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SPEED has a need for Dalet

May 20, 2009 1:59 PM, By Michael Grotticelli

Program preproduction at SPEED is accomplished using the Dalet Enterprise Edition platform running on 125 client workstations.

The SPEED motorsports network, part of FOX Networks Group, has installed a Dalet Enterprise Edition platform to manage the HD content and production workflows that support cable TV, interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services.

Now available in more than 78 million homes in North America, the North Carolina-based SPEED operation is one of the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country and home to NASCAR on SPEED.

SPEED moved into the new facility in December 2008 and went to air with its first show in January 2009. The deployment of the overall system was completed in a phased approached in less than three months. The Dalet asset management system now in place serves as the central content management system, managing content and associated metadata from ingest through production and broadcast.

All HD material is centrally ingested in the Panasonic DVCPRO HD format, taking advantage of a mix of Omneon server ports and other servers. Program preproduction is accomplished using Dalet desktop editing tools across 125 client workstations. Shot lists and rough cut packages are sent to editors who finalize material with Apple Final Cut Pro workstations.

DataDirect Networks SAN first tier storage infrastructure and Quantum StoreNext SAN management combined with Omneon video servers provide the infrastructure for the Dalet media asset management platform. The Dalet platform uses low-latency MXF technologies to enable immediate access to content while recording. The Final Cut editors are fully integrated with the content management system thanks to Dalet Xtend software.

An IBM tape library, managed by the Front Porch DIVArchive software under control of the Dalet MAM allows HD content archiving and partial restore at any time, while proxy resolution and metadata are kept available for searching and browsing. File migration and conversions are fully automated and transparent to the SPEED production staff. The Dalet-driven workflow ensures that media and associated metadata are ubiquitous across the entire SPEED workflow.