Expensive and complicated, automation and asset management systems used to be the domain of the wealthiest and most forward-thinking operations.

No more. As inexpensive and increasingly simple-to-use automation products filter down to even cable-access facilities, automation is now a necessity instead of a luxury. Likewise, with the demand for content for both broadcast and IP delivery, asset management is now standard business practice.

This year’s show will have plenty of new and upgraded products for both these categories, for all classes of customers.

AUTOMATION
Autocue/QTV will mark the NAB debut of Production Suite, its complete studio and channel-in-a-box that includes everything required to produce a live or aslive show, priced from $29,999.

Crispin will demonstrate its master control automation, which includes DeviceServer and EventServer. EventServer handles up to 16 lists (or channels) of control, and is designed to operate in a main/backup scenario. Systems can be configured to handle up to 100 independent channels on a single system.

Evertz will focus on its Mediator content management and workflow platform. With its Web browser interface and integrated Playtime multichannel play-out option, Mediator can manage multiple content streams and provide tools to repurpose and deliver multiformat content.

Florical will be on hand to demonstrate its AirBoss automation system, which features improvements in cloud-based acquisition, asset management and content distribution. AirBoss also adds SCTE-104 capabilities for seamless ad insertion.

Harris Versio

Harris Broadcast will unveil Versio, which debuted last fall at IBC. Versio is an integrated play-out system that combines baseband video, channel branding and automated workflow capabilities in an easy-to-deploy, software-based, 1RU channel- in-a-box solution. Versio is expected to offer fast installation, as well as simple integration with production, traffic and billing, scheduling, asset management, content playout and master control functions.

Miranda iTX

Miranda Technologies will debut the iTX Render Service for Adobe After Effects CS6 software. iTX Render Service is a new approach to graphics creation that inserts the creative capabilities of After Effects CS6 into the playout workflow.

NVerzion will demonstrate its Component Level Automation System Solutions, a flexible, scalable automation system that integrates a broadcaster’s existing hardware and software systems into one platform. Elsewhere in the booth, NVerzion will roll out the newest version of NCompass, a software platform that streamlines the processing and playout of file-based content, including enhanced licensing flexibility.

Pebble Beach Stingray

Pebble Beach Systems will launch its Stingray channel-in-a-box system at NAB. Stingray is a full-featured channel-in-a-box solution targeted at operations with 1 to more than 100 channels, and it can be deployed to a wide range of channel types that include more complex dynamic channels incorporating live content and frequent schedule changes.

Pixel Power Gallium

Pixel Power will spotlight Gallium, which provides automated control of Pixel Power’s transmission devices for graphics and channel playout, including the company’s ChannelMaster. ChannelMaster, an integrated and scalable channel play-out system, is a scalable approach to deploying new channels and it also integrates with any automation and MAM system.

Rushworks will demonstrate its A-List Broadcast affordable automation system, available in SD and HD. With up to four channels in a chassis, A-List Broadcast includes an integrated “Zone” billboard display engine with 3D DVE transitions.

Skylark Technology will offer its Neo 3000 channel-in-a-box system that provides broadcast quality record, ingest, graphics and playout capabilities with a built-in video server. Neo 3000 automates workflows and interfaces with traffic and business systems, as well as MAM/DAM content distribution and management systems.

Snell will point to new features in its ICE channel-in-a-box system that focuses on incorporating more of the channel into the box. ICE now includes integrated 2D/3D graphics and CG functionality with timeline editing control, as well as the ability to populate fields from the company’s Morpheus automation schedule events and external data sources.

Thomson Video Networks will showcase its Sapphire MPEG broadcast server, a channel-in-a-box solution with capture, play-out and regionalization capabilities. Operating frameaccurately with MPEG-2 and H.264 compressed content, Sapphire provides all the functions needed to ingest, process, brand and generate TV channels ready for air.

Vector 3 will spotlight its Media- Manager workflow engine for play-out and master control. Composed of a suite of applications, MediaManager automatically administers the different actions that are needed to bring the files to the correct place at the correct time to be aired smoothly.

Vimond will showcase new single source, multiformat streaming and digital rights management (DRM) capabilities as part of the Vimond Platform. These new capabilities allow streaming from a single source to multiple technical platforms and formats including Adobe Flash, Microsoft Smooth Streaming, Apple HLS and mobile devices.

WideOrbit will feature its broad line of business management tools, such as WO Traffic and WO Program. WO Traffic automates traffic, revenue management and billing, while WO Program has tools to track program acquisitions, rights, scheduling and finance. The company has many more modules to cover all aspects of a broadcaster’s operations.

NEWS AUTOMATION
AP will roll out v7.0 of its ENPS system, now with an updated UI for more flexibile user configuration, integrated calendar-based planning, dashboard and an “Alert Bar” to keep users updated on breaking news and incoming messages.

Autocue/QTV will show its Production Suite for live production and channel operations. It is a complete newsroom, scripting and prompting system, a live multicamera production system, and a complete channel-in-a-box for automated play-out, integrated into a single end-to-end product.

Aveco will feature its Astra Studio 2 automation solution for news and studio production, including Astra MCR that provides frame-accurate play-out for master control with interfaces to popular traffic systems. Also on display will be the company’s standalone media asset management tools that can run in any environment, disaster recovery solutions to keep broadcasters on-air during emergencies, and the company’s regional ad insertion solution that enables higher revenue generation in local regions.

Bitcentral will highlight CORE:news, a unified news production suite that enables seamless story production from original conception to final archiving. CORE:news combines content capture, editing, playout, publishing, collaboration and asset management into one system.

Digital Broadcast will show off a new streamlined GUI for its NewsBank automated news system. NewsBank now does a better job of consolidating servers and editing functions so that news stories can be received, edited and automatically aired according to rundowns provided via MOS interfaces to newsroom computer systems.

Masstech ENPS/iNews plug-in

Masstech will feature Emerald, which allows journalists to archive, search, find, preview and restore content directly from within their familiar NCS interface, without the need to open additional browser windows or applications. Close integration with both iNews and ENPS means journalists need little if any additional training, as Emerald is built to function as an extension of the newsroom systems with which they are already familiar.

Ross Video will unveil enhancements to its OverDrive news production system, with a re-engineered newsroom plug-in that streamlines the preparation process. Version 14.0 adds features such as trailing audio support, color coding to identify incoming MOS elements, automated multiplatform publishing and a remote database option for multisite production.

TRAFFIC & BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Broadpeak will debut umbrellaCDN, which lets content providers allocate the ideal content delivery network for their content according to criteria such as format, end-user location, content provider, quality or time of day. umbrellaCDN has advanced analytics to provide full information about the audience and the content consumption.

Ceiton Technologies will unveil its Resource Scheduling system, a Web-based scheduler that enables you to book projects, shifts, jobs, teams, rooms, trucks, equipment and more. Resource Scheduling also includes external resources such as freelancers and vendors.

Etere will highlight its Media Enterprise Resource Planning platform, which connects and manages a company’s complete media lifecycle. MERP is scalable to keep up with both new media and company growth.

Myers, which recently dropped the “Information Systems,” will focus on ProTrack TV, a broadcast management solution that interconnects a facility’s traffic, scheduling, sales, engineering and IT departments. ProTrack TV integrates seamlessly with existing products and systems to optimize workflow and preserve existing investments.

Pilat Media will unveil enhancements to IBMS Omnicast, its business management solution for nonlinear next-generation services such as VOD, OTT and catchup TV across all delivery platforms. Also debuting is OTTilus OVP (online video platform), which enables endto- end OTT deployments that encompass all major solution components from content acquisition to player applications.

Proconsultant Informatique will highlight Louise— a fully integrated system for managing every aspect of programming, media and metadata, including rights, acquisition, budgets, production, playout and multiplatform exposures. Also look for Cindy, PCI’s sales and advertising management system.

ScheduALL will roll out ScheduALL 5 with “smart technology,” the company’s latest version of its enterprise resource management software. Details are a little sketchy, but the ScheduALL promises improved connectivity, mobility and analytics, as well as a new media-centric workflow.

StorerTV, which was recently acquired by SintecMedia, is expected to be at the show featuring its CentriX business automation system. CentriX manages workflow automation on a central system that integrates multiple hardware and software systems, including Oracle, SAP, SharePoint and Microsoft Office.

ASSET MANAGEMENT
AmberFin will demonstrate how new modules for its iCR asset management system address workflow requirements that include ingest and transcoding to MXF AS11 and metadata support for the Digital Production Partnership, as well as other industry standard formats. The company will also spotlight how its iCR software can help simplify captioning workflows to meet new FCC regulations.

Avid Interplay MAM

Avid will debut Interplay MAM Active Archive, which gives media producers a fast and wide-ranging media asset management implementation that can accommodate new and expanded workflows, system integrations, and users. Avid will also unveil Interplay Production 3.0 that adds new capability for reality television and workflows that use multi-camera projects.

axle Pro will roll out its media management software, which now includes support for Avid workflows. Editors, assistants and producers can use iPad browsers to search from a common pool of media, select scenes, make annotations, and hand off the workflow to assigned editors.

Dalet will showcase its new Galaxy MAM system that includes an industrystandard BPM workflow engine tailored for media organizations. It automates many tasks and processes, and it is an open platform with a variety of data exchange and integration paths for third-party integration with NLEs, broadcast servers, HSM, automation systems, traffic and broadcast management, distribution and business systems.

EVS will feature MediArchive Director, which offers tools to centrally manage various archive digitization and content delivery platforms, including formats that allow intelligent media browsing based on metadata and logging. MAD has remote access for browsing and control, as well as multiplatform delivery.

For-A will show MediaConcierge, its collective name for a media management system that supports MPEG-1/2/4 and H.264 compression standards, tapeless media files such as DVCPRO and XDCAM, and computer media files such as Windows Media Video and QuickTime.

Front Porch Digital’s DIVArchive

Front Porch Digital will introduce V7.1 of its DIVArchive content storage management system, now including AXF Explorer for parsing AXF objects using a dragand- drop GUI similar to the Windows operating system. DIVArchive 7.1 also enables a wide range of video transcoding and workflows, and is directly integrated with Telestream’s Vantage Transcode and Vantage Transcode Pro.

Grass Valley will show its range of storage and file management products, including the K2 TX/MAM media asset management system with a central database. The K2 TX/ MAM standard IT server uses a Web-based GUI to control all media assets, including video/audio clips, captioning, metadata and graphics on discrete playout nodes. GV will also showcase the latest version of Stratus, with new tools to increase efficiency through automated, rulesbased file operations. It also adds the Edius XS nonlinear low-resolution proxy editor.

Harris Broadcast will feature its Invenio Motion intelligent media movement module for asset management. It now integrates multiple functions to track, manage and execute workflow activities, along with the capability to quantify the value of how every task correlates across the workflow.

Hi Tech Systems will show off AViTA Differential, an ingest and archive system connecting VTRs to servers for ingest, and servers to VTRs for archive. Recordings are carried out automatically and can have metadata attached to video clips.

Levels Beyond will demo Reach Engine, which enables secure and seamless streamlining of complex workflows around video creation, library management, packaging and distribution.

MediaSilo’s iPad app

MediaSilo will debut an iOS app that provides iPad users with access to their media assets from anywhere. The app allows users to search for and download content from the MediaSilo cloud library for offline review.

Nativ will launch Mio v5.0, a media asset management and workflow solution with built-in social collaboration and browserbased editing. Mio v5.0 is a scalable platfor that enables studios, broadcasters, networks and production companies to manage their entire content workflow, from creation to consumption, in one place.

Netia will showcase the latest version of its media asset management platform, which allows users to manage all processes within the global production environment from editing through post and distribution. With the Netia CMS, users can connect all their partners and vendors within a single production ecosystem, simplifying the sharing and managing of media assets.

Orad Hi-Tec Systems is showing iFind, a browser-based media management product that gives users the ability to manage servers, graphics and archive systems. Search, workflow and management functionality can be tailored to individual requirements.

Primestream will show Fork Logger, a new cross-platform module for the FORK Production Suite 3.5. Fork Logger is a metadata- tagging tool that logs live or recorded video, letting users log video files for searches, filtering and organization by metadata entries inside Primestream’s Content Navigator media asset manager.

SGL will unveil its Notification Service, which improves linear tape file system workflow and permits ingest of material directly into the archive. SGL will also show ntegrated FlashNet workflows in both the HP (SL9605) and EVS (SL2416) booths.

Signiant will demonstrate new features for its Media Shuttle, including secure file sharing that allows media professionals to browse private file directories and securely upload and download files to the associated storage.

Tedial will debut enhanced Web-based technology for its Tarsys asset management system, featuring a unified interface to allow access content from a single screen. It’s now easier to locate content and initiate workflows to process selected media, such as transcoding or simple edits. Tarsys works in many languages and character sets, making it suitable for international operations.

TMD will highlight i-mediaflex, a digital asset management environment that uses standard web browsers across multiple platforms. Users located anywhere can search for, retrieve, browse and catalog media content in multiple formats.

Vizrt will show the new version of its real-time 3D compositing system, Viz Engine. It’s capable of IP in and IP out, offering a complete end-to-end IP solution for broadcasters to manage all their content.

XenData will demonstrate a collaboration with axle Video to provide an open standard LTO archive for Avid Interplay Production users. The archive includes a Xendata SX-520 Series Archive Server with near-line RAID that manages an LTO robotic tape library.