MundoFox Selects PlayBox AdBox
MundoFox, a joint venture between FOX International Channels (FIC), News Corporation’s international multi-media business and RCN, the Latin American television network and production company, has chosen a PlayBox Technology AdBox system to automate digital program insertion for its WTTG FOX 5 free-to-air television channel, based in Washington DC.
“We have been using PlayBox Technology systems since 2008 when we began employing what we dubbed the ‘FoxBox’ to handle playout to viewers in Greece and Italy,” said Julio Sobral, Senior Vice President and Head of Technical Services & Business Operations at FOX International Channels. “Our new AdBox units, main and redundant, are a compact two-rack-unit addition to our existing 22-rack-unit PlayBox Technology installation. The PlayBox Technology system here in Los Angeles has been operating for about 18 months was configured primarily to handle commercials. This new expansion now provides the ability to insert programs and related interstitials. The system is highly automated, easy to supervise and has proved very reliable.”
“Each AdBox reacts to cue tones which are embedded in the program feed,” explains Ananth Sam, PlayBox Technology Broadcast Systems Sales & Technical Director. “A scheduler ensures that the playlist and relevant media assets are sent to WTTG FOX 5 ahead of transmission. AdBox then receives the MundoFox East feed, decodes the cue tones and performs the required action, inserting an ad, a program or other instructed content. The new installation includes onboard storage and connections to external local storage servers. We also installed a 16 x 16 router. Fast completion was a key element of the project. The system went live within 48 hours of the initial customer request.”
Based on PlayBox Technology AirBox channel-in-a-box technology, AdBox enables content owners to target advertisements at specific audiences with ad insertion and digital program insertion in standard and/or high definition and SDI or DVB (ASI/IP).
AdBox can be installed locally or remotely at the head end and can be monitored and controlled via the internet. It can be incorporated within an entire stand-alone solution or integrated into the content owner’s current workflows and systems.
AdBox can include graphics capabilities ranging from logo insertion to full character generation and interactive graphics insertion. It can be integrated into clients’ traffic systems to enable traffic and billing to provide a one-box solution including automation, video server and switching.
AdBox works by receiving a GPI or cue tone trigger for the start of a commercial break or program insertion. Other trigger sources can also be handled via GPI or a cue tone from an external cue decoder. Once the trigger is received, the scheduled ad break or program is switched from the live feed and played to air. After a scheduled period, or on receiving a second trigger, AdBox returns to the live program feed. AdBox will only insert commercial breaks or programs during predefined or scheduled periods. It can also auto-fill any periods that have no defined advertisements or programs.