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How Golf Channel Uses SnapStream To Watch Live U.S. TV From Anywhere In The World
Abstract The Golf Channel has been using SnapStream to record and distribute broadcast TV at their Orlando, Florida studio since 2012. This year they added the SnapStream Cloud so execu ves and produc on team members could watch US broadcast feeds from anywhere in the world from any device.
The Initial SnapStream Local Appliance Purchase With a presence in over 200 million households in 84 countries, the Golf Channel is the go-to network for 24/7 golf news, tutorials and tournament coverage. In 2012, the network recognized the need for a video distribu on solu on that would let all its internal teams (such as media opera ons, post produc on, ad sales and marke ng) capture, clip and catalog broadcast TV for use in on-air video packages, social media posts and ad verifica ons.
The channel’s Media Services group evaluated several TV distribu on tools, but none featured the image quality or ease of use they required … un l they found SnapStream. SnapStream’s reliable hardware, superior video quality and closed cap oning integra on offered the perfect solu on for Golf Channel’s needs – and for the past five years, the network has relied heavily on SnapStream recording devices to record, review and distribute video content at Golf Channel studios in Orlando.
“As soon as we found SnapStream, we stopped looking”
- Don Browning - Senior Director of Media Services
The (New) Challenge - Enabling Access To TV From Anywhere While SnapStream made in-house video distribu on a snap, many Golf Channel execu ves and on-air talent traveled interna onally for tournaments, which made it difficult for the network to feed them content. Without access to SnapStream in Orlando, travelling employees were forced to watch live broadcasts at night when they aired on local TV or sit inside the network’s satellite trucks to access tournament playback. With the Open 2017 coming up, the team needed a mobile solu on to watch and clip broadcast footage from any loca on, not just the main studio in Orlando or satellite vehicles.
The Solution - SnapStream Cloud SnapStream’s innova ve SnapStream Cloud was the perfect fit for Golf Channel’s on-the-go team. Built for on-demand access from anywhere, the SnapStream Cloud solu on consists of encoders placed at the Orlando studio pushing TV streams to a SnapStream Cloud hosted at h ps://cloud.snapstream.com. When logged in to SnapStream Cloud, users have access to the same great features that they have on the local appliance, such as live TV, a built-in DVR, closed cap on-based search, clipping and sharing from any loca on and on any device (laptops, iPads, iPhones and even hotel room televisions using the SnapStream Cloud app running on Amazon Fire s cks).
“SnapStream is a very easy product to use. It’s straightforward and simple and reliable.” - Dan Browning
The Results By the first tee of The Open, SnapStream Cloud was already a hit with Golf Channel. Following full configura on and training, the system was “… up and running two to three days before everything was live,” said Don Browning. “It all worked smooth as bu er.” The benefits were clear:
● 24/7 global collaboration: D uring tournaments, while 30-40 team members on site at the Orlando studio use the appliance, another dozen remote employees can now use the SnapStream Cloud to collaborate in real me with colleagues back at the home studio. Live directors can easily review their work and share broadcast notes – and since SnapStream clips are embedded in emails sent via the cloud, employees can use their phones or tablets to watch and collaborate. ● Ease of use and reliability: From network engineers to on-air talent, users in every department have found SnapStream to be incredibly easy to use – and the reliability has been rock solid. “It’s a very easy product to use, and anyone can pick it up and use it. It’s straigh orward and simple and reliable,” said Browning. Dus n Guest, Director of Media Opera ons, agreed: “It just works. It’s not very hard to keep it going. It’s a great product.” ● Easy integration: S napStream Cloud integrates seamlessly into Golf Channel’s exis ng workflow. “I was really impressed with the support we got,” said Browning – “but then they’ve always been good.”
“SnapStream just works. It’s a great product.” - Dus n Guest, Director of Media Opera ons
About Golf Channel Golf Channel is an American cable and satellite television network and mul media company that is a part of the NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal. Exclusive partnerships with the world’s top tours allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all networks combined, as well as a programming schedule dis nguished by golf’s highest-quality news, instruc on and original content. Co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995, Golf Channel’s headquarters and studios are based in Orlando, Fla. Golf Channel is available in more than 200 million homes in 84 countries in 13 languages around the world through cable, satellite and wireless transmissions.
About SnapStream Based out of Houston, SnapStream has been making broadcast TV recording, search and distribu on products for over a decade. SnapStream’s diverse list of several hundred customers include: almost all the talk shows like The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and the Late Show with Stephen Colbert; TV networks such as CBS, NBC, Golf Channel, MLB TV and others; News/Entertainment brands such as Buzzfeed, Poli co, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vice, VOX, Slate, Huffpost; Sports leagues and teams such as several NFL, NHL, MLS teams, The PGA Tour, Major League Soccer, The LPGA, NASCAR, WWE; the US Senate; the Library Of Congress; and many others. Learn more about SnapStream at w ww.snapstream.com