
Live From PyeongChang: Philip Paully, NBC Olympics Graphics Team Span the Globe A prebuilt graphics center is producing more content in less time than in Rio By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 - 3:04 am
Print This Story
Philip Paully, director, graphics engineering and operations, and the NBC Olympics graphics team of more than 30 people onsite in PyeongChang are once again working to meet the needs of a production team that is creating more content than ever and doing so with an approach that is different from previous efforts.
The NBC Olympics graphics team in PyeongChang is taking advantage of faster rendering to meet the needs of the production team.
The graphics center was prebuilt in Stamford, CT, before it was shipped, says Paully, and it's been one of the best things that Terry Adams[, VP, IBC engineering, NBC Olympics,] and Dave Mazza[, SVP/CTO, NBC Sports Group and NBC Olympics,] did, because it meant we needed only two days to get the graphics department up and running. Our biggest job is to make sure everyone in production has what they need, and it is getting better as time goes by.
The pre-assembly of graphics gear like the ChyronHego Mosaic, Duos, and Prime Clips and Mac computers allowed the graphics team to hit its stride more quickly and also arrive onsite two weeks later than usual.
The Sony engineering team had everything plugged in and wired, Paully explains. We just had to fine-tune, get some software up and running, and scan every machine to make sure they were virus-free.
Graphic-operations managers in both PyeongChang and Stamford are managing content creation and distribution in both facilities via a large Isilon server that handles all the data. FileCatalyst is used to provide high-speed transfers among the IBC, Stamford, and the venues. They also feed the graphics to playout devices like EVS and Mira servers.
The onsite graphics team also includes a Control Room A team with two ChyronHego Mosaic units, one for regular CG operation and one for still-store needs, and two ChyronHego Prime Clip players, one in HD and one in 4K mode for playback on studio monitors.
A graphics room for the Control Room X production facility is also running and handling graphics via ChyronHego Mosaic for ski jumping and Closing Ceremony. It also has a backup Prime Clip Player for Control Room A.
Then we have one room with three art directors and one room with five Mac stations, all creating and rendering graphics, says Paully, noting, The team is about 80% the same as it as in Rio. It's a well-organized group of the most talented people I have met, and they are the best at working under pressure that I have ever seen.
The challenge for the team, he adds, is managing the human equation and making sure everyone is getting out the right content at the right time to the right place: You can have fast equipment and the best artist in the world, but management is the most crucial part.
One of the big improvements from the 2012 Rio Olympics is the doubling of the number of processors, from 80 to 160, used to render graphics. Alienware R2 Alpha Series computers allow rendering of 4K elements (important for use on the studio 4K and 8K monitors) to be cut from an hour or more to mere minutes, handy when last-minute changes or demands occur.
In Rio, we could render one or two graphics in an hour, adds Paully. Now we can render four or five in an hour, and these are large 4K moving files. Yesterday, we had to replace something in a 4K clip, and it took 6 minutes to render.
Also important is the use of ChyronHego's Hub Drive, software that allows 25 Chyron graphics machines to be tied to a server and to share content with each other.
Most recent headlines
14/03/2025
BURLINGTON, Mass. Avid has expanded its executive leadership team (ELT) with the appointment of three experienced executives: Tom Sharma as chief technology off...
14/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. TVU Networks, a pioneer in live video production and a leader in cloud-based media solutions, is marking its 20th anniversary at the 2025 NAB ...
13/03/2025
(L-R) Stephanie Suganami, Tatanka Means, John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, and Juliette Lewis attend the premiere of Opus at Eccles Theatre in Park City. (Photo by...
13/03/2025
Spotify took center stage at the London Book Fair this week, reaffirming our commitment to the audiobook market and showcasing our impact on the publishing indu...
13/03/2025
At Spotify, we work every day to lift up new voices, giving creators the opportunity to live off their art. Through Spotify Audiobooks, our in-house publishing ...
13/03/2025
Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
Roku Debuts NWSL Zone' Within Roku Sports to Spotlight Live Games, Content Feature marks Rokus first women's league-branded zone within service By Bra...
13/03/2025
Pixels, Images, Video, AI - and Us: A Perspective on AI from NDI Inventor Andrew...
13/03/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Lighting Design Group's Steve Brill, Dennis Size ...
13/03/2025
IOC, Comcast NBCU Ink $3B Media-Rights Extension for Olympic Games Through 2036;...
13/03/2025
NCAA March Madness Live Returns with Expanded Availability of MultiView Vertical...
13/03/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Cosm's Devin Poolman on What It Takes To Deliver the Immersive...
13/03/2025
Sky Business, Sky's B2B division, providing connectivity and content to busi...
13/03/2025
Rohde & Schwarz launches R&S NRP140TWG(N) thermal power sensor: A new benchmark ...
13/03/2025
We asked the questions, analysed the answers and now we're excited to share the results of the fifth edition of the ICG Marketing Survey.
Our 2025 survey p...
13/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 13, 2025 Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a breakthrough in video streaming innovation with the launch of new origin capabilitie...
13/03/2025
Haivision Showcases Mission-Critical Video Solutions at SOF Week 2025
Haivision's video wall systems, ISR technology, and DoDIN APL-certified video distri...
13/03/2025
Company Leads the Way with New Software-Based Production Platform, 12G Switcher,...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....