interchangeable — so you can work on content from one studio, then use it to operate a different studio a short time later, without moving any equipment.” TRAINING FOR THE IP GAME Switching to IP infrastructures lets facilities incorporate and take advantage of these software-based solutions. As facilities get upgraded, though, technicians must be brought up to speed. “For anything software-based, the training is key, because that is how you implement a standard for the
“We were quite early adopters of Kairos,” said Creative Technology’s Sid Lobb, “advising on its live event deployment even before it was widely available. We then used it in the Tokyo and Beijing Olympics. “We’re making a big move towards 2110 in media infrastructure, probably one of the first companies in the live events sector to do so. A killer feature is the ability for Kairos to be both a vision mixer and screen switcher.” The Kairos training programme at Creative Technology’s UK HQ helps working engineers and operators get their heads around some of the fresh concepts Creative Technology hosts a variety of new learners, from professionals with traditional vision mixing experience looking for additional knowledge, to those who are completely comfortable with these novel ideas and want to jump in at the deep end. And this includes people from all over live event production, broadcast and systems integration. “One of the best things about Kairos is that it’s so flexible and you can do so many things with it, that you really need to listen to what each person wants from their training.” that Kairos introduces, like working with scenes and layers instead of MEs and keyers.
SWITCHING SOLUTIONS Videlio hosted some giants of the media broadcast industry at its Paris facility, demonstrating the newest version of Panasonic’s Kairos
A NEW GENERATION As a supplier to the event industry, Lang AG decided to invest in Kairos for its rental fleet. “We believe it is a platform that will last for some years,” says Tobias Lang. “Normally, we have rented out big SDI matrix solutions, but with IP that now just becomes a small switcher. “As logistics are getting more expensive, isn’t it a good idea to have less hardware to bring to a show? In a future set-up, you can imagine a solution with switchers instead of matrixes – and so less weight. Also, through IP, you might use computing power not even at the venue. As a supplier, that may mean we start renting out computing power.” Lang always has an eye on the future, seeing IP not only as a way to bring down costs and create content more efficiently, but also as a catalyst for a larger transformation. Something else very much in the company’s plans is 5G, which has the potential to make IP broadcast and events production seamless and easily accessible. For Lang, 5G and Kairos will eventually go hand in hand. “This is an opportunity to go through a change, which is healthy for our company.”
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH A CHANGE, WHICH IS HEALTHY FOR OUR COMPANY
market,” observed Panasonic’s Krier. “When everyone works on the same technology for 20 years, it becomes a standard. Even when you have similar tools on the market, it remains the standard because people have already trained on it and are reluctant to work on something else.” Panasonic has established a Kairos Academy, designed to get past talk of technology and into practical use of the system. Creative Technology, an expert in large event production and subsidiary of NEP, is one of Panasonic’s key UK training partners.
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