NewTek Saves eGaming Producer LocalGames From COVID Disruption

SAN ANTONIO, TX–May 25, 2021— In 2020, Latin American video production company LocalGames realized their traditional workflow for producing live broadcasts of eGaming tournaments was completely unworkable during COVID-19 restrictions. Gaming tournament broadcasts, which are the company’s lifeblood, would continue, but all competitions would be virtual. No spectator-packed venues, no competitors on-site, international borders closed. The company was given just over a week to adapt to that change.

“Because all our content is on network, we require a workflow that allows us to efficiently stream video to the network,” says Bernardo Pizurnia, CEO of LocalGames. “And that’s why we chose to go with NewTek. Their products are designed with livestreaming in mind.”

Enter NewTek – The Ultimate Streaming Solution

To accomplish their post-pandemic goals, LocalGames purchased a TriCaster® Mini 4K live production system. The TriCaster puts an entire suite of media production capabilities at a creator’s fingertips. The TriCaster Mini is easy to transport wherever needed and powerful enough to handle even complex productions. For LocalGames, purchasing their TriCaster was more than just a workflow efficiency decision. It also made financial sense.

“We are competing against traditional production companies with traditional workflows for these production jobs,” Pizurnia says. “With their old technology, their end-product is very expensive compared to ours, and ours is much more versatile because the workflow is already designed to stream. That’s one reason we’re as successful as we are.”

Many staff members at LocalGames came from that legacy world of broadcast production, but as Rodrigo Cotiart, broadcast engineer and Chief TriCaster Operator for LocalGames said, “I found the TriCaster to be very easy to learn. And I’m not the sort of person who likes to read manuals. I’m much more of a doer. That’s the way I learn. So, I just got in there, sat down at the TriCaster, and got my hands dirty. I found it to be very intuitive. That’s how I learned to record macros, create camera pre-sets, modify the Multiview, and build buffer animations. I can’t stress enough how important it is to get your hands dirty. I still haven’t read the manual.”

3Play® Makes Replays Easy

Just like any other sports broadcaster, replays are an important production tool in LocalGames’ production arsenal, and the company has made use of NewTek’s 3Play® to produce instant replays for their eGaming programs. The reliability and versatility of the 3Play was one of the reasons LocalGames felt so comfortable turning to NewTek when the pandemic hit.

“I was used to using EVS or K2 for replays back in my broadcast days,” Cotiart says. “The transition to using 3Play was extremely simple. The only thing that changed was the location of the buttons. And honestly, I find the 3Play to be much more versatile and dynamic than those other machines, and all at a much smaller price point. Our experience with the 3Play has been nothing but positive.”

Spark and NDI®: A Unique Use

LocalGames makes extensive use of NDI® (Network Device Interface), a revolutionary software standard developed by NewTek that enables video-compatible products to communicate, deliver, and receive high-definition video and audio over a computer network in a high-quality manner suitable for switching in a live production environment.

“Even before we bought our first piece of NewTek gear, we were using NDI under the free protocol,” Pizurnia said. “And since we knew the power of NDI, it made sense to go with NewTek products when it was time to make upgrades.”

The company also owns four NewTek Spark Plus units, which play a vital role in their redesigned productions. Spark Plus converters allow producers to capture video from digital cameras and other devices wirelessly or over an Ethernet network. The Spark unit converts HDMI or SDI video sources to NDI making it available as a video source.

While many Spark owners use their units to integrate remote cameras anywhere on their network into a TriCaster, LocalGames found a unique way to use the versatile devices. After purchasing their TriCaster Mini 4K, the company had legacy, non-NDI equipment they needed to continue to use. Plugging that legacy equipment into a Spark device allowed LocalGames to continue to use this old equipment and still utilize all the technological advantages their TriCaster offers.

Continuing Growth in the COVID-19 Era

Just a few short days after their world had been turned upside down, LocalGames’ first redesigned broadcast, powered by a new TriCaster Mini 4K, went on the air.

“That first broadcast was accomplished with video boxes over a graphic background,” Cotiart said. “Then we realized we could do more, and that’s when we started adding virtual sets using NewTek’s Virtual Set Editor.’

That capability was easily accomplished as it’s natively built into the TriCaster. The next week, the broadcast featured its hosts sitting on a freshly designed virtual set. The clients liked what they saw and pushed LocalGames to expand their productions even more.

“It seems strange to say this, but COVID actually made us a stronger company,” Pizurnia tells me. “It pushed us to find new tools, to use virtual sets, to incorporate Unreal Engine. It pushed us into the future and forced us to make the most of the latest technologies.

“The growth of our company has been exponential. I don’t honestly know where we can get to in the future, but we are rolling at top speed and a whole new world of possibilities has opened up to us.”

About NewTek

NewTek is the leader in IP video technology that gives every storyteller a voice through video. NewTek sells exclusively through hundreds of resellers (find a reseller) around the world to bring its innovative solutions to market. NewTek products are natively IP-centric via NDI® and empower customers to grow their audiences, brands, and businesses faster than ever before.

Clients include: The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, New York Giants, NBA Development League, NHL, Nickelodeon, CBS Radio, ESPN Radio, Fox Sports, MTV, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Pinsent Masons LLP, and more than 80% of the U.S. Fortune 100.

The NewTek brand joins those of NDI and Vizrt under the umbrella brand of the Vizrt Group. NewTek follows the single purpose of this Group; more stories, better told. www.newtek.com

• NDI, TriCaster, 3Play, TalkShow, Video Toaster, LightWave 3D, and Broadcast Minds are registered trademarks of NewTek, Inc.
• MediaDS, Connect Spark, LightWave, and ProTek are trademarks and/or service marks of NewTek, Inc.
• All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.