GULFPORT, MISS.— When we faced the
challenge and expense of converting to
file-based operations, we investigated Digital
Broadcast’s MediaFire IP system. We had
experience with Digital Broadcast, as we
were already using the company’s baseband
MediaFire master control system and
it became clear that the IP solution would
make our operations much more efficient
and economical.
Digital Broadcast’s file-based IT system
eliminates the need for an MC switcher and
house routing system. MediaFire IP maintains
the streamed MPEG network, so there’s
no need for baseband switching or keying. It
supports MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 compressed
ASI transport streams and video-over-IP as
single program transport streams and multiprogram
transport streams.
With the MediaFire IP system, incoming
material is scaled to HD and/or SD as needed
and the bitrate is automatically conformed
for playout. The system splices the material
and selects the output sources according
to the MediaFire Automation schedule, thus
eliminating the requirement for a physical
MC switcher. In addition, Digital Broadcast’s
Graphics Engine provides logo insertion and
crawls on MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, eliminating
the need for a downstream logo insertion.
EAS and PSIP interfaces are also supported.
There’s also a multiviewer function with
monitoring of up to 10 sources.
The ability to incorporate some of our
existing server equipment into the configuration
added to the system’s cost efficiency.
We originate three channels from our
facility with feeds from three network providers
and receive material from Pathfire,
Pitch Blue and others which needs to be
conformed before airing. MediaFire IP’s
conforming engines process the video and
normalize audio from these sources so the
material is ready to air, without any format
conversion or other prepping.
SMOOTH AND EASY TRANSITION
Our engineers easily adjusted to the
new system, as they knew in advance and
accepted that there would be some changes
in the way we did things.
We are very pleased with the overall
system and with the cutting-edge technology
and cost efficiencies. We are convinced
it is our path to the future.
Also, our experience working with Digital
Broadcast management and developers
has been very good. They helped fine tune
MediaFire IP and actually sent a software
developer to our facility, which allowed
him to understand the workings of our TV
station. He was able to make on-the-spot
adjustments to the software that directly
addressed the needs of our master control
operation. This sort of direct input and
user feedback doesn’t happen that often
in this business.
Based on the success we’ve experienced
with MediaFire IP, our parent company,
Morris Multimedia, anticipates moving
other stations to this system.
Ray Luke is operations manager and
chief engineer at WXXV-TV, a Morris Multimedia
station, and has been with the
operation since 1987. He may be contacted
at rluke@wxxv25.com.
For additional information, contact
Digital Broadcast at 352-377-8344 or
visit www.digitalbcast.com.