Open Broadcast Systems ensured a picture-perfect event for luxury brand Chanel’s Autumn-Winter 2025 fashion show, partnering with Octal who worked on the editing alongside Planipresse and Walter Films on the production.
We have written in the past about how our encoders and decoders have been used for Campus IPTV. But this was no ordinary Campus IPTV. A Chanel show is not just a fashion event; it’s a luxury affair where every detail must be flawless. The Autumn-Winter 2025 show was no exception, promising an impeccable visual feast for VIP guests, industry insiders, and fashion enthusiasts at Paris’s historic Grand Palais (pictured).
Pursuit of Perfection
To ensure a flawless show, Chanel needed a high-end IPTV system that would support the internal production teams while meeting three stringent requirements:
- Ultra-low latency: Beyond serving production and operational purposes, the IPTV system would also provide a visual cue for the models to enter the catwalk and so needed to have the lowest latency possible.
- Pure-IP infrastructure: The prestigious and historic venue’s design prohibited the use of SDI cables. Chanel needed a robust video infrastructure capable of handling multiple video feeds over an IP network. At the same time, this was a general purpose venue IT network, and not a broadcast-specific network. Data rates therefore needed to be modest to avoid overloading the network.
- Mission-Critical Reliability: Access would be limited once the VIP guests arrived, so Chanel needed a system that could be set up quickly and then operate alone – an “install and forget” operation.
After an evaluation of several products, including NDI, Planipresse selected Open Broadcast Systems for the IPTV encoding and decoding platform. Beyond our ability to achieve ultra-low latency, three critical factors influenced their decision: our proven track record in delivering high-quality solutions in demanding environments, our IP-based video technology, and our reputation for mission-critical reliability, ensuring the system would perform flawlessly throughout the event without technician intervention.
In addition to these critical factors, our encoders and decoders offer the flexibility inherent in software solutions by supporting industry standards such as SRT and ST-2110. Although not used in this event, both SRT and ST-2110 are becoming key parts of IPTV workflows.
How we did it
To ensure optimal performance and seamless video distribution, Planipresse took advantage of the numerous form factors of our software-defined encoders and decoders:
- Encoding Tier: A high-density 1U rack-mounted server encoded eight video feeds with a low latency and high quality, including 4:2:2 video.
- Primary Decoding Tier: Multiple Intel NUCs, our small form factor encoder/decoders, were configured in a 1:1 ratio, with each NUC dedicated to decoding one video stream for one display.
- Secondary Decoding Tier: A set up to decode four SDI signals from a single Ethernet connection, further enhancing our distribution capabilities. This used our small form-factor multiple channel decoder.
Seamless Spectacle
Our IPTV system performed flawlessly throughout the Chanel show, providing VIP guests with pristine video of the runway with imperceptible delay, synchronised across 20 strategically positioned displays. The IP-based architecture allowed for a clean, cable-minimal installation that preserved the venue’s aesthetic while delivering broadcast-quality technical performance. And most importantly, the system ran without the need for human intervention after it was installed.
Beyond the Catwalk
Open Broadcast Systems deployed the highest-end, most advanced IPTV infrastructure for Chanel, tailored for VIP experiences. Beyond the fashion industry, our IPTV solutions are used extensively in supporting broadcast production, allowing production staff to view production feeds on Campus and at remote locations. Open Broadcast Systems remains committed to meeting premium needs in all markets – delivering low latency and high quality using a variety of form factors.
