Revolutionizing broadcast control rooms

This app represents a groundbreaking transformation of traditional TV production. By replacing complex control rooms filled with monitors and equipment with a streamlined virtual workspace through Apple Vision Pro headsets, the app enables production teams to control multi-camera live broadcasts with intuitive gestures and minimal physical infrastructure.

In a pioneering collaboration, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) and Shortcut developed this innovative solution, successfully testing it during a live broadcast of Norway's Broadcasting Council meeting ("Kringkastingsrådet") in September 2024 - potentially the world's first professional live TV production using VR headsets.

A virtual control room in your hands

Designed specifically for Apple Vision Pro, the app leverages spatial computing to create a virtual control room that travels with the user. The solution was first conceptualized by NRKbeta as a web-based interface, before Shortcut helped transform it into a dedicated app with advanced interaction capabilities.

During the successful live test, four production team members equipped with Vision Pro headsets managed the entire broadcast:

• A producer selecting camera shots and overseeing the program
• A camera operator remotely controlling multiple cameras
• An audio technician monitoring sound levels through the traditional mixer visible through the headset's passthrough feature
• A graphics operator adding overlays using NRK's NORA graphics system

The team successfully controlled the production using multiple interaction methods including eye tracking, hand gestures (including the intuitive "thumbs up" gesture for camera cuts), and tested voice commands—all while maintaining professional broadcast quality.

Technical innovation for practical application

The NRK Vision Pro app demonstrates how emerging technologies can solve real-world production challenges:

• Space efficiency: Replaces walls of physical monitors with virtual screens, allowing production in smaller spaces
• Mobility: Enables production from virtually anywhere, potentially even from separate remote locations in the future
• Flexibility: Gives each team member a customized workspace with the information they need most prominently displayed
• Intuitive control: Explores natural interaction methods like gestures and eye tracking to replace physical buttons and switches
• Cost-effectiveness: Significantly reduces equipment and infrastructure requirements for smaller productions

While the solution isn't yet ready for flagship productions like "Dagsrevyen" (Norway's main news broadcast) or major sporting events, it shows tremendous potential for smaller productions, field broadcasts, and special use cases like international chess tournaments where production teams are distributed across multiple countries.

The test broadcast demonstrated that while there were minor technical challenges like slight video latency and physical comfort considerations after extended wear, the core concept worked remarkably well for a first live implementation.

Experimental today, essential tomorrow

This groundbreaking collaboration between NRK and Shortcut represents more than just a technological demonstration—it's a glimpse into the future of broadcast production.

By combining NRK's deep broadcasting expertise with Shortcut's spatial computing development capabilities, the team created a solution that challenges fundamental assumptions about how television is made. The successful live test proved that immersive technology can deliver professional results while opening new creative and operational possibilities.