WBT-TV Archives News Footage with NewsCat
by Henry Boze, VP Engineering/TV, Jefferson-Pilot Communications

Richmond, VA - November 11, 2005 --As our facility moved to a tapeless workflow with nonlinear editors and video servers, it was important to have an archive system in place to store news stories without the time consuming process of dubbing to videotape. We began researching news archive solutions earlier this year; we were looking for a scalable product that met our workflow requirements and our budget. In October, we became a beta site for Crispin's NewsCat application, an affordable, integrated news cataloguing and archive solution.

We had a number of reasons for choosing the Crispin news archive solution. We wanted to complete the tapeless workflow and eliminate the need for VTRs in our edit rooms, especially with our conversion to Panasonic P-2 looming. We were also running out of real estate for our tape library, all of our hallways are lined with shelves containing 35 years worth of news tapes. NewsCat gave us a return on investment almost immediately; we were able to save money by eliminating tapes from the equation.

The entire NewsCat archive system only occupies nine rack units worth of space. This includes database/Web server, low resolution encoder, and RAID storage.

Crispin's NewsCat makes an archive copy of each clip on the Profile after airing, based on the rundown. Most importantly, NewsCat provides a method to easily locate material at a later date. Archived video clips are linked to a database containing all script information from our QNews newsroom computer system. The database functionality includes an extensive search function; producers and editors can search for a story using traditional parameters such as date, slug, script information, CG text, or keywords. Low-resolution proxies are created for each archived clip, enabling journalists to preview material on their desktop before restoring to the edit room.

Searching for archived video with NewsCat is simple. It provides rich search and descriptive capabilities for efficient management of our archived video. It allows us to search by date, slug, script information, CG info or keywords. We can also create a library of generic file video by annotating news footage with keywords and descriptions. Best of all, it's a browser-enabled system. Any of our producers can simultaneously access archived video clips using a standard Web browser from anywhere on the network. This browser-based system eliminates the need for dedicated archive terminals of software which not only enhances the workflow, it makes it easier to maintain the system.

We designed our video storage solution to enable us to retrieve up to 24 months of the most recent news video almost instantly using near-line storage. Older material is permanently stored in digital file format on removable Sony PDD disks which are tracked by the NewsCat database. These disks can hold up to 23.3GB of data, which is over three days worth of news stories, allowing us to significantly reduce the amount of shelf space we dedicate to tape libraries. Storage space requirements for these disks will be approximately 70% less when compared to archiving on DVCpro tapes.

The Crispin NewsCat system has made it easier for us to enhance quality by keeping everything in digital file format, as well as making it easier for the News Department to manage and find archived stories. The cost savings over tape archives was just a side benefit.

For more information, contact W. Henry Boze at hboze@jpc.com.

ABOUT THE COMPANIES:

WWBT-TV- WWBT-TV is a Richmond, Virginia NBC affiliate owned by Jefferson-Pilot Communications.

CRISPIN- Founded in 1997, Crispin Corporation is a leading worldwide provider of broadcast automation software, equipment, services and support. Modular in design, Crispin's flexible systems help small to large-scale facilities develop and customize cost-effective solutions designed to connect elements from existing and new systems into one, integrated, easy-to-use solution. Based in Durham, NC, with regional sales offices located throughout the United States, Crispin offers automation solutions to over 370 broadcast facilities worldwide. For more information, contact Crispin at (919) 845-7744 or visit us on the Web at www.crispincorp.com.