14,000 TV Channels Worldwide

by Ben Gunkel, Sales Director, PlayBox Technology UK

If I started this article along the traditional lines of ‘BVE 2014 was a landmark exhibition for PlayBox Technology, coinciding with the 15th anniversary of the AirBox broadcast playout automation system‘ you would probably flip straight to the next page.

But stay your finger. Enlightenment is here. To experience it, first imagine you are heading along Las Vegas Boulevard to or from the NAB Convention. Then imagine the view minus all the hotels. What’s left? Mostly sand.

Now imagine you are in the MCR of a reasonably large broadcast network or playout centre. Then imagine the view if all the PCs were stripped away. A lot of blank monitor screens and empty desks.

PCs have been used in broadcasting their original launch in 1981, initially in offline roles such as script preparation, timecode logging and image manipulation. They were an improvement on earlier platforms, not least because they introduced a degree of technical standardisation. 

IAB

PlayBox Technology was one of the first companies to focus totally on the PC-based channel-in-a-box concept which can accommodate practically every element of a television channel onto a single AirBox server. Since the introduction of AirBox, PlayBox Technology has deployed no less than 14,000 playout and branding channels, making it by far the most successful CIAB automation system in the entire history of television broadcasting. 

Like any other broadcast installation, AirBox can be configured as a full n+1 system to ensure no single point of failure. As a typical AirBox occupies a single chassis, even an n+1 installation demands very little space.

The PlayBox Technology approach to CIAB eliminates practically all the integration complexities that can arise when a typical broadcast system is assembled from hardware and software developed by a variety of manufacturers. We write all our own software which means we can guarantee that an entire AirBox system is easy to operate and highly reliable. We also provide the PC platform and any attached servers to ensure that these are fully compatible and capable of continuous operation.

PlayBox Technology was established and is today still largely run by broadcasters who understand the need for flexible system design to meet a wide range of creative needs. Equally important is scalability to allow easy future expansion. The UK team includes our founder and Managing Director Don Ash, Ananth Sam, Alan Bunting, Maurice de Jonghe and Phillip Neighbour, all well-known figures with excellent broadcast industry credentials. 

Production AirBox 

BVE 2014 saw the launch of ProductionAirBox which offers the near-zero latency demanded for the fast-paced work environment of broadcast news, sports and live production. It complements our NewsRoomBox production system by allowing practically instant switchover from one clip to another. A wide range of file formats and resolutions can be imported into the playlist, with up to 16 digital audio channels to accommodate multi-channel multi-language programmes.

Based on multi-channel engine architecture, ProductionAirBox can deliver content rapidly in one-shot mode or from a playlist. Files with an alpha channel are output as independent fill and key sources. Supporting capabilities include clip timecode on the SDI output plus a clip trimmer with a dedicated SDI output. ProductionAirBox can be controlled via VDCP and Media Object Server (MOS) protocols.

Changes to the playlist can be made even while on-air. Every clip in the playlist can be trimmed or repositioned on-the-fly using commands such as next, jump or shuttle. All changes are performed seamlessly without interrupting the current playout session. Up to four independent players can be accommodated on a single server. Each player has separate playlist and playout control. Four SDI interfaces can be assigned as programme or preview outputs. Operation can be streamlined using single channel or multichannel user interfaces.

The ProductionAirBox feature-set also includes forward or reverse shuttle at up to 32x speed, mixing of different video resolutions and formats in a single playlist, logical content trimming, multi-channel audio output, plus support for a wide variety of compression standards and media containers.

In addition to its broadcast production applications, ProductionAirBox can be used wherever instant access to stored content is needed, including studio displays and presentation screens.

Dual Channel TimeShiftBox

Looking ahead to NAB 2014 in Las Vegas, PlayBox Technology is expanding the range of models in its TimeShiftBox series of television playout delay servers.

Previously available in standard or high definition versions, the new Dual Channel TimeShiftBox allows between one minute and one month of time delay on two simultaneous channels. It has been developed in response to demands from satellite broadcasters who need to transmit SD and HD variants of a television channel across multiple timezones. Dual Channel TimeShiftBox can be installed as a fully self-contained system or integrated with our wide range of channel-in-a-box solutions. Like all PlayBox Technology products, it has an IP-based interface to allow efficient and fully secure control from practically any location.

All three versions of TimeShiftBox are equipped with SDI inputs and outputs and can be genlocked to station sync. They can be expanded easily to accommodate additional storage or greater RAID protection. Timeshift delay can be set in multiples of 10 seconds via an intuitive menu. All other functions are fully automated and require no user intervention. High bit-rate MPEG-2 compression ensures the maintenance of optimal video quality. TimeShiftBox is fully transparent to audio and ancillary data carried in the SDI stream. Optional character generation facilities are available for three models.

Dual Channel TimeShiftBox will make its first exhibition appearance on booth N5434 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.