PlayBox Technology system in operation at STN Slovenia
(an) end-to-end solution." Evertz has moved away from
the traditional master control user interface to the VUE touchscreen. The operator can control all manner of equipment from context sensitive screens, including "widgets" for switcher control.
This integrated playout
delivers lower CAPEX and OPEX. "Asset management is key,” observed Turow. "Linear playout is easy, but with integrated MAM you can seamlessly integrate VOD and OTT." Jan Weigner agreed that
there are too many vendors and consolidation is inevitable. As to future trends, Weigner sees that "in the First World non-linear is going to take over from linear, and linear can be a realtime streaming provider." For his part, Scott Rose also sees the focus on reducing
operational costs through CiaB deployment: "CiaB have less moving parts, and require less maintenance,” he said. “A position in master control needs up to five staff to provide 24/7 presence. It is not just the playout automation that will reduce manning requirements, but smart monitoring." Fault monitoring and error
reporting by exceptions does allow fewer staff to run more channels. But this hasn’t necessarily reduced their costs “Broadcasters that have freed staff have in the main redeployed them to more creative tasks,” said Rose. One of the needs to reduce costs stems from more channels splitting the same advertising pot. With respect to this dilemma, Don Ash of Playbox Technology said, "More channels are launching on satellite and
OTT. In areas of the world like Western Europe, the advertising revenue is being split across more channels, leading to the need to drive down the capital and operational costs of running a channel, including cost of content, playout and delivery." However, Ash
believes that by making automation systems "simple to install and easy to use with little training or
understanding, broadcasters can reduce the costs of playout,” he said. Jan Weigner
observed that ad revenues are still rising for television, and that the Internet is primarily
MORE ICE OPTIONS
The ICE channel-in-a-box from Snell now includes two all-new models. The core ICE product offers greater functionality and horsepower in a more compact footprint, and a new system called ICE-LE is a low-cost 1U version that offers a streamlined feature set for smaller operations or simple video server refresh projects. Each ICE unit features multiple inputs and outputs with two DVEs and eight keyers per channel mixer, as well as routing and mixing functions, SD and HD format conversion, audio processing capabilities, and closed-caption/subtitle support. Occupying only a single rack unit, ICE-LE delivers the power of ICE technology at just 38,000 euros list price for four channels of playout. It comes complete with robust routing, mixing, audio processing, format conversion tools, and 2 TB of storage.
www.snellgroup.com
APPLE-BASED AUTOMATED SERVER
just:play is an Apple based, 24/7 automated broadcast playout server from ToolsOnAir. It plays SD/HD movies, integrates live feeds, router and GPI events as well as real-time graphics including corner logos, lower thirds and tickers that update manually or automated from RSS feeds, XML data sources and remote databases. The product allows broadcasters to schedule and manage their playout, even while a clip is already on air. This is possible while having an unlimited number of users working concurrently on the same channel (depending on the user rights defined for this channel). Content can be scheduled days or even weeks in advance, while providing a traditional list view with metadata support, and the user interface provides an unlimited, frame accurate review and preview of all scheduled video items .
www.toolsonair.com
hurting print. "Where revenues rise, there comes more channels,” he said. “In Western Europe, there has been an explosion of channels sharing flat advertising revenue, so channels have to be low, low cost. Eastern Europe and Asia have seen ad revenues rising with commensurate growth in the number of channels." We have come a long way
from programs arriving in master control on tape carts and the whizz and clunk of cart machines. Content now arrives silently, and master control resembles a data centre. Conventional video hardware is being removed from the workflow, and software running on commodity platforms has become the way forward. ///
ADAPTIVE PLAYOUT
Chameleon is a new product line that consolidates relevant software from OASYS into a single optimal configuration for a variety of channel playout requirements. Using proprietary OASYS software, the Chameleon setup adapts to the broadcast workflow environment in which it is deployed to ensure that operating parameters for that specific environment are seamlessly configured to their most efficient use. The idea is to collaboratively develop playout solutions that adapt to and optimise to customer workflows, says the company. One integrated playout solution replaces the need to engage with multiple vendors, and OASYS servers can be quickly reconfigured and Chameleon can be adapted to fit broadcast workflows as they change and evolve.
www.oasys.com
February-March 2014 I TV Technology Asia-Pacific 17////////////////
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