German Broadcaster ZDF Modernizes Multiple Broadcast Studios With EditShare

EditShare, LLC announced that German broadcaster ZDF has begun a large-scale update of its broadcast studio locations including Bremen, Cairo, Istanbul, New York, Saarbrücken, Tel Aviv and Warsaw to an EditShare media management workflow featuring a tiered storage environment with integrated production asset management.

Transitioning from a legacy tape-based set up, each ZDF studio location will be equipped with an EditShare XStream HT 32TB shared storage platform and Ark 24-slot LTO tape library. The integrated flow production asset management solution will provide media management with tools to automate complex and or repetitive workflows.

Ronald Richter, a senior solutions architect with BFE Studio und Medien Systeme GmbH in Germany, the systems integrator overseeing the multi-site installation as prime contractor, emphasized the importance of integrating with the existing Avid Newscutter and P2 based broadcast systems: “We did a proof of concept with ZDF staff where they connected their Avid Newscutters to EditShare and put it through the usual workflow scenarios, using Flow to ingest P2 content and manage content archiving and restoration to and from Ark. Within three days ZDF was able to confirm that EditShare was the right solution for their expansive operation.“

In addition to facilitating content ingest, storage, archiving and asset tracking across the workflow, EditShare provides ZDF editors tools for media sharing. A core feature within XStream Shared Storage, EditShare project and file sharing allows post teams to collaborate within a rules driven workflow so work is never accidentally overwritten.

“EditShare Shared Storage and Archiving is known for its open environment, supporting nearly every format and industry standard post production systems,” states Tara Montford, MD, EditShare. “Combined with Flow production asset management, ZDF transforms the siloed aspects of their studio into a connected workflow that makes collaborating on projects and stories far easier than with the legacy tape-based solutions.“

Flow Ingest generates proxies and stores in a database that can be accessed by anyone on the EditShare network with a Flow client. Tools let staff browse, perform shot selection and send to ZDF editors for final packaging. The EditShare shared storage solution offers administration that is designed for creative teams to manage.