Following its history of leveraging AR/VR broadcast technology, CBS’s Texas branch announced the launch of a new XR production space, which kicked off last month. This move marks the first XR broadcast studio of its kind in the region, ready to deliver information such as weather and breaking news.
CBS Texas spoke with its Director of Broadcast Operations and Engineering, Adam Bull, to celebrate the launch. Bull noted that the XR studio came to fruition following “more than six months” of planning, construction, rehearsals, and similar innovations at CBS’s San Francisco station.
Bull also added:
This technology is cool, but it is really about bringing everyone into an immersive world so our storytellers can share their vision and take the viewer on a virtual journey.
Immersive Election Coverage
The news follows a select number of CBS Stations that leveraged virtual production technology to visualise crucial voter information during the recent divisive US election between the returning Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, and the Democratic candidate, current Vice President Kamala Harris.
CBS leveraged real-time 3D information that reacts live to a camera’s movements and is displayed live on broadcast to display voter data across five owned stations in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver.
At the time, Jennifer Mitchell, President of Stations and Digital for CBS News and Stations, said, “using this technology for the presidential election coverage also paves a way for us to set a new standard in journalism.”
CBS utilised XR broadcast services from Zero Density’s Reality solution, which combines Unreal Engine rendering, Chyron Prime graphics platforms, and Myreze virtual sets to enhance the visualisations.
Mitchell also added:
As we embark on this historic election, we are committed to bringing our audience closer to the story than ever before. Using our groundbreaking AR/VR technology, we’re not just reporting on the election—we’re immersing viewers in the experience, giving them unprecedented access to the events, data, and insights that shape our democracy.
CBS Chicago Deploys XR Broadcasts
Before the XR election coverage, CBS Chicago introduced a virtual production studio powered by AR and VR during an afternoon weather newscast. Chief Meteorologist Albert Ramon led this initiative, using the XR studio to deliver weather forecasts enhanced with real-time 3D visualisations that present essential information.
Ramon provided weather reports from a spacious, 16-foot-tall virtual production stage, 1,100 square feet. He focused on everyday weather conditions, storm paths, microclimates, and other important details to help viewers plan their day effectively.
As XR solutions become more varied in applicability, innovative use cases like the growing CBS broadcast utilisation will help lead the ways in which immersive RT3D technology is valued by audiences and brands. Furthermore, with an ever-growing market of AR content and hardware to match from the likes of Samsung, Meta, and Google, getting ahead of what could be a media revolution is key.
