Our Markets

In the outside broadcast segment, EVS has shown its ability to develop reliable solutions that meet the needs of a demanding market. Today, the EVS strategy is to do everything possible to create new growth in the studio segment. Both markets are now guided by similar priorities: the broadcast of video content on multiple platforms, the transition to high-definition, and the replacement of tapes. But the goals are unchanged: capture the audience and produce at lower cost.

Digital technology is revolutionizing video

A video signal is defined by an image resolution (a number of pixels) and also by a number of images per second. The most widespread current format, standard definition, has between 350,000 (NTSC - USA, Japan) and 400,000 (PA L - Europe, Australia) pixels per image. The high-definition format varies between 1,300,000 (HD Ready) and 2,000,000 (Full HD) pixels. The number of images varies from 25 images per second in Europe to 30 in the USA. Digitizing an image means coding each pixel according to its color and its luminous intensity, which generates phenomenal amounts of information, all the more so since they are repeated many times per second. Powerful redundancy search algorithms in the juxtaposed pixels make it possible to reduce the quantity of information: this is digital compression. This increasingly efficient compression makes it possible to send increasing quantities of information (such as high definition images) with the same bandwidth. This technology forms the basis of the EVS products.

Tapeless television production

The programming of the television networks consists primarily of broadcasting pre-recorded images which, until very recently, were stored on tapes. But linear editing (and editing) on tape is not quite flexible. Today, IT offers an attractive alternative. Migration towards digital technology on hard drives (non linear by definition) is clearly on the way for a few years, even though it will still take some years for the hard disk penetration rate to reach 70 or 80%. The television stations understand the absolute importance of migrating to tapeless interoperable computer platforms. This allows the design of processes that are smoother and faster. The use of video tape recorders is therefore proving to be increasingly unsuitable for live productions. This replacement represents an opportunity and a growth driver for EVS.

High Definition and 3D

With increasingly affordable prices, the LED, LCD, plasma or OLED screen technologies are winning ever greater market share over CRT screens: these flat-screen televisions are moving towards the resolution of a computer screen, namely 6 times more pixels than a standard definition image. “HD Ready”, for example, counts 1.3 million pixels, while “Full HD” (1,920 x 1,080) counts 2 million pixels. The inevitable switch to HD requires a gradual replacement of the current SD (standard definition) production equipment. This transition, over a decade or so, accelerates the replacement of tapes through integrated broadband production processes. EVS is a leader in this production format and is developing transparent migration solutions for users. The penetration of flat screens able to receive HD content is already prevalent in American households and is gaining ground in Europe. EVS is also a pioneer in the stereoscopic production (3D) since the first live production tests in 2008.

Fragmentation of the video offer

As new technologies emerge, each person consumes images in different ways through different channels meeting different mobile phone). New trends of consumption are booming, such as television through telephone network (IPTV), terrestrial digital television or even web television or image-sharing. This naturally leads more content production in various formats and faster availability. In addition, there is also an explosion of the types of feeds included in a TV production; during large scale events, more and more images are added to the reports of professionals, such as home videos. This requires greater flexibility for TV production.

The transition to HD and the increasing interest for sport on TV are two important growth drivers for EVS.

Live sporting events

Sport broadcasts are still the content most prized by television viewers and, hence, by the television networks. Games coverage has moved from 4 cameras to configurations of more than 32 cameras in order to enhance the spectacle.

The costs of the rights are high and new forms in broadcasting the same content to other media are appearing.

The director captures the action and the emotion continuously, chooses the right viewing angle at the right time, and invites the spectator to experience the event through slow motion, replays of sequences, or highlights. The event is transformed through hundreds of video clips that are indexed on keywords so as to enable multimedia operators to select the required clips within seconds. Live sport, which is also described as outside broadcast production, requires reliable equipment enabling centralized production for distribution across various media. EVS is the leader in this niche market.

Studio production

Within the television stations, the tape is also tending to be replaced by technologies and applications that fulfill the new production, post-production and broadcasting functions. Studio production with multiple cameras has certain similarities with outside broadcast sport production, particularly under near-live conditions, in other words minimal time between production and broadcast, optimizing postproduction for obvious economic reasons. EVS is positioning itself as a challenger onto the studio production market.

This market is growing and is certainly the most promising segment for the future growth of EVS. The IABM (International Association of Broadcast Manufacturers) predicts an average annual growth of 10 to 15% for the coming years. EVS makes every effort to take advantage of this growth, and also seeks to take market share from its competitors.