Broadcast Pix to Debut Flint Production System at NAB

Broadcast Pix is going after the low end of the live production market with Flint, a live video production system that incorporates HD streaming, file-based input, and access to cloud-based content. The Flint supports up to six cameras (HD/SD-SDI, HDMI, and analog) and eight channels of clips and graphics.

What sets the Flint switcher apart from its competition — and if you guessed the Flint was aimed at TriCaster users, you'd be correct — is its ability to integrate camera sources with files and cloud-based content sources like Twitter, Skype, and Dropbox on ingest, as well as to offer lip-sync'd output as a stream or video format, or to make a real-time recording.

"We wanted to have a production system that could take all these different types of content, create a live production of high quality, and then shove it out to all these different delivery vehicles — streaming, television, or whatever you want," Broadcast Pix VP of Marketing Ken Swanton told StudioDaily.

The mantra for the Flint system is "End-to-End Integration," referring to the system's flexibility on both ingest and delivery. It can bring in video from up to six cameras, mixing HD- and SD-SDI, HDMI and analog video in 1080i, 720p, and SD resolutions. Video can also be brought in from a PC or Mac using HDMI. Data from such sources as Twitter and RSS feeds can be used to automatically update on-screen graphics, with a pre-screening option keeping unwanted content from going out live. Local files, such as animations and graphics, can be pushed into the system during a live broadcast using watch folders. And files dropped into cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft SkyDrive can be pushed into shows the same way. read more...