and-outs of all the apps that we ’ ve deployed , and also frequently explain how we can ’ t break the laws of physics when it comes to latency . This brings us to the number-one piece of advice we ’ ve given over the past year for anyone doing video at home : Turn off your Wi-Fi and plug into ethernet !
We are building as the technology is expanding , and it has provided us with a tremendous amount of learning as we go . While the CBC has been using the REMI ( Remote Integration ) model for a number of broadcasts since the 2014 Sochi Olympics , the technology itself is approximately 10 years old . The concept behind the REMI model is to extend your broadcast centre to the remote venue location by using a fly pack or mobile truck . The purpose is twofold ; one is the ability for one production crew to produce multiple events while staying in the broadcast facility and the other clear advantage is cost savings . The fewer crew needed to travel , the less expensive a production becomes .
The REMI truck was designed essentially as a patch bay extension from the Broadcasting Centre , connecting to CBC ’ s internal data network . Initially , it was going to be a “ mini truck ” with two operators – one patch person and one engineer . We were able to repurpose a truck from Radio-Canada and redesign it for television . Since we were re-building the interior , we included traditional mobile production positions , to allow for three different modes of use : local
28 | Summer 2021