58 OPERATIONS AND CONTROL
Managed by operators and
Due to widespread IP adoption, control rooms have been shrinking in physical size while expanding digitally. “Being tied down to a specific rack of hardware is no longer the requirement; instead, everything is software-driven and flexible,” explains Phillips. “Some operations already leverage the power of app-based workflows,” adds Scheck, “which allow them to start and stop video and audio processing on demand – because all apps run on the same servers or in the cloud. As a result, datacentres are a lot emptier and utility bills a lot lower than they used to be.” Similarly, advances in AI have automated processes like camera switching, indexing and triggering graphics, easing the workload for operators and reducing the need for manual intervention. Ross Video’s Overdrive platform, for instance, automates graphics, audio, robotics and more during live productions. serviced by engineers, control rooms collate data, audio signals, video feeds and the like, creating one centralised hub of seamless activity
Finally, devices like video walls and control surfaces have seen significant upgrades, including customisable interfaces, higher resolutions and touchscreens with tactile technologies (like those from Densitron) especially taking off. Systems such as Matrox KVM solutions are also becoming popular, allowing operators to access multiple computers remotely and from just a single device, further freeing up physical space in the actual rooms. The best changes are those that slip under the radar, making operators wonder how they’d ever done things differently. Now, “even complex routing and configuration tasks can be triggered via a single button,” suggests Scheck. “Things have changed for the better.” MAKING PROGRESS No matter where they’re located, modern control rooms look smaller, tidier and more flexible than ever before. Processes
that traditionally required hardware have migrated to software, IP networks and even the cloud, which diminishes control rooms’ physical footprints. Rather than flicking between dozens of individual monitors, operators can view large, high-res video walls, capable of displaying several feeds at once – as well as customisation. Control rooms are also now more in-tune with what human operators want. They’re less busy (thanks in part to hybrid employment) and more intuitive, with systems that feature haptic feedback and tactile technology. Plus, many control rooms now act as reconfigurable spaces, able to adapt to the specific production or project at hand. Whether for monitoring a feed or making a timely decision, control rooms are like the central nervous system of live production – with reliable, contemporary technology, they can run as required.
Control rooms don’t have to be fixed spaces and can operate from anywhere
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