Broadcast TECH


Red Bee: manages around 90% of the UK’s VoD content from the back end, offering a service-orientated architecture


FEATURE


‘It is often said that content is king but metadata


is queen’ Steve Plunkett


and tag onto the original metadata – for example, adding ‘for Android only’ to allow it to auto matically bypass files destined for the iPhone.” The problem currently is that the main file system used to carry meta- data – MXF – comes with many var- iables. It is essentially one common file format with lots of files to fill out information, and broadcasters in dif- ferent territories tend to fill these out differently, which may mean the files then have to undergo a lengthy closed-captioning process.


BBC iPlayer (right): driving the development of more efficient file- handling services


Setting standards Bruce Devlin, chief technology officer at technology vendor Amberfin and a co-author of the MXF format, acknowledges an application specifi- cation is required to constrain for- mats such as MXF and QuickTime, adding that a new version has just been ratified. He says: “Key to push- ing into new territories is the ability to create multiple versions of mate- rial that are tailored to each individ- ual territory. Recently ratified by the Advanced Media Workflow Associa- tion (AMWA), the AS02 constrained


www.broadcastnow.co.uk/technology January/February 2012 | Broadcast TECH | 35


version of MXF is designed for these workflows. It is a componentised var- iant of MXF that allows operations on audio and captions to be per- formed without having to manipulate the video stream too. This leads to savings in both time and bandwidth for many workflows.” But while standards are still being


thrashed out, and given that the whole process is so complex, is it cost-effective to push content across multiple platforms? According to


Devlin, the economic equation is “a complex mix of purchase cost of the transcoder, and the opera- tional cost of running the trans- coder farm”. Others argue that it is about retaining rather than creating new revenue. Nann says: “Content owners and


broadcasters aren’t in control of eco- systems any more, consumers are. They are dictating when and where and what device. And if you don’t offer it to them, they’ll find an alternative.”


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