Playout Automation

Automated Playout Solution

Compact, economical and fully integrated, Channel-in-a-box playout solutions are increasingly being adopted by broadcasters and TV operators worldwide.

Feature Rich

Modern Channel-in-a-box systems feature an extensive software suite, capable of providing the full functionality of traditional playout systems within a single hardware unit. Typical functions include programme list preparation, ingestion, media management, automation, graphics/logo keying and playout, though functions can also be customized for integration into an existing workflow.

Cost Effective

An all-in-one playout solution means less storage space required and in many cases, a more streamlined workflow with improved future scalability. Reduced capital and operational expenditures make Channel-in-a-box systems a competitive alternative to traditional playout systems.

Multi-platform Headend

Content Delivery across Multiple Delivery Networks

An extensive, industry-leading platform for broadcast-quality video contribution and distribution, designed to sit at the heart of any TV headend system.

Transcending Definitions

As delivery networks continue to evolve and grow, service providers looking to stay ahead of the competition are investing in long-term headend solutions that lend themselves to future adaptation and scalability.

The multi-platform headend is a comprehensive and flexible service delivery solution that consolidates content acquisition, encoding, packaging, protection and distribution into a single connected platform. Network-agnostic architecture and service-level customization makes it equally proficient for cable TV, IPTV, satellite TV, terrestrial TV, OTT and other contribution & distribution network applications.

Devices are multi-tiered, specialised for either high-density processing or optimum picture quality, allowing the operator to weigh the costs and benefits depending on their unique requirements. Electronic program guides (EPGs), conditional access systems (CAS), subtitle systems, and other value added services may all be readily integrated. The platform supports baseband inputs (3G/HD/SD-SDI), transport stream inputs (over IP or ASI), 4K input, and even mezzanine file format inputs for transcode.

Building Confidence

While headend devices can be individually configured, complex systems require a more efficient form of management. Serving alongside the multi-platform headend is NCompass, a service-oriented element management system (EMS) responsible for the simultaneous monitoring and control of each component device of the platform.

NCompass allows the operator to arrange platform devices into a cohesive system, grants service-level control, and allows for rapid service deployment, configuration and management. The full breadth of functions can be customized according the needs of the operator, reducing operational complexity and ensuring low impact management. NCompass can also be integrated into higher level network management systems (NMS) with northbound SNMP messaging.

Multiscreen Delivery

Flexible Video Delivery to Handheld Devices

Traditional linear TV is no longer the sole platform for content delivery. Broadcasters, pay TV providers, and content owners have begun exploring new ways to deliver and monetize their content.

A Service Problem

Handheld devices and personal computers have been popular video delivery platforms for many years now, but multiscreen delivery and its monetization with regards to licensed content remains an elusive goal for many service providers. While consumer demand for a flexible viewing experience has only increased with the growing number of handheld devices on the market, some still view traditional TV programming as the more reliable and lucrative source of ad revenue. Multiscreen encoders of today are designed to provide a cost-effective solution for multiscreen delivery that integrates seamlessly with existing content distribution workflows.


Personalized Experiences

Enrich the viewing experience by extending linear and on-demand services from the TV to any device. Empower your viewers by letting them decide where, when, and what to watch. Engage audiences beyond the reach of your existing delivery networks, cultivate viewer relationships, and secure your brand’s online presence by providing exclusive online access to live content.

Robust Streaming Support

Simultaneously encode, segment, package, and secure live or file-based content all within a single appliance. Ensure the best video quality and most efficient use of your bandwidth through high quality encoding, with codec support for HEVC, MPEG-4 AVC, VC-1 and MPEG-2. Generate multiple outputs with different resolutions and bitrates, or simply create mezzanine files for further downstream processing. Convert streams into adaptive bitrate formats such as HTTP Dynamic Streaming (HDS), Smooth Streaming (SS), HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) and Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH), to be served directly to a CDN.

Managed Media Networks

Video Streaming and Media Transport over Managed Fibre and Ethernet Networks

Reliable service-oriented media transport over managed networks, designed for cross-network interoperability and long-distance contribution and distribution.

Any Service over Any Network

The shift towards IP-based workflows has led to a demand for integrated networking solutions capable of efficiently transporting IP traffic without wholly abandoning legacy transport services. The Media Switch Routers (MSR) platform is a family of media gateway appliances designed to form an infrastructure-agnostic and multi-layered switching network, allowing any service to be carried over any network with guaranteed bandwidth, constant latency and 100% quality of service.

The MSR platform supports the transport of studio-quality video and audio, as well as the transport of IP-based services and data through LAN emulation, making it ideal for applications such as live event contribution, remote production, real-time video editing and delivery, primary TV distribution and video post-production.


Bandwidth Efficiency

Dynamic synchronous transfer mode (DTM) is a fast circuit-switched protocol based on Time-division multiplexing (TDM) that ensures constant latency with almost zero jitter. 64-bit slots are allocated to time frames 125 µs in length, creating time slots with a step capacity of 512 kb/s that are assigned to channels carrying service traffic. Because of such low bitrate granularity, allotted bandwidth is much better adapted to the actual needs of the network, resulting in more efficient bandwidth utilization and reduced cost.

Time slots assigned are reserved until the channel is released, isolating channel traffic and guaranteeing service. Dynamic bandwidth allocation occurs on a ms to µs timescale, addressing the “bursty” nature of shared network traffic and yielding high network availability.

A Unified Architecture

The MSR platform covers the breadth of fundamental services required in video transmission, from content creation all the way to last-mile distribution. As such, each device must be able to adapt to its function depending on whether it is part of a core, edge, or access network. This is addressed by way of modular design; each MSR appliance comprises a unit chassis with a range of access and trunk modules.

Access modules provide a general interface from the MSR appliance to a wide variety of services. Options vary based on the MSR series and its intended network, but rudimentary services include 3G/HD/SD-SDI, ASI, IP (1/10 GbE), AES/EBU (AES3), E1/T1 for PDH, OC-3/STM-1, DS3/E3, J2K, and MADI (AES10). Trunk modules provide the specific SFP interfaces (RJ45 or LC fibre connector) for transport between MSR appliances on a managed network. Options include support for PDH, SDH, or IP.

Multiservice capability is achieved by use of Dynamic synchronous transfer mode (DTM), a network layer protocol that serves as an adaptation layer for different types of traffic. Services are DTM encapsulated in the access modules before being mapped to trunk frames in the trunk modules for transport.


Network Management

The MSR platform provides service-centric management, and monitors performance at each hop of the network. Monitoring occurs not only at a services level, but also at an IP link level. Both a lightweight web-based element manager and an application-based Network Management System (NMS) are available, with the latter capable of monitoring multiple MSR appliances at the same time.

Live Video Transport over the Internet

High Quality Live Video Transport over Unmanaged IP Networks

Following the rise of OTT distribution models, inexpensive solutions for high-quality live content acquisition and contribution over the Internet are becoming a reality.

Cost-effective Live Contribution

Designed to solve the problem of expensive first-mile contribution costs, the Video Appliances (VA) platform provides the reliable live transport of broadcast quality video over unmanaged networks such as the Internet. Self-provisioned services along with simple setup and operation greatly reduces operational costs and allows last minute changes to be made on the fly.


Versatile Deployment

Further adding to its flexible repertoire, the VA platform provides support for IP-ASI conversion and even HD/SD-SDI MPEG encoding and decoding. Parallel sending and receiving of transport streams is supported in point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and even daisy chain configurations. Only one node is required to have access to a dedicated IP for transport, and all units properly configured can be remotely managed over the Internet.

Reliable Transport

Innovative Forward Error Correction (FEC) technology and Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) protocol ensures the recovery of dropped packets and preserves the integrity of the live stream. Steady and predictable latencies for video can be maintained independent of network conditions or clock-drift. Customers can provision higher levels of stream protection and resilience at the cost of higher latency. With built-in firewall, AES encryption and VPN functionalities, the VA platform can handle up to 30% packet drops on an unmanaged network.

Subtitling Solutions

All-purpose subtitling solutions over any workflow.

Versatile software and hardware solutions for delivering multi-channel, multi-language and multi-format subtitles.

Expand Your Reach

Provisioning your content for international distribution is more than just establishing the necessary infrastructure for content delivery. It could mean adapting your content to better engage the global audience. For multilingual markets, language barriers may cost your channel potential viewership and could even diminish your audience retention rates. Foreign content not adapted to domestic markets may be received just as poorly by local audiences. In such cases, subtitling services can help you reach entirely new demographics.

In addition to overcoming the language barrier for multilingual markets, subtitles can help improve the accessibility features of your content by adding closed-caption services for the hearing impaired. Subtitling can also help adapt your content for ‘quiet areas’ such as hospital waiting rooms, or for environments where the audio may be indiscernible from the background noise.

A Comprehensive Solution

Screen Systems offers an all-inclusive subtitling solution, including but not limited to subtitle transcription, translation, preparation, automation, and transmission services. Dedicated subtitle preparation software for both offline and live workflows are available, with tools that help extract dialogue text from scripts for speedier subtitle file creation, and features that improve subtitle timecode accuracy through alignment against the programme audio track. Third party speech recognition software is also supported for respeaking transcription.

The Polistream U4000 is a compact and fully modular appliance for automated subtitle processing and traditional transmission. All major subtitle transmission standards are supported, including: open and closed subtitles; bitmap and text-based subtitles; DVB subtitles, teletext, closed captions (Line 21), OP-47, Imitext and SCTE-27. Subtitling for pass-through channels are supported as well for workflows where channel services are received, potentially remuxed or retimed, then retransmitted.

For non-traditional, fully file-based workflows as in the case of IPTV or web-video services, the MediaMate software system provides the full range of subtitle processing functions for a purely software environment.

Screen Systems also provides the tools for subtitle compliancy monitoring and error logging with the Polistream MSX monitoring system, which provides the concurrent end-to-end monitoring and display of subtitles for multiple transport streams.