Weather.com chases eclipse with NewTek NDI

To bring the Aug. 21, 2017 solar eclipse in real time as it moves coast to coast, The Weather Channel, weather.com and Twitter teamed up to live stream the event using NewTek’s NDI production platform. 

“Chasing Eclipse 2017” immersed viewers in totalities from 10 locations along the eclipse path – from the ground and from space.

The unique production challenges of bringing this unprecedented live online event are being met largely through the power of NewTek’s NDI standard for video production over IP.

“We will have live correspondents in several locations across the eclipse path as well as feeds from NASA and telescope companies. Their video signals will be converted to NDI at our home base in Atlanta where they can all be shared bi-directionally everywhere on our network,” said Jim Robinson, supervising producer, manager of Digital Studios for The Weather Company, in a statement. “NDI’s capability and flexibility helped us creatively conceptualize and execute on an event like this. Without it, it would be very complicated and exorbitantly expensive. With NDI, we get production value that surpasses our high level of standards.”

Hosted in-studio by meteorologists Ari Sarsalari and Domenica Davis, “Chasing Eclipse 2017” featured:

• High-resolution and aerial drone footage from Weather’s network of storm trackers as the eclipse moves along the path of totality
• User-generated content from Twitter
• Live updates from eclipse viewing parties with weather.com field reporters
• Special hyperlocal eclipse footage from TEGNA partner stations in Portland, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; Denver, Colorado, St. Louis, Missouri; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Columbia, South Carolina
• Real-time eclipse footage from NASA
• “Fact Off” game show featuring the hosts from “Part-Time Genius” podcast
• Interactive social segments
• Live coverage of a joint wedding

“Chasing Eclipse 2017” was steamed via the Weather Channel app, weather.com, and Twitter.

Keys to the production include the following NewTek products:

• Full NewTek IP Series system to drive the shows
  • 1 VMC1 Engine
  • 1 VMC1 Engine Backup
  • 1 NC1 IN
  • 2 NC1 I/O
• 1 NewTek and Wowza MediaDS
• 1 NewTek 3Play 440
• 1 NewTek TalkShow VS4000
• 1 NewTek TriCaster Mini HD-4sdi

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