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CHINA SPORTS MEDIA IMPLEMENTS TSL FLASHBOARD TO HELP NAVIGATE BUSY PRODUCTION COMPLEX

CSM is the leading sports broadcaster in China, and holds the rights to China’s top-flight football as well as many other Chinese and Asian events. With a huge amount of coverage to manage, keeping track of what was happening in each studio became a challenge for staff and visitors alike as they moved around the production hub.

The solution was found in FlashBoard, which allows CSM to design tailored displays that are located outside each studio, in the control rooms and in other areas. Each display can include a free mix of live video, production information including clocks and timers, workflow details and operator instructions, tallies and cue lights, and branding.

The displays are driven in real time from a central hub. Design of each display is by a simple drag and drop interface using TSL’s virtual panel design software. The ease of design means that each location can have its own layout of relevant information, tailored to the size of the screen on which it will be seen.

“We found that it was hard to keep track of what each studio was doing without referring to paper,” said Zhu Jianping, Technical Director at China Sports Media. “We spoke to a lot of broadcasters who were very supportive of TSL Products and their control and display systems. We were introduced to FlashBoard which was exactly what we were looking for. As well as providing all the information we need to be more effective, it is also an opportunity for us to reinforce our brand identity.”

In the first phase of installation, CSM will install two control base stations to provide redundant control of 28 display systems, some of which will be outside the building. The installation is to take place in October 2017.

“This is exactly the sort of application that we designed FlashBoard to do,” said Dan Bailey, Broadcast Control product manager at TSL Products. “China Sports Media needed to keep both staff and visitors informed: staff to be more efficient; visitors to understand the complexity of work at the facility, and the nature of live sports production. Because every single display can be tailored individually, FlashBoard allows the broadcast centre’s operators to get the right information to the right place.”

Capable of integrating with TSL Products’ TallyMan broadcast control or third-party systems, the global launch of FlashBoard was well received at IBC2017 and showcased alongside TallyMan and a range of TSL Products’ audio and power control solutions.