PRODUCTS & SERVICES
CloudAir universal playout and
streaming platform
For BroadcastAsia2016, PlayBox Technology is displaying at booth 5D3-03 its highly innovative
CloudAir platform that enables new television channels to be established very rapidly without
the usual preliminary investment in playout infrastructure.
“CloudAir allows a new television
channel to be set up in matter of
seconds,” states Don Ash, president,
PlayBox Technology. “It is designed
for anyone who wants to broadcast
TV content, be it on a real-time
round-the-clock basis, a catch-up
facility, the red button element of a
reality show or a short-running series
such as a sports event. It can also
be deployed as the basis of a highly
secure disaster recovery system.”
Ash adds that CloudAir is about
speed, unlimited scalability and easy
affordability. It has the potential to
empower new or existing programme
streams wherever and whenever
they are needed, in any standard
from SD to UHD. Available on a
software-as-a-service basis, it offers
established broadcasters or newstart entrepreneurs unsurpassed
freedom in the style and scale of their
operation and in the way they fund
their business.
“CloudAir is able to provide
true playout with graphics on any
enterprise-class blade, rack or tower
server. Once CloudAir is installed, no
auxiliary hardware is required at all.
CloudAir attracted a huge level of
interest from multinational, national
and regional broadcasters, not least
as a basis for adding supplementary
channels to an existing multiplex,”
Ash explains.
PLAYBOX NEO CHANNEL-IN-A-BOX
PRODUCT SUITE
Also being demonstrated at
BroadcastAsia2016 are the latest
upgrades to the established PlayBox
platform: AirBox Neo, TitleBox Neo,
CaptureBox Neo and SafeBox Neo.
These can be combined on a modular
basis to match any size of operation
ranging from a compact national or
regional channel-in-a-box station to a
large-scale multi-channel broadcast
network transmitting to a global
audience.
“The PlayBox Neo series is a
powerful evolutionary upgrade
option available to our entire user
base,” Ash reveals. “Our design
team has incorporated many new
features enhancements which we
are confident will ensure the PlayBox
platform continues to be the world’s
best-selling playout and channel
branding product suite.”
Playbox says UHD compatibility
is now included in the PlayBox Neo
series, allowing channel managers
to gear for the latest generation of
transmission standards as soon as
they choose. UHD, HD and SD feeds
can be managed from a single highefficiency graphic interface which
presents all the information operators
need for a specific task.
The new GUI displays text in
white and light grey on a black
background which is much easier on
the eyes compared with the glare of
a traditional white background. That
is an important consideration for
anyone supervising multiple channels
during a long shift.
“PlayBox Neo runs efficiently on
the great majority of modern PC
servers,” says Ash. “Customers with
PlayBox’s CloudAir platform enables new television channels to be established very
rapidly without the usual preliminary investment in playout infrastructure.
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The latest upgrades to the established
PlayBox platform — AirBox Neo,
TitleBox Neo, CaptureBox Neo and
SafeBox Neo — will be demonstrated at
BroadcastAsia2016.
valid annual software maintenance
& technical support can upgrade
existing PlayBox products to the latest
Neo versions as a simple download.
If requested, we can analyse existing
systems and advise on relevant
hardware upgrade options in the
unlikely event that any are needed.”
The core element of the PlayBox
Neo suite is the AirBox Neo playout
server. Designed for round-the-clock
unattended operation, it can also be
operated manually — including the
ability to handle live-to-air throughput.
AirBox Neo supports UHD, HD and SD
in single server.
Meanwhile, TitleBox Neo provides
a wide range of interactive on-air
graphics and titling capabilities
which can be manipulated live. It
includes substantial improvements for
dealing with UHD projects, as well as
supporting HD and SD operation.
On the other hand, CaptureBox
Neo allows HD or SD content to
be captured from up to four video
sources simultaneously. These can
be monitored on a single screen and
controlled via a streamlined user
interface with enhanced multi-channel
control and operability.
Lastly, SafeBox Neo replicates
remote content to local playout
server folders for safe transmission. It
implements a new graphic interface
and new significantly faster processing
for moving primary or copied content
to the playout and central storage
servers. A new workflow routine
protects content against unauthorised
deletion.