Automation-in-a-box
Jun 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Stoyan Marinov
Beware of solutions that are backbones and don't add up to a fully functional system.
The output should include graphics and text. These items can be pre-defined by templates with scheduled metadata and keyed live over the replayed video. There is also the need to perform these secondary events on the fly, with no prerendering. This could include logo insertion and adding any number of a variety of graphics objects such as rolls, crawls, banners, lower-thirds, animations, Web pages and presentations. It should be possible to add such text and graphics over live pass-through video. Subtitles should be generated from a standard subtitle file and added to the output.
General cost
Several factors apply to the total cost of ownership:
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Easy installation and operation with no thick operating manuals or commissioning bills.
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Affordability for anyone, not just high-end broadcasters.
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Modest power consumption, built with the latest technology and compliant with all green directives.
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Scale with your needs to get only what you need today. Then accommodate more when you really need it.
In a nutshell, the perfect automation-in-a-box solution should do all you need it to do today, without putting your budget in the red. It should save you money for the equipment, installation and running cost, as well allow organic growth with no upgrade penalties.
Is there such a product on the market? Yes, there is. In fact, many companies also are quite close to it. Fortunately, the broadcast industry is now on the verge of a rebirth. As well as serving the established broadcast market, the automation-in-a-box concept makes it possible for many more potential broadcasters to get on the air. These may include telecommunication companies, hotel chains, government and educational organizations, and communities. This adds up to a far larger number of broadcasters than those in the traditional market, so they should be addressed with better and easier-to-use automation products than ever before.
Let's not forget that the new band of users may not have a broadcast background. They will not be happy dealing with cumbersome specialized interfaces and encrypted terminology. They need all-in-one, easy-to-use, intuitive automation that speaks their language. And, by the way, this also applies to many existing broadcasters who can become more efficient with the help of modern automation-in-a-box equipment.
Stoyan Marinov is CTO of PlayBox Technology.
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