China Central TV looks to Autodesk solutions for HD broadcasting

Autodesk has announced that China Central Television (CCTV), China’s largest national television network, has expanded its post-production pipeline with media and entertainment solutions from Autodesk.
This expansion enables CCTV to centralise its in-house broadcast graphics, offer high-definition (HD) programming, and prepare for the broadcasting of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. CCTV is using Autodesk’s solutions to help them realise their ideas for sophisticated promo packages, network IDs and show opens for CCTV channels.
CCTV has relied on Autodesk’s Discreet Flint and Discreet Flame visual effects systems since 1994. The network’s post-production pipeline expansion includes the addition of two Discreet Flame systems and two Discreet Smoke editing and finishing systems, along with several seats of Autodesk Combustion desktop compositing software and Autodesk 3ds Max 3D animation software. Further workflow efficiencies are enabled by Autodesk Backdraft, a pipeline media management and input-output (I/O) solution.
“With each solution purchase, we must take into consideration both the current and future demands of graphics packages for an ever-increasing slate of programmes,” said Cui Jian Wei, director of Post Production at CCTV. “Reliability, productivity and flexibility are our main evaluation criteria. Autodesk’s solutions fit in with our existing workflow model and provide the capabilities and overall pipeline management to ease our expansion into HD production and our preparation for the Olympics, while allowing for a growing volume of content to be produced.”
The vast requirements of CCTV, among the most prolific producers of television content in China, include strong and flexible network management capabilities. Autodesk solutions meet these needs, providing scalable systems and software that can be employed together or separately, depending upon a project’s particular needs.
“We have partnered with CCTV for more than ten years,” said Dr. Jack Gao, president of Autodesk Software (China) Co., Ltd. “CCTV is at the forefront of broadcast production in China, and we are honoured that they continue to standardise on Autodesk systems and software as they expand and centralise their post-production infrastructure.”
Autodesk, www.autodesk.com
(SP)