BBC R&D at Edinburgh Festival 2016

BBC R&D has descended on Edinburgh to set up and run trials of a selection of broadcast production tools and technologies, including our Nearly-Live Production tool, audio processing tool ICoSOLE, and some further experimenting in 360-degree video at this year’s Fringe Festival.

Hidden away at the back of the BBC’s site in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle at George Heriot’s School, the team are hard at work installing the network and cabling that will carry the audio and video feeds to the R&D Festival Lab (a hut), where a series of high-powered computers will process the data to enable the trials to begin as the festival kicks in to life this weekend.

Across the next few days the Nearly-Live Production team will be recording various performances from within the Blue Tent on the BBC site - as well as a couple of external venues using a portable rig – using a number of small, unmanned 4K cameras, and using IP Studio technology as part of a number of tests that aim to demonstrate innovative methods for broadcasting from live events.

There’ll be further updates as the festival progresses (assuming the person currently stomping about on the executive terrace/flimsy roof above us doesn’t cause it to collapse in on us), as some of R&D’s most exciting technologies are exposed to their most intensive trials yet…

Despite the long journey, the @BBCRD pen has arrived safely at #edfringe2016pic.twitter.com/5Axa4CmfU7

— BBC Connected Studio (@BBCConnected) August 3, 201