In Broadcast - April 2017 - 58

58

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 7 - Issue 4 | April 2017

InMedia

Keeping It All Legal cont'd...
are specialised functions but it is
something that can be incorporated
into non-specific software and
equipment. This is something ad
insertion and transport stream splicing
developer Starfish Technologies is
seeing growing demand for and is
building into its programs. "It's not
something we offer as a standalone
because there are a lot of dedicated
products for that out there," says
Peter Blatchford, Sales and Marketing
Director of Starfish Technologies. "The
two instances where we do incorporate
it are ad insertion and for regional
broadcast networks."
Blatchford gives the example of
Swedish commercial broadcaster TV4,

"The first stage
monitoring is performed
by appliance or virtual
probes in the network that
do the initial filtering
and compliance
checking"
Stuart Newton, IneoQuest

which installed a Starfish regional
insertion system in 2009. The network
includes 30 regions, each with its own
local commercials and programming.
"We do compliance recording on
each of the channels," Blatchford
explains. "The options for this kind of
installation was a compliance system
for each individual channel or a big
multi-channel system. The way it works
is that only the opt-outs are recorded
because the vast majority of what the
regions broadcast is the same. We
only need to record the exceptions
to the main output. This can be done
within our IP software so people don't
necessarily need separate hardware."
Repurposing
Logging systems have come a long
way since mechanically automated
video cassette machines dutifully
recorded the output of a channel. As
with any software-based tool there
is scope for further development,
bringing
more
features
and
functionality to this necessary area.
"Economic constraints will force
the change from purely passive
compliance loggers - such as simple

recorders - into active monitoring
systems," comments Larry Joffe at
Actus Digital. "Recorded assets could
be used in some efficient and fully
automated workflow of creating clips
for OTT, including video on demand
and catch-up services. Given that
compliance recordings are usually in
low resolution, they are very suitable
for OTT clips. Another example is to
perform audio and video analysis on
the recordings to detect problems
in the broadcasts, such as loudness
violations, image imperfections or
missing closed captions and logos.
That would save the cost of numerous
human monitors."
For Stuart Newton of IneoQuest
the introduction of cloud and NFV
(Network Function Virtualisation)based video delivery has the potential
to make compliance systems "much
more flexible and dynamic". Nigel
Booth at IPV anticipates the
influence of a computer-based
technology that, until relatively
recently, was still the stuff of
science fiction: "IPV specialises in
enabling users to describe content,
so they can easily find and use
it, adding value today and for
the future. Our schematic-based
engines currently allow us to
control vocabulary including

relevance and synonyms. Artificial
Intelligence (AI) engines will eventually
automate the analysis of content. But
while they are getting better, you can't
rely on them for all types of content."
Meanwhile VSN is working on the
ability to cross-match data that has
been recorded or monitored with
scene and content detection tools.
"This could be used to flag sexual
content or for face recognition," says
Aaron López. "We could even use
linked terms and auto-catalogue/
generated metadata to expand the
existing one associated to the content
in any specific time frame. This has
been deployed for some customers
using our VSNExplorer MAM system.
We are currently evaluating how to
provide similar functionality for our
legal compliance system."
All of which means compliance
logging is not so ROTten after all.

VSNExplorer MAM system

Amagi Highlights
Cloud Workflows
A

t the 2017 NAB Show, Amagi, a
pioneer in path-breaking content
delivery and monetisation platforms for
the broadcast industry, will highlight
its cloud-based offerings. The new
products and services offer increased
operational efficiency, scalability, and
cost savings to broadcasters in North
America and beyond.
Cloud-Based
Fully
Automated
Broadcast Services: Amagi will unveil
the world's first cloud-based managed
broadcast services at the 2017 NAB
Show. The fully automated, end-to-end
managed broadcast services enable TV
networks, content owners, operators,
and OTT platforms to manage, store
and archive, schedule, playout, deliver,
monitor, and monetise library, live and
VOD content leveraging public cloud
infrastructure.
The key benefits of the new services
are their simplicity, transparency,
and high degree of automation, which

substantially reduces the cost of
broadcast operations in comparison to
traditional, manual-intensive managed
services prevalent in the industry.
Coupled with its extensive partnerships
for providing fibre, satellite, and
IP delivery, as well as creative and
content management capabilities,
Amagi offers TV networks, platforms,
and content owners a one-stop shop
for handling linear TV content.
With Amagi, broadcasters have
a simple but technically advanced
launchpad to take their content
to any location or device, across
satellite, fibre, cloud, IPTV, and OTT
TV. Amagi packs in monetisation
with targeted and personalised ad
insertion across linear and OTT feeds,
combined with the opportunity for ad
sales partnerships and programmatic
buying.
STORM 3.0 Ad Insertion Platform:
Amagi's pioneering STORM ad

insertion
solution
is
now available on the Intel
platform. The popular and
widely deployed STORM solution
packs much more power in terms of
capability, with support for multiple
interfaces (e.g., IP, SDI, and ASI),
multiple feed formats (e.g., SD and
HD), multiple insertion formats (e.g.,
video, full screen graphics, scrolls, and
tickers) as well as multiple channels on
the same device.
STORM will continue to support
standard replacement triggers such as
SCTE-35, Packet 31, DTMF cue tones,
and Amagi Watermark. The platform
is compatible with both cloud-based
ad insertion and replacement content
transported over satellite trickle
bandwidth. TV networks using STORM
have full control of frame-accurate
ad insertions, and can manage and
monitor the entire workflow through a
web-based UI.

Amagi
CLOUDPORT

Scheduling in CLOUDPORT
3.0 Cloud-Based Channel Playout
Platform: Amagi has strengthened
its cloud-based channel playout
platform with a premium and powerful
scheduling feature that adds further
flexibility in creating a world-class
playout of channels.
The comprehensive new scheduling
feature in CLOUDPORT 3.0 helps to
create frame-accurate presentation
schedules from scratch, stitching
together
programming
content,
commercials, static and dynamic
graphics, squeeze backs, event
triggers, and live event integrations.
The scheduling feature makes
CLOUDPORT 3.0 a comprehensive,
one-stop solution for end-to-end
creation of linear TV channels for
broadcasters and OTT platform
providers.
http://www.inbroadcast.com https://www.vsn-tv.com/en/broadcast-solutions/asset-management-software/ http://www.amagi.com/broadcast-solutions/resources/cloudport-advanced-channel-playout/
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Broadcast - April 2017
