AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS—At IBC, world-leading media technology innovator Solid State Logic (SSL), featured its ultra-fast and supremely flexible Gravity content control system for acquisition, preparation, production, media management and monitoring. 
Now in action in the U.S. serving ABC, CBS and Fox, Gravity provides a format- and codec-independent platform that allows users to work in any format, or simultaneously in multiple formats. The advantages Gravity offers include a customized workflow involving complex search functionality, desktop editing and metadata enhancement including notes and bookmarks for editors and journalists to pick up. Gravity automatically creates multiple resolution copies of ingested media for distribution across multiple networks and makes all edit operations in real time across all media formats.
Gravity speeds news production by removing all barriers to formats and output requirements by offering the ultimate flexibility in encode and decode options, therefore giving control back to the user.
New features for Gravity at IBC 2008
Recently launched to great acclaim, Gravity has developed into a fully operational news and media production system with a powerful new selection of features that made their debut at IBC.
• Studio Recorder is a replacement for current VTR recorders and is a new stand alone application within the MediaWAN family of products. The Studio Recorder provides the full functionality of tape - including full linear recording capabilities - without the need for tape. The system allows record, pause, rewind and re-record into a single file, ideal for studio recording where a single, complete recording is required with no need to re-assemble multiple files in post production.
• Gravity LiveEdit enables a broadcaster to manipulate pass-through channels on the fly, removing or adding informative and pre-prepared content within seconds or minutes of the transmission point.
• Gravity Mobile Browse is a browser application for handheld devices that enables journalists and media managers anywhere in the world to access the Gravity system to view media or find a clip, approve the material for use, and add a time stamp and signature.
• Gravity Mobile Record offers the ability to record and upload media via the 3G network for immediate use either for transmission or editing for insert into the first available breaking news story. When a camera is not available or cannot be granted access, Gravity Mobile Record can stream media back to the Gravity media store for inclusion in a current story or to be assigned to an editor or production team.
• Gravity Speech-to-Text recognizes speech within audio streams and generates a full text transcription in real time. The full timecode referenced transcription is placed within the media metadata and made available for subsequent key word or text string search.
The complete range of Gravity’s high-powered tool set includes:
Gravity Asset Manager software provides an overview of the entire system and control of media processes. From this central area, users can monitor media flow via ingest encoders, viewing multiple motion video windows per instance while simultaneously accessing a comprehensive suite of content management tools.
Gravity’s Scheduler offers a streamlined graphical interface for controlling encodes and decodes on a user-defined series of timed events presented on a crystal-clear graphical timeline.
Gravity’s Encoder and Decoder provide for multiple streams of source content at three data rates while allowing users to install encoders and decoders at remote locations that automatically acquire and distribute content to central servers where it is immediately available for use.
The Gravity Package Production Tool (PPT) is a feature-rich video editor designed for breaking news. The customisable GUI layout provides mixed-format timeline video and audio editing with a comprehensive set of editing, browse, search and monitoring tools with the ability to simultaneously handle HD/SD, 4:3/16:9 content. Format information is tracked per clip that provides the transcoder with the correct aspect ratio conversion.
The Gravity Data Server is based on standard SQL relational database technology to store and retrieve user metadata such as object ID, story name, bookmark information and media metadata such as file name, size, location, codecs, aspect ratio and frame rate. The Data Server is fully Media Object Server (MOS) compliant in an XML environment.
Gravity’s Studio Monitor provides a fully configurable monitoring station with a clear visual overview of system activity. It allows the user to monitor multiple devices on a single screen.
Gravity’s Web Client is a scaled down version of the Gravity Asset Manager and PPT that runs within a standard web browser. The Web Client enables remote system access from literally any location using a standard PC with a high-speed Internet connection enabling remote system access while providing the functionality a user needs to get a story to air.
The experience of the Newsroom Systems development team behind Gravity has already earned team members three Emmy Awards and a Technical Oscar for advancements in these fields.
Solid State Logic is the world’s leading manufacturer of analogue and digital audio consoles and provider of creative tools for music, broadcast and post production professionals. For more information about our award-winning products, please visit: www.solid-state-logic.com.
