Planning for effective digital asset management
Jul 1, 2006 12:00 PM, BY ALAN SAWYER
Photo: Taj Television in Dubia Media City employs the Harris Broadcast Master system, which manages planning, content and material acquisition, presentation, scheduling and library management.
The road to digital asset management (DAM) is paved with good intentions. However, most DAM projects never realize their full potential. The reasons for this are varied. This article presents some of the common reasons DAM projects underachieve or fail altogether and includes suggestions to help you plan for the introduction of effective DAM within your organization.
When implementing a DAM system, you are not just purchasing a product; you are fundamentally changing the way you will work with content, and this may extend throughout your organization. Without careful planning, you will not meet your objectives.
DAM is effective when the content is catalogued in a meaningful way, available in a timely fashion, and accessible in a useful manner and in a usable format. Keep this in mind at all times as you plan your project. As the industry moves toward greater repurposing of content for new delivery platforms such as the Internet and wireless devices, the need for effective DAM in broadcasting has never been greater. These new distribution models make DAM a mission-critical part of your environment, so it is critical to examine your needs thoroughly and plan carefully — not just for today, but also for the future.
Inter-related digital assets of mixed types. Screen shots courtesy North American Systems.
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Define the role of DAM within the enterprise
Organizations often have an incomplete vision of the role of DAM in the enterprise. In the evolving broadcasting world, the role of DAM goes far beyond being just a replacement for existing content storage approaches. Content management must now be able to serve multiple purposes and multiple delivery platforms, such as video on demand (VOD), Internet download and streaming, and delivery to mobile devices. The content needs to be available at the production-element level as opposed to the broadcast-segment level in order to facilitate re-packaging of content. It may also need to be stored in multiple bit rates and formats for different platforms (e.g. MPEG-2 for playout and QuickTime for the Internet).
In addition, there is a need to incorporate content from other departments, such as programming, marketing and legal, into the DAM system in order to maximize the value provided by the DAM system. Implementing different DAM solutions for different departments leads to “islands of content” and makes it difficult to bring all of the relevant information users may need together at the same time.
Broadcasters must, therefore, take a holistic view of the information needs of the entire enterprise when considering DAM. To achieve full value from DAM, the scope of your project should extend beyond merely providing management for your broadcast content. Addressing the broader content issues after selecting and implementing a DAM system is usually too late in the game. Review your DAM strategy in the broader context of the needs of the entire enterprise before you proceed with the selection of a specific DAM solution. Ensure that the chosen solution aligns strategically with your overall content management vision.
The breakdown of an asset into keyframes
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Understand that metadata is critical
Metadata literally means “data about data.” In the broadcasting context, it really means descriptive information about the video content. This can include basic technical data, such as the encoding format and audio/video bit rates, as well as non-technical information, such as the episode name, the director's name and the original airdate. Metadata also can include much more extensive information at the segment, scene or even frame level.
Taxonomies are standardized ways of cataloging information. Metadata taxonomies define what metadata should be included and the format the information should follow. The metadata used for content storage in your DAM system is important, and you should look to industry-standard taxonomies. The MPEG-7 Multimedia Content Description Interface ISO/IEC standard, for example, was developed by the Motion Picture Experts Group as an industry-standard metadata taxonomy for describing video content to facilitate content searching. The metadata can include SMPTE timecode references, so you can locate and go directly to specific scenes within a program. Other standards exist for video content as well. Choosing the standards you will use has significant long-term implications and must be carefully considered.
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