PCTV, serving the Pittsfield, Dalton and Richmond communities, produces and broadcasts programming for three channels: Access Pittsfield, a public access channel; Pittsfield ETV, showing educational programming; and government programming channel Citylink. Each offers interactive bulletin boards, video-on-demand and live Web streaming enabled through Tightrope Media solutions.
A longtime Cablecast customer, PCTV added Tightrope Media’s new Cablecast SXHD platform to incorporate high-definition programming. The Cablecast SXHD video server supports three channels (one in, two out), multiformat SD/HD encoding and decoding, and built-in content storage (16TB). PCTV has also established file-based workflows using Cablecast SXHD.
In addition to program scheduling and playout, Cablecast SXHD incorporates Tightrope Media’s Carousel digital signage application to manage program graphics, channel logo insertion and bulletin board content created both in-house and from the community.
The Cablecast SXHD video server supports native playout of many different file formats, including MPEG-2 I-Frame only (up to 100Mb/s) and DVCPro HD and SD. This helps PCTV retain video quality and eliminate cumbersome content transcoding processes that many facilities experience upon migration to file-based workflows.
Tightrope Media Systems has grown along with PCTV as it moves away from being strictly appointment television. Cablecast SXHD’s automated operation extends to Cablecast video-on-demand (Cablecast ProVOD) and live streaming (Cablecast SX Live) solutions to help viewers consume content in new ways.
See Tightrope Media Systems at 2012 NAB Show booth C9515.