Atresmedia, Spain’s top private media group, reaches millions every day with live news and entertainment. In such a demanding environment, content must move seamlessly from the field to the newsroom — across dozens of formats, under constant time pressure.
When its legacy transcoding system began to show its age, struggling with new formats and limited vendor support, Atresmedia needed a modern, reliable, and scalable replacement. The company chose Capella Cambria FTC — a decision that would quietly transform the speed, reliability, and resilience of its entire News workflow.
Can you describe your role at Atresmedia?
I’m a Project Manager responsible for designing and implementing systems that support our News division. That includes managing the architecture, overseeing integration, and providing high-level technical support to ensure everything operates reliably around the clock.
How did you first come across Capella and Cambria FTC?
Before joining Atresmedia, I worked at Aicox, one of Capella’s distributors. I already knew Cambria FTC well, so when we started planning a new transcoding platform, it was an obvious contender. It offered everything we liked about our previous Carbon Coder system — but in a more modern and flexible package.
What made Cambria FTC the right choice?
Two things stood out: reliability and adaptability.
It’s an active-active architecture, the transition from one server to another is practically seamless for users that are using the farm. That level of resilience is essential in a 24/7 newsroom.
The second factor was format versatility. We handle footage from ENG cameras, agencies, and social media sources in many different formats. Cambria handles almost all of them easily, with an interface that’s intuitive yet powerful. It gives us detailed control when we need it, without unnecessary complexity.
And of course, modernization mattered. Carbon Coder was end-of-life, and new standards were emerging fast.
Did pricing play a role in your decision?
Yes. Pricing is always an important consideration, and the clear, predictable licensing model offered by Capella matched the requirements set out in our RFP process.
How does Cambria FTC fit into your daily workflow?
It’s now at the heart of our News operation. Files from cameras, agencies, and external partners land in watch folders and are automatically transcoded to XDCAM 50, our house format, before being checked into Avid Interplay.
We also use Cambria for watermarking. All externally supplied content is processed through the Capella farm, where we apply an invisible watermark. If something is broadcast without permission, we can trace it immediately.
What was the onboarding process like?
Smooth and fast. Because I had used Capella before, I knew what to expect — but even new operators picked it up quickly. The user interface feels modern and approachable, and whenever we needed support, Capella’s team was responsive and precise.
How has Cambria FTC changed the way you work?
Cambria FTC has integrated smoothly into our existing workflows, without requiring any major changes. It has also allowed us to incorporate new processes where needed. The system provides reliability and operates with minimal manual intervention, with stable and consistent performance.
Our way of working required us to increase the number of concurrent jobs beyond the recommended limits, which we were able to do without impact.
What advice would you give to other broadcasters evaluating Capella?
I would recommend considering Capella as a technically and commercially solid option. In our experience, it has proven reliable and adaptable, making it a solution worth evaluating for broadcasters seeking a reliable and efficient transcoding system.
