Colorfront’s Streaming Server and Streaming Player now support end-to-end review of reference-quality, frame and colour accurate, HDR Dolby Vision video over public internet.
Colorfront is introducing new functionality in its Streaming Server and Streaming Player live-streaming systems, delivering secure, sub-second latency and reference-quality images and audio for synchronous remote reviewing by multiple users.
The new features include the ability to use the systems to carry out end-to-end review of reference-quality, frame and colour accurate, HDR Dolby Vision video over public internet. Also, a new, software-only version called Streaming Server Mini will allow post production teams to live-stream material directly from NLE, compositing and colour grading systems, without using extra hardware.
Launched in 2021, Streaming Server is housed in a 1RU device and can simultaneously stream up to four channels of 4K 4:4:4, 256-bit, AES-encrypted, reference-quality video, plus up to 16-channels of 24-bit AAC or PCM audio, to remote clients anywhere in the world over regular public internet, using Haivision's SRT (Secure Rreliable Transport) protocol. On the remote client/review side, Streaming Player enables colour-accurate viewing and QC of HDR materials moving through Streaming Server on professional 4K reference displays, prosumer screens and HDR-capable notebooks, tablets and smart phones.
Streaming Server Demos
During the 2022 HPA Tech Retreat, which has just taken place from 21 to 24 February in California, Colorfront used footage shot by DP Claudio Miranda ASC at 8.6K on the new Sony Venice 2 camera to demonstrate how to stream and review 4K Dolby Vision HDR material, with colour-accuracy at various target luminance levels on different professional and consumer displays. The display equipment included a Sony BVM-HX310 professional reference monitor, Apple Pro XDR display, new M1 iPad Pro and MacBook Pro M1 Max notebooks with Liquid Retina XDR screens, as well as iPhone 12/13 Pros with Super Retina XDR screens.
Also at the show, Colorfront previewed the Streaming Server Mini software, which can be installed and run on the same workstations that artists are using to perform editorial, compositing and colour grading tasks. Using Streaming Server Mini, work-in-progress content can be streamed to production stakeholders at any connected location in the world. Since its release, studios, OTTs and post-production facilities – including Warner Bros, Disney, Fox, HBO, Netflix, Light Iron and Streamland Media – have adopted Streaming Server and Streaming Player for their streaming requirements across different locations, countries and time zones.
Colorfront Streaming Server on a Mac Mini with a Blackmagic Design UltraStudio 4K Mini capture and playback device.
“Until now, remote collaboration on HDR projects has been a real challenge,” said Aron Jaszberenyi, managing director at Colorfront. “However, as the HDR Dolby Vision remote streaming demonstrations at HPA 2022 show, Colorfront’s innovations remove obstacles to collaboration by delivering and displaying extremely high picture quality and critical colour-fidelity on users’ existing display equipment – LED wall, cinema projector, broadcast monitor, notebook, tablet or smart phone. Our Streaming Server Mini software initiative will open new, more efficient ways for creative artists to engage with their clients.”
Streaming from the Studios
Quanta, a post-production company with facilities in North and South America, has adopted Colorfront Streaming Server to support remote collaboration between its colour-grading teams and clients working across its São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Miami sites, on UHD projects for Netflix, Paramount and HBO.
“We have retired our previous, single-channel streaming systems after they grew outdated and significantly more expensive to run, in favour of Colorfront’s systems,” said Hugo Gurgel, managing director at Quanta. “The picture quality, low latency and ease-of-use over broadband internet delivered by Colorfront, mean that we no longer have to spend time transferring footage between offices, and our creative artists and clients have greater ability and agility to work together on projects.”
Bruno Munger, Colorfront director of business development, took part in a stage presentation and panel discussion led by Light Iron during HPA 2022, focusing on ‘Biosphere’, a feature directed by Mel Eslyn that was shot and post-produced using a complete cloud-based workflow, in which dailies deliveries were enabled by instances of Colorfront Express Dailies processing footage on Amazon AWS.
Bruno said, “Two years after Colorfront participated in ‘The Lost Lederhosen’, HPA’s concept for cloud-based workflow, ‘Biosphere’ makes a perfect example of how cost-effective and viable end-to-end cloud-based production and post already is today.” www.colorfront.com
