Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) Broadcast Technology Trends & Insights 2016 | Page 16

BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY At the heart of the playout ecosystem As broadcasters venture into a new broadcast ecosystem, which encompasses not simply new technologies, but new workflows, skills requirements and business models, choosing an experienced technology provider to partner with through this transition is vital. B Y T O M G ITTI NS Experience and expertise P eb b l e B eac h S y stem s has un riv al l ed experience in the specialist field of playout. A world leader in automation, channel-in-a-box, integrated and virtualised playout technology, with scalable products designed for highly efficient multi-channel transmission as well as complex news and sports television, the company has systems ranging from one to over 150 channels installed in more than 70 countries. A successful 2016 has seen new installations and system expansions at sites around the world, including CNN in Chile, Globosat in Bra il, ARTE in France, TV3 in Ireland, DMC in the Netherlands, IMG in the UK, Groupe V Media in Canada, and MBC in Dubai — all of which have contributed to a record period for the company. Innovation and continuity Thanks to new product offerings including Orca — the virtualised playout system for private and public clouds, and the 4K/Ultra HD (UHD) Dolphin integrated channel device, and with strong partnerships with leading vendors such as Harmonic, Pixel Power and Tedial, the company is well placed to enable end-users’ transition to fully virtualised IPbased solutions, and to serve more traditional markets and end-users. Our open, flexible systems position us at the heart of the playout ecosystem where we can leverage our experience to evolve and innovate, while satisfying those customers who require best-of-breed, on-premise, traditional technology. 14 Migrating at a pace to suit you The Pebble Beach Systems strategy focuses on allowing customers to migrate to new automation technology, and to IP and cloudbased solutions when they are ready while protecting their current playout investment. For broadcasters looking to move away from legacy automation solutions — including smaller operators with low channel counts — the Marina Migration Pack enables the deployment of cutting-edge technology that is fully supported and growing, with a suite of tools, which have already been deployed by former ADC, Avid/Sundance and Omnibus iTX users. These solutions can be deployed alongside legacy workflows, easily integrate with archives, and bridge to existing databases to ease the transition. We also deliver excell ent integration with many traffic systems, and operator change management is simplified thanks to our flexible GUI (graphical user interface), which can mimic legacy systems. This allows our customers to update all or parts of their signal chain when it is appropriate for their business. Our compact, easy-to-manage channel-in-a-box systems are suitable for remote or disaster recovery facilities, and customers can then evolve to larger channel counts and different delivery platforms at their own pace. The pure software approach The transition to an all-IP infrastructure may be well under way for some facilities, but it is also the case that specialist solutions are still required for specific functionalities such as version management, playout, high-end graphics and non-linear distribution. In fact, many broadcasters have unique customisation requirements that are best met by a best-ofbreed approach to outfitting the transmission facility. There is much talk of standardising operations to move uncompressed videoover-IP in order to allow broadcasters to build a multi-vendor solution. But replacing SDI connections with IP connections in the playout chain is not necessarily the most efficient way to move forward. Here at Pebble Beach Systems, we have for some time adopted a ‘pure software’ approach. By bringing specialist third-party technology and the focused skillsets of the companies behind it together, and developing interfaces for plug-ins to best-of-breed solutions, which are hosted within a single playout environment, we can avoid any limitations imposed by moving video-over-IP. As we move towards purely virtualised playout, these multi-vendor integrations gain even more importance on the technical, commercial and customer experience level. We recognise that broadcasters value the “Replacing SDI connections with IP connections in the playout chain isn’t necessarily the most efficient way to move forward.” — Tom Gittins CEO, Pebble Beach Systems skills, technology and expertise of specialist vendors, and appreciate their need to integrate into legacy workflows, especially in the areas of graphics, for example. With several new partnerships recently announced, including with leading graphics specialist Pixel Power and media asset management (MAM) vendor Tedial, Pebble Beach Systems continues to innovate in the playout space, working to evolve the playout environment at a pace that suits customers’ business and organisational goals. Building partnerships End-users are not simply buying a product, but are investing in the people: building a relationship with their suppliers and collaborating with them to maximise the ROI (return on investment) from this technology. It is those vendors who can truly listen to the specific requirements of each deployment, adapt to the customers’ needs, offer expertise and a collaborative approach well beyond the on-air date, and deliver accountability for their offerings throughout the life cycle of the deployment, who truly deliver a ROI. Pebble Beach Systems is uniquely well positioned to meet these expectations.