Vizrt
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| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Genre | Broadcasting |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Bergen, Norway |
| Industry | Broadcast |
| Products | Software |
| Revenue | 98M US$ (2008) ▲ |
| Employees | 500 (2009) |
| Website | www.vizrt.com |
Vizrt (OSE: VIZ) is a software company that creates content production tools for the digital media industry - from 3D graphics and maps, to integrated video workflow solutions and online publishing tools. Vizrt software is used by many of the world's broadcasters and publishing houses, including: CNN, CBS, Fox, BBC, Sky, ITN, ZDF, Star TV, Network 18, TV Today, CCTV, NHK, The Globe and Mail, The Telegraph, and Die Welt Online. Other customers include production houses and corporate institutions, including the New York and London Stock Exchanges. The company is traded publicly at Oslo Stock Exchange. Its headquarter offices are in Bergen, Norway. Vizrt has over 20 offices, located around the world.
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[edit] History
In 1999, the Norway-based Pilot Broadcast Systems AS merged with the Austrian company, Peak Software Technologies GmbH to form Peak Broadcast Systems. Pilot was a subsidiary of Norwegian TV channel TV 2. Peak Software is a developer of software for real-time 3D graphics and animation, virtual sets and playback control systems. The new Peak Broadcast Systems offered turnkey solutions for real-time 3D graphics creation and virtual sets, asset management, and playout control.
The following year marked the formation of Vizrt when Peak Broadcast Systems merged with RT-SET, an Israeli virtual studio system developer.
In 2005, Vizrt acquired the London-based Curious Software, software developers of 2D and 3D animated maps for broadcast television, corporate presentations and online applications.
Later that year, Vizrt acquired 19 percent of Adactus Ltd., a Norwegian company that specializes in the transport of content to mobile phone platforms. Vizrt and Adactus then developed Viz|3G, a graphics motor for mobile telephones and other mobile devices. Based on Vizrt’s Viz|Engine renderer and Adactus’ MPEG-21 standards-based multimedia delivery platform, it was the first integration of a graphics engine for mobile phone video viewing applications.
In 2006, Vizrt acquired Ardendo, a digital asset management company for the television broadcast industry based in Sweden.
In 2008, Vizrt acquired Escenic, a Norwegian developer of content management software for digital media publishing. Escenic technologies drive many of the world’s top news media websites.
[edit] Key products
Many of Vizrt’s products specialize in graphic design and innovations for the web. A sampling of the company’s product offerings are listed below:
Vizrt is best known for Viz Content Pilot, a template-based graphics solution that enables journalists to add graphics to their own news stories.
Viz Artist is an animation and visual effects creation tool for 2D and 3D real-time graphics. With Viz Artist, graphic artists can build complete virtual sets and complex 3D animations.
Viz Video Engine is a flexible video server capable of dual channel ingest and playout for a broad range of video formats. By relying on conventional PC hardware and Windows as an operating system, Viz Video Engine integrates easily into existing Vizrt installations.
Viz Trio is a real-time 2D/3D character generator. It offers a feature-rich 3D design system for the creation of 3D graphics and animation.
Viz Ardome is a third-generation media asset management (MAM) solution for IT-based production and digital media archiving. A key strength of Viz Ardome is its modular architecture, which is built to serve customer requirements for scalability, availability, and customized solutions.
Viz Video Hub is a cost-effective, hassle-free media asset management solution that builds on proven technology and the essential features of a Viz Ardome installation. It interfaces with every aspect of the Vizrt workflow, making it possible to search, track, edit, repurpose, and retrieve Video Hub’s centrally stored assets from standard PC-based Vizrt workstations.
Viz Link brings together Viz MAM and Viz graphics systems. Viz Link allows journalists and other media employees to search for videos and stills, edit, and deliver content via Viz Trio and Viz Video Hub or Viz Ardome.
Viz Video Wall ER is a technology that creates graphics that surround the viewer. Viz Video Wall ER is mainly used for television broadcasting.
Viz Multichannel is an application that enables the use of Vizrt software for channel branding. It simplifies the playout of playlists, providing a single client that handles the playlist elements of one or multiple channels.
With Viz Arena, broadcasters can superimpose static and animated 3D graphics over the live coverage of a sports event. The graphics remain in place, regardless of camera movement, so that the 3D graphics appear to be a part of the live coverage.
[edit] Noteworthy events
When first introduced in 2006, Vizrt’s Viz Multi Platform Suite marked the first integration of a graphics engine for mobile phone video viewing applications. Viz Multi Platform Suite is based on Vizrt’s Viz Engine server and Adactus’ multimedia delivery platform. It is an end-to-end platform for delivering real-time graphics and video content to mobile devices. Vizrt’s Viz Virtual Studio software and Viz Engine renderer were an integral part of the success of the first remote “holographic” live interviews conducted by CNN during the 2008 U.S presidential election. Tracking data from the cameras in CNN’s Election Center was processed by Viz Virtual Studio software. From the images captured, a specially developed Viz Engine plug-in, created a full 3D representation of the person. Also in 2008, Vizrt technology powered a play-along version of “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire,” which aired on TV2 Norway. The show featured web-interactive elements. Viz Multi Platform Suite delivered real-time 3D graphics to the show’s online participants. PGA Tour Productions selected Viz Ardome media asset management software to manage its HD and SD content in 2009. Also in 2009, ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen), one of two large public broadcasters in Germany began broadcasting from two virtual studios using Viz Virtual Studio and broadcast graphics solutions from Vizrt. ZDF now broadcasts from Europe’s largest and most advanced virtual studio.
