PANELLISTS
34
May-June 2016
New features add new capabilities to master controllers x . news for the modern newsroom
x . news information technology has introduced x . news 1.5 , which comes with a new feature of flexible panels . This allows journalists to customise the display of incoming information to deliver highquality stories faster . With flexible panels , it is possible to define different panel layouts , and decide which sources are shown within each panel and how they are displayed , according to x . news information technology . As a system , x . news allows journalists to search selected sources , collect all relevant information , write their scripts , share their stories and follow others — all in one place .
Design ‘ as you like it ’
Streambox has new add-on modules for the AVENIRMicro and AVENIRDrone family of video encoders , offering greater means of connectivity , increased mobility options , and support for industry-standard battery types . The Streambox modular “ As You Like It ” design allows users to compose the video encoder solution that best meets their video streaming needs . The add-on modules include an embedded modem module , equipped with four embedded 3G / 4G / LTE mobile modems with an adjustable antenna sleeve ; and a T-Clip with shoulder strap , which enables a shoulder strap to be attached to the main unit .
Next Month @ Management
Content Security Solutions
PANELLISTS
Fintan Mc Kiernan
CEO Ideal Systems South-east Asia
Patrick So
Regional Manager Asia Pacific Magna Systems & Engineering
Graham Stephens
CTO Media City Development Malaysia
M
As the final stage in a broadcast production workflow , master control solutions are also adapting to the evolving needs of broadcasting . Millette Manalo-Burgos finds out more .
ore often than not , adding in new technology features provides improvements to the functionalities of an existing system — allowing broadcasters to achieve more efficiency and accuracy when executing master control tasks .
One such example of master control system improvement comes from SAM ’ s new Media Biometrics ( MB ) technology , which the company incorporated in its existing master control products .
Tim Felstead , head of product marketing at SAM , tells APB : “ MB is being integrated into our master control solution . We use MB technology to identify errors within a master control file-based workflow . We ’ re also anticipating that MB will make the efficiency of playout via master control increase and improve , and the error rate — in other words , having the wrong piece of content on the wrong channel — to go down .”
Felstead adds that MB is used to improve the efficiency of the company ’ s playout systems ( such as the ICE CiaB and Morpheus automation ) and improve the machine-based reaction to errors in a schedule-based layout environment . He explains : “ We use MB in an interesting way — to channel match . We create MB signatures at the ingest stage and then verify this at playout . This enables automatic reaction to playout errors and penalty box or monitoring by exception to become a reality , improving operational efficiency and cost savings .”
But why was there the need to develop MB in the first place ? Felstead says this is due to the challenges broadcasters are encountering . The biggest issue broadcasters are facing is the proliferation of channels , the vast increase in the number of channels and therefore the potential for errors and increasing costs due to the issues of management and monitoring , according to Felstead . “ The problem for broadcasters and media organisations is that with a lot more channels being output there ’ s the issue of keeping their operations within a reasonable cost . As there are more and more channels , you need a greater number of people to monitor your playout operations , which is costly ,” he adds .
MB can also be used to improve the technological capacity to check for errors . “ Where you ’ ve got a complex and multi-channel playout environment , there are a lot of humans involved watching screens and monitoring for errors . If something goes wrong , there ’ s a lot of immediate work to try to fix it ,” Felstead elaborates .
In terms of how MB fits in SAM ’ s master control solutions , he explains that this new technology , when combined with SAM ’ s Sirius MV 800 Multi- Viewer , allow broadcasters to build infrastructure that is more “ intelligent ”.
“ The reason for putting intelligence into the infrastructure is that it allows customers to improve the technology ’ s ability to monitor itself and check for errors , in turn reducing the cost of monitoring ,” says Felstead . “ As advertising dollars per channel goes down
SAM is using Media Biometrics to improve the efficiency of the company ’ s playout systems ( such as the ICE CiaB and Morpheus automation ) and improve the machine-based reaction to errors in a schedulebased layout environment .
due to the proliferation of channels , broadcasters are trying to manage more channels , and they ’ ve got to make sure the infrastructure to manage all of this is as efficient as possible .”
He highlights that one of the techniques that can be used in a multi-channel environment is monitoring by exception — “ so you only monitor a channel when the infrastructure tells you there ’ s an error ”, Felstead notes . “ This concept of monitoring by exception is a change from the traditional system of having a dedicated screen for each channel on a multiviewer .”
Playout facilities usually make use of a ‘ penalty box ’ system , where any signal that has an error will appear on a particular screen . The operator knows that if a picture appears on that screen , there is a problem with the signal that must be resolved . Intelligent infrastructure from SAM can also indicate where that issue is and what the nature of the problem is . This aspect of intelligence makes buying from SAM an investment in operational efficiency and offers staff guidance how to solve the issue , says Felstead .
Broadcasters can derive intelligence from an MB signature and from SAM ’ s control and monitoring system , which has logic engines built-in . “ We also have cards or devices within the SAM infrastructure range — like iQ Modular cards — that allow the check-in and analysis of media throughout the master control chain . These flag errors , which in turn trigger actions in the control system , help operators to work and monitor