Vizrt Ltd.,provider of real-time 2D and 3D broadcast graphics solutions, has begun supplying the BBC with a USD 0.5 million graphics system as the first part of a four-year nationwide framework agreement signed between the two parties in 2006.
The first live implementation is BBC World and News 24. From the beginning of this week both stations use Vizrt to produce on-screen graphics and captions.
BBC London is also piloting Vizrt software on behalf of regional stations and will be conducting a soft launch later this month. The roll-out continues during 2007. The framework agreement is designed to facilitate purchasing from a tested and approved supplier and although created primarily for News departments throughout the country, any department or region can take advantage of it.
Vizrt’s software suite provides a complete graphics solution including caption generation, content management and newsroom integration, template graphics, 3D tickers, virtual studio sets, weather forecasts, virtual sports graphics, SMS interactivity and large-scale displays. All Vizrt’s graphics products are powered by a single core renderer, the Viz|Engine, and include highly-customised user interfaces for the designer, operator, journalist and engineer.
As part of the framework agreement, Vizrt UK is also assisting with training and support to help BBC staff adapt to the new software.