You are here: Home Page » Automation » THE STATE OF BROADCAST AUTOMATION

THE STATE OF BROADCAST AUTOMATION

Dec 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Sid Guel

Expanding systems

Some automation companies are expanding their software to integrate both the business side and automation side of a broadcast facility. Broadcast automation companies are now providing programming, sales, traffic, master control, asset management and billing applications. Most traffic/automation companies in the United States have separate software systems and databases. A closed loop, traffic interfaces or BXF is used for bidirectional communication between these applications.

Some automation companies are expanding their products to integrate the engineering side or the news and production side of the broadcast facility. This trend will continue as companies expand their product offerings. Automation companies look to expand because doing so supports and strengthens their business. Broadcasters like it because they get integrated products with centralized databases and automated streamlined workflows.

IPTV sales opportunities

Industry players think there are growth opportunities in the IPTV world as telcos roll out their DTV broadcasting services over telephone lines. IPTV may already have solutions for VOD services and pass-through channels, but many are developing their own network channels. Some of the issues IPTV is trying to solve are problems that have already been solved in the broadcast world. Even if IPTV is being driven by the IT/computer world, broadcast automation companies have opportunities in IPTV.

Third-party vendors

New third-party vendors are developing software plug-ins and add-ons for new business model automation systems. New plug-ins are being developed for services such as content verification, error tracking, fail-over tracking, compliance recording and also legacy third-party hardware products, such as routers, switchers and branding. Since these are software plug-ins, no additional hardware is required, keeping the cost low.

This change is a paradigm shift in how third-party vendors interact with broadcast automation systems. In the past, third-party vendors sold hardware systems that the automation company would control via Serial RS422 or RS232. Now, a third-party device is just a software plug-in. Many of the hybrid and combo broadcast automation companies sell their own third-party device plug-ins, but there is still plenty of room for third-party vendors to develop and sell plug-in options. Other areas could include branding features, switchers, routers and audio servers.

Automated workflow management

There are various types of automation systems within a broadcast facility. Traffic, master control, productions and news are good examples of areas that use automation systems. Each of these products have advanced to a point that a clear set of business rules can be implemented and configured to create a logical workflow for the successful completion of a goal.

Automated workflow management is either the successful completion of a goal across various departments or within an automation system. It includes three important levels:

Day-to-day staff operations
Operations monitoring, control and performance reporting
Global reporting and statistics for upper management.

Adhering to and being compatible with SMPTE and industry standards will help tear down the walls between the various automation system silos. Standards implementation is key. Continuance of control level software development will also help bridge the gap between various automation systems. With IT infrastructures the norm in broadcast facilities, automation companies will be more open to interfacing with other broadcast facility automation systems at a horizontal or vertical level, depending on the workflow requirements.

Automation tomorrow

In the future, there will be an automated asset management system in which the ingesting and archiving of digital media will be fully automated. Master control will no longer be staffed. It will be monitored by traffic, engineering and production, depending on the situation. Spots and programming will come in from media delivery services in digital form and autopopulate the playout video servers or ingest video server. Metadata with spot and program lengths, segments lengths, titles and identification numbers will be automatically imported into the traffic system.

Hybrid automation systems will be the virtual master control of the future. Instead of various hardware components, there will be software plug-ins. Third-party vendors will already have the software for their hardware systems. It just a matter of redesigning it without the hardware. Instead of a router or switcher, they'll provide a software plug-in for the automation system.

Soon we will not be able to make a move unless the computer system says it's OK. Someday built-in intelligence added to monitoring and messaging systems will decide the best form of action for every request. In the broadcast industry, there is already built-in intelligence in traffic systems for plotting the highest paid commercials in the log schedule. Broadcasters use these systems to maximize the profit potential of any given time slot. The difference will be who or what is in control. Instead of applications controlling processes, these applications will soon control people.

Controlling the enterprise

Metadata is the key to everything broadcast. It's required at every level and in every aspect of the broadcast facility. The metadata has to be present, available, accurate and transportable from system to system, department to department, and vendor to vendor. That's our future.

Traffic departments will be in control of the master control room because year after year, the goal is to reduce manpower and to automate processes more. Someday the traffic department will be in full control of everything master control. Since traffic controls the metadata, who better to control the final product? Granted, there will be times when a live person will be needed in master control. This will probably be a dual role with either an engineer or a production person.

The bottom line

It's never easy to predict the future, but there are clear technology trends. Hardware is miniaturizing, and eventually, it will go away completely. Expect more company mergers and acquisitions. Companies with low-cost solutions will do well in the next few years as the final small market level of TV stations switch to DTV.

Smart broadcast automation companies are staying ahead of the curve and developing the next generation of automation products for new business models, such as virtual master control, IPTV, mobile phone, the Internet and DTV business. Expect to hear more about SOA methodology and monitoring and control systems.

Companies are riding the last of the automation business and should soon move toward alternative business models. Expanding your product line into new areas and working in new business model sectors is critical for increasing market share and staying in business after the big switch is over.

Sid Guel is a broadcast automation consultant.