feature automation & asset management
For many years now, file-based transmission
Feature sponsored
playout has been a key part of most broadcast
by Harris
platforms. Growing consolidation among the
content aggregators that run such platforms,
however, raises the question of how to achieve
even greater efficiency in the operation of
multichannel playout platforms. Phil Wilton,
product manager at Snell Ltd, reports.
Centralisation of
content distribution
cases, accommodate a total shift of most content aggregation and content
core business models as channels and distribution companies already
platforms come and go. operate central - or hub - sites either
In the past, manufacturers of playout as discrete entities or as part of their
automation offerings have resolved global operations. In any case, such
this issue through what many call sites typically support ingest and
‘hub-and-spoke’ operation. However, playout operations, as well as content
through a variety of shortcomings - archives. Incorporating all of these
such as shared components across the elements within a single site makes
infrastructure resulting in a possible good business sense in that maximum
single point of failure - these vendors use can be made of all resources, both
and products have failed to deliver a component parts - servers, VTRs, tape
real solution to the demands of robots, graphics engines, and
multichannel playout. In order to subtitling systems - and master
achieve the best possible solution, control facilities. The time and skills of
centralised playout architectures must key staff also can be put to optimal
be studied in great detail, including use in a centralised facility.
A
t the enterprise level, Snell’s Morpheus in
technical and operational From an operational point of view, a
installing, operating, and
action.
requirements, as well as each model’s centralised model allows all key
running an efficient
likely impact on customer cost with workflow processes, such as tape
multichannel delivery
respect to capital hardware investment ingest and subsequent QA approval, to
platform is a balancing
and ongoing operational costs. Through be handled effectively and easily with
act. On one hand, a
experience, analysis, and real-world relation to the physical tape library, in
sizable portion of both capital and
deployments, our team of engineers turn supporting very efficient media
operational budgets is consumed by
has refined the well-established movement and handling.
capital investment in broadcast
Morpheus automation system to While centralisation of playout
infrastructure, hardware and
provide a high degree of efficiency in operations yields many benefits, it also
equipment, along with the usual
hub-and-spoke architectures while poses several non-trivial challenges.
ongoing operational costs including
addressing the demands of a rapidly Among these is the challenge of
personnel, fibre, cable or satellite
changing media marketplace. providing localised content ingest and
contribution, and distribution circuits.
delivery. A key business and
On the other hand, the continued
Centralisation: benefits and operational requirement of any affiliate
success of any broadcast facility
challenges or local/regional station is the ability to
depends on its ability to maintain
insert local or regional advertising,
operational flexibility, evolve as
Centralisation of broadcast operations news, and other programming into the
market trends change, and in some
is not a new concept, and indeed playout schedule.
24 l ibe l january/february 2010 l
www.ibeweb.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44