London and Beijing - Reuters, (LSE: RTR), the global information company, today announced its plans to launch a new system that will deliver video, scripts and story information to broadcasters in a single integrated digital file. The service, a first for television news agencies, will be tested by clients around the world and is due for launch at the end of the year.
Receiving Reuters 24-hour video news content via digital files will mean broadcasters no longer have to monitor, or manually record, incoming feeds. It allows vital supporting information to be linked to the video as it travels throughout the newsroom. Video files, instead of linear video feeds, will cut broadcasters' workloads and make the management of the video through the production process as seamless as possible.
Under the plans Reuters will distribute video stories from its flagship television product, World News Service, used by over 450 broadcasters across the world, in digital file format. Each file will include both the video news story and vital information about it, known as metadata, including source detail, re-usage rights, shot lists and scripts, creating an inextricable link between the visuals and auxiliary information.
The innovation aims to provide a faster, better and more efficient service for the increasing number of broadcasters using digital technology to move, exchange and store content in file format within their own production facilities. It will eliminate the need for fixed transmission times, local recording and handling of the video, and facilitate simultaneous and immediate access to the file for multiple users. It can also be used for immediate broadcast or online publishing, and create permanent links to the data needed to interpret the video.
The testing period will involve distribution to 15 Reuters and client sites around the world. The new file delivery service will be made available to Reuters Television subscribers at the end of 2003 and will operate alongside the current linear video transmission service.
Speaking in Beijing, at China Central Television's forum on Chinese TV and Media Development, Tony Donovan, Reuters Managing Director, Television said, "Until now, broadcasters have received a stream of video delivered over satellite at fixed times throughout the day which are recorded on tape and manually transferred to their own systems. They also cope with a separate feed of data explaining what the video shows.
With multiple sources coming into a newsroom throughout the day many clients are dealing with an information flood."
"With this new system, we will deliver a single file containing both the video and data. With the vast majority of the world's broadcasters subscribing to Reuters video news, this will revolutionise the TV news industry."
Reuters video files will be created in Material Exchange Format (MXF), an open file format for the interchange of audio-visual material, which is expected to be ratified as the industry standard imminently. Every file will be created in both 525 and 625 l.standards.
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Reuters Corporate Communications (UK)
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Lammers van Toorenburg Benelux PR
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