Crispin - NewsCat

As facilities move to a tapeless workﬂow with nonlinear editors and video servers, it’s important to have a system in place to store news stories without the time-consuming process ofdubbing to videotape. Crispin’s NewsCat digitally archives stories after airing and provides a method to easily locate material at a later date. Archived video clips are linked to a database containing all script information from the 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 or keywords.

NewsCat is an integrated digital archiving and cataloging system for news footage. It allows the news department to store, index, locate and retrieves stories and clips that were previously aired.

NewsCat not only stores video clips, it organizes and manages the content so operators can ﬁnd what they need on the ﬂay. Now that facilities are changing to a tape less workﬂow with nonlinear editors and video servers, it’s important to have a system in place to store news stories without the time-consuming process of dubing to videotape. Crispin’s NewsCat can digitally archive stories after airing and then provides a method to easily locate material at a later date when needed. Archived video clips are linked to a database containing all script information from the newsroom computer system which enables a producer or editor to search for a story using traditional parameters such as date, slug, script info or keywords.

NewsCat has a unique architecture using a mix of nearline and shelf storage for saving valuable news stories. Nearline RAID storage oﬀ ers fast access to recent stories as well as to those requiring continuing coverage such as court cases and weather events. Shelf storage using removable media provides an eﬃcient way to save large news libraries, while still providing faster access times to speciﬁ c news stories when compared to analog video tape.

Crispin’s NewsCat removes the need for a tape library, cut sheets and card ﬁles and allows news personnel to ﬁnd archived news video faster. It’s a simple, eﬃcient and aﬀordable archive solution for news.

Crispin’s modular software provides a scalable system to fit the budgets and needs of large and small news departments and comes with the incredible Crispin4Life Program -7 Years FREE Support & Software Upgrades.

NewsCat is a simple, efficient and affordable archive solution that will organically fit into your operations and streamline your newsroom workflow.

• Digitally stores news stories aired from a video server
• Links to newsroom computer systems to gather script information for the database
• Extensive search parameters enable a user to search by date, slug, script information, CG info or keywords
• Editable key word ﬁelds enable a news department to create a library of generic ﬁle video that can be easily located
• Optional Web browser interface enables up to 20 users to simultaneously search and retrieve video from archives
• Mixture of nearline and shelf storage for a fast an eﬃ cient means to retrieve news stories
• Scalable system ﬁ ts budgets and needs of large and small news departments
• Optional interface to robotic storage systems for large market and network news operations

NewsCat enables broadcasters to optimize their facility-wide workﬂ ow through an interface resembling an Internet search engine. Multiple users can simultaneously search and retrieve archived video from anywhere on the Intranet. NewsCat interfaces to today’s leading broadcast equipment including popular newsroom computer systems (ENPS, iNEWS and QNews). Traditional asset management systems simply do not match the newsroom workﬂow solution provided by NewsCat.

Most television news departments require that the most recent (3 - 12 months) news video be available almost instantly (nearline storage) and that the remaining news library be accessible within minutes (shelf storage). Crispin’s NewsCat has the ﬂexibility to scale the size of the nearline storage to meet the needs of both large and small newsrooms.

For facilities that wish to create a permanent archive at an oﬀ -site location, the system can be conﬁ gured to make duplicate copies on removable disks. Crispin’s NewsCat removes the need for a tape library, cut sheets and card ﬁles enabling news personnel to ﬁnd archived news video faster. It’s a simple, eﬃ cient and aﬀ ordable archive solution for news.

Anyone who can search the Internet already knows how to use NewsCat. Users can even preview video on their PC before restoring video to the edit room (using Crispin’s optional transcoding solution).

News departments always have the need to locate generic ﬁle footage to use in a story. Examples may include snowplows, construction workers, shoppers, credit cards, etc...this is all footage that a news department already has, but is diﬃcult to locate. The unique ANNOTATE feature in NewsCat allows a news department to add keywords and descriptions to archived video enabling producers to quickly locate ﬁle video. Low-Resolution Browsing - Users can preview low-resolution proxy clips before restoring video from archives (requires Crispin’s optional transcoding solution).

All user interfaces are seen using a standard browser such as Internet Explorer. Any networked PC in the news department has access to NewsCat searches...no dedicated terminals of software needed for users!

Newsroom Computer System Integration –
Links to newsroom computer systems; gathers script information for the database. Works with newsroom computer systems by ENPS, iNEWS and QNews.

Extensive Search Capability –
Full asset management solution provides rich search and descriptive capabilities for eﬃcient management of archived video. Extensive search parameters enable a user to search by date, slug, script information, CG info or keywords.

Low-Resolution Browsing –
Preview archived video at the desktop before fully restoring from archives (requires Crispin’s optional transcoding solution).

Browser-enabled System –
NewsCat is a browser-enabled application that allows producers to instantly access archived video clips from anywhere on the corporate Intranet. Multiple users can simultaneously search and retrieve video from archives.

Generic File Video Archives –
Editable keyword ﬁelds enable a news department to create a library of generic ﬁle video that can be easily located.

Remote Operation –
System is accessible via VPN for operation, diagnostics and support. The browser-enabled interface provides multiple views of daily operations.

Storage Options –
Archiving is available with dual internal Blu-ray drives, external nearline RAID, DVD-RAM or network attached storage (NAS) systems. Optional interface to robotic storage systems for large market and network news operations. Mixture of nearline and shelf storage provides a fast and eﬃcient means to retrieve news stories.

Aﬀordable Solution –
Scalable system ﬁts budgets and workﬂows of large and small news departments. Restore Options – Material may be restored to a news editing workstation or a video server.

Device Support –
NewsCat interfaces to most of today’s leading broadcast equipment manufacturers including Grass Valley Group, Omneon, Apple and Leitch.