LOS ANGELES—The high-end video data management and workflow solution provider OpenDrives has announced an add-on investment to its previous funding rounds led by IAG Capital Partners.

The company reported that the new capital will support OpenDrives’ continued strategic market growth as it expands its software platform across media, sports, and enterprise video production teams worldwide.

In conjunction with the funding, OpenDrives’ board announced the promotion of long-time chief operating officer, Trevor Morgan, to CEO. Morgan has led a multi-year operational and strategic transformation of the business and brings deep experience in data management and SaaS across both early-stage companies and Fortune 500 enterprises, including Cisco and Capital One.

The company said the leadership transition completes OpenDrives’ successful evolution from a hardware-centric offering to a pure-play software platform purpose-built to manage the complex requirements of high-end video data at scale.

In late 2025, OpenDrives completed development of the first version of Astraeus, an innovative, advanced data services platform based on Kubernetes. Astraeus extends the capabilities of OpenDrives’ flagship Atlas product, which is trusted by many of the world’s major broadcasters, professional sports organizations, and post-production studios and networks.

“We could not be more optimistic about OpenDrives’ future in delivering the world’s leading video data management platform for media, entertainment, professional sports, and corporate video production teams,” said Joel Whitley, Partner at IAG Capital Partners.

“With our business transformation behind us, we are well-positioned to expand the use of the OpenDrives platform to video production professionals across all industries and around the globe—wherever companies struggle with complex video, we are the solution partner of choice,” said Morgan.

OpenDrives’ solutions give customers the flexibility to purchase storage hardware from their preferred vendors while still leveraging OpenDrives’ world-class software for video data workflow storage management and data services orchestration. The platform manages video assets seamlessly across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, enabling organizations to repatriate cloud data to on-premises infrastructure for significant cost savings—while retaining cloud-like management, scalability, and accessibility.

As video becomes the dominant medium for communication, OpenDrives said it is uniquely positioned as the only software partner whose core competence is exclusive to video production and workflow storage management. Industry data underscores the scale of the challenge: video accounts for over 85% of global internet traffic, and the world now generates hundreds of exabytes of video data every year across entertainment, professional sports, news, marketing, and enterprise communications. High-resolution formats such as 4K, 8K, HDR, and immersive video continue to accelerate storage demands and network costs, while presenting workflow challenges for users and creatives.

OpenDrives enables organizations to dramatically reduce data storage costs, minimize network egress fees, and deliver near-zero latency access to massive video libraries—capabilities that are critical for time-sensitive production environments.

While OpenDrives continues to serve its core customers in media and entertainment, the company has recently expanded into professional sports and is accelerating adoption among corporate creative and marketing teams producing high-end video content. Although purpose-built for video, the OpenDrives platform is capable of managing any large-scale unstructured data types that demand high performance, reliability, and intelligent workflow management, the company noted.

More information is available at www.opendrives.com.

Live video production technology provider EVS has officially launched EVS eShop, an online platform enabling broadcasters, service providers, and production engineers to instantly purchase, configure, and manage On-Demand Activation (ODA) licenses.

With the eShop, EVS customers can now scale their production infrastructure autonomously as requirements change - increasing agility, optimizing resource utilization, and maintaining cost efficiency without compromising performance.

“The EVS eShop gives our customers the ability to respond instantly to changing production needs, whether that means adding replay channels at short notice, upgrading to UHD for a flagship broadcast, or enabling advanced tools for a special project”, said Jean-Charles Drappier, senior vice president of portfolio and business innovation at EVS. “Broadcasters and media companies today need to do more with less, and the eShop directly supports that reality. It removes the need for upfront investments in features that aren’t used continuously, delivering both operational flexibility and smarter budget control.”

Accessible through a centralized interface, the EVS eShop provides a secure, intuitive workspace where users can activate temporary licenses and monitor usage across their infrastructure. Built-in management features including role-based permissions and approval workflows help technical and finance teams stay aligned while maintaining full control and traceability.

At launch, the eShop supports several key EVS products:

• XT-VIA and XS-VIA live production servers: extend channel counts, upgrade output resolution to UHD, and activate packages that include Super Motion, Advanced Super Motion, and Split Screen options.
• VIA XSquare and XFile3: add transcoding destinations, enable SDR/HDR conversion, or adjust frame rate settings to meet multi-format delivery requirements.
• Xeebra multi-review (VAR) system: activate AI assisted offside tools or Xeebra Insight user licenses for medical and performance analysis teams.

Several customers who used the product during a trial phase, praised its capabilities.

“With the eShop, our teams can handle scaling completely on their own” said François-Xavier Van Leeuw, manager support operations, events, and transmission at RTBF. “With just a few clicks we select the licenses we need exactly when we need them. It’s made our entire production workflow more agile and predictable.”

Julien Périlleux, CEO at Fréquence, also praised EShop, commenting that “Thanks to the EVS eShop, we have gained real flexibility. We can now optimize our setup by fully utilizing the potential of each server on demand and respond quickly to last minute requests.”

As for EVS’s trusted channel partners, the eShop enables them to easily provision licenses for customers, while maintaining full visibility across the accounts they support. This approach strengthens partner–customer relationships, and ensures a seamless experience for end users, the company reported.

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, EVS said it will evolve the platform with additional products and features, shaping the future of on-demand scalability and enabling broadcasters and media companies to stay agile in a constantly changing media landscape.

The eShop is available now at https://viaportal.evs.com, where existing customers can log in using their current accounts to explore the catalog and begin managing licenses immediately.

LOS ANGELES—The payroll and production accounting platform Wrapbook has announced the acquisition of Cinapse, a modern scheduling platform for film and television.

Wrapbook said that the deal advances its vision for a connected production back office—linking scheduling, payroll, and accounts payable into one unified ecosystem.

The acquisition also reflects a broader shift in the industry toward uniting creative and financial workflows as productions look to align planning, costs, and delivery more closely.

Cinapse has powered more than $6 billion in productions, including "Euphoria", "The Boys", "Shrinking, Outer Banks", and "High Potential". Wrapbook also reported that productions at studios including Netflix, Disney, Apple TV, NBCUniversal, Paramount, and Sony rely on Cinapse to manage complex, multi-unit productions.

"Cinapse and Wrapbook share a vision for how modern productions should operate as fully connected, collaborative and efficient," said Herman Phillips, co-founder and CEO of Cinapse. "Together, we're building what every filmmaker and studio has wanted for decades: one seamless system that connects scheduling, budgeting, and payroll from prep to wrap. By combining Wrapbook's financial infrastructure with Cinapse's real-time scheduling technology, we're giving ADs, producers, and directors tools that restore control over time, money, and creativity."

Built for modern film and television, Cinapse simplifies multi-unit scheduling, enables real-time collaboration, and continues to capture market share from legacy tools like Movie Magic Scheduling.

"Cinapse is the best scheduling platform on the market," said Ali Javid, CEO and co-founder of Wrapbook. "This acquisition isn't about expanding for expansion's sake—it's about aligning two mission-critical workflows. Together, we're redefining how productions plan and track every dollar of their creative process."

As part of the acquisition, Wrapbook welcomes Herman Phillips (Director & GM of Scheduling) and François Van der Merwe (Sr. Engineer) to their team.

WATERLOO, Ontario—Dejero has released Core 5.4, the latest version of its software for all Dejero transmitters, encoders, transceivers and receivers. 

Core 5.4 enables users of the FlexPoint 111 transceiver, an integrated encoder and decoder, to transmit and receive resolutions up to 4K UHD at 60fps with live bitrates up to 60 Mb/s. There is support for 4K UHD in both live and recording modes, the company said.

Version 5.4 also introduces two-way intercom communications to a number of Dejero products, including the EnGo 1.3 and EnGo 260 mobile transmitters, as well as the WayPoint 104 receiver. A closed-captioning feature is also now available for the FlexPoint transceiver and the new WayPoint 50 receiver.

“We’ve introduced two-way, full-duplex voice communication between the studio and field personnel with our new intercom feature,” said Yvonne Monterroso, director of product management at Dejero. “This gives our customers a second communication channel on top of the existing one-way interruptible foldback (IFB) channel. Not only does this support real-time communication from the field to the control room; it also allows for one channel to the talent and a separate channel to the camera operator—ensuring everyone is synchronized.”

The latest version provides power management enhancements for EnGo 260, providing users with three hours of live video transmission from the internal rechargeable battery—an increase of one hour. 

Core 5.4 enhances transmission security as well. The optional stream encryption capability features Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with 256 bit key to keep audio and video data secure when transported over public internet links, a feature that’s particularly important when using a single network connection.

Hybrid Encoding Technology, a key component of Dejero’s Core software, is well-suited to low-latency, live video contribution scenarios, Dejero said. It works with Dejero’s patented Smart Blending Technology to form a system that responds in real time to changes in network quality and video content. 

The encoding leverages a unique complexity analyzer and dynamically adapts based on the amount of motion in the scene being captured.

More information is available on the company’s website. 

BERGEN, Norway—Vizrt pushed its online demonstration of what software-defined production coupled with IP transport over the internet can do during its weekly VizrTV webcast by bringing together live on a virtual set three people separated from one another by thousands of miles.

Chris Black, head of brand and content, at Vizrt in Bergen, Norway; Gerhard Lang, Vizrt CTO in Vomp, Austria; and Andrew Cross, president of R&D for the Vizrt Group, in San Antonio, went live June 10—each from his own green-screen studio.

To bring the three together, Matrox Monarch Edge encoders in San Antonio and Bergen converted video to SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) protocol IP streams, which were transported via the public internet to the studio in Vomp. 

There, the recently announced Viz Engine 4.1 rendered the virtual set with Black, Cross and Lang keyed in using the Viz Engine's Fusion keyer, said Lang. The demonstration was similar to another the company made in early May. This week’s demo, however, included a third live participant some 4,000 miles away.

“You think we have some complex science fiction-type setup, but we really don’t,” said Cross, who noted the conventional nature of the green screen studio and the public internet connection be used to transport IP packets to Vomp.

“[B]efore this technology was available, you would have needed a dedicated line to get this quality of stream with the very low latency required here—from San Antonio back to Vomp or from Bergen to Vomp,” said Lang.

Instead, the demo relied on SRT protocol IP transport. “One of its strengths is it has encryption and can be used on [the] public internet with error correction as well,” he said. “So, we are really able to do that over any kind of line that connects your [Black’s] office, San Antonio’s office and our office.”

During the demonstration, Black asked Cross about using NDI (Network Device Interface) protocol. (In spring 2019, Vizrt acquired NewTek, where Cross was president and CTO and developed NDI.) The NDI protocol was in use moving video around the San Antonio studio before being encoded as SRT for transport to Vomp, Cross noted. 

The use of both IP protocols helped to demonstrate the hybrid world in which video production today exists, he said. Lang added that the set up could have as easily included SMPTE ST 2110 protocol sources or SDI sources converted to IP with a gateway.

“Nothing should prevent you from using whatever format, whatever signal type, whatever cable type you want to use,” said Lang. “The power… in software-defined solutions is the flexibility and the ability to… output any kind of format to any kind of standard that has its place in the broadcast market.”

During the demo, each participant took a turn showing his native setup, including the green screen, before returning to the virtual studio view. Audio and video appeared to remain in sync throughout.

One difference between the demo of the virtual live interview and an in-person live interview was the slight pause between one participant asking a question and another answering—something viewers expect when, for instance, an anchor is speaking to a correspondent in the field, but would appear foreign when speaking to someone else in the studio.

Still, the demonstration successfully underscored what is possible when software-defined production, IP transport and the public internet are creatively combined. The next logical step is leveraging virtualization and the cloud. 

While the Viz Engine is not new to virtualization, and this week’s demo “theoretically” could have been done in the cloud, there remains the issue of synchronizing in the cloud the tracking data from all of the cameras that makes it possible to seamlessly meld the real and virtual worlds, said Lang. 

Among the most important takeaways from this week’s demo, said Cross, was showing the flexibility software brings to the production process. “I think a lot of people talk about cloud as being the thing. But it is not. Software affords the flexibility to produce your shows anywhere and then start bringing together all of the pieces you need to build out new shows, new workflows—and that’s the power,” he said.

“And it’s IP that connects all of this together to give us workflows and make shows in ways that we’ve just never been able to do before.”

More information is available on the company’s website. 

FREMONT, Calif.—Blackmagic Design has released a new software update for its URSA Mini Pro 4.6K camera, the Blackmagic Camera 6.9.3 update.

Part of the software update includes support for 11 different languages for international use. The camera can now be set to English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese or Korean. When the camera switches languages, all on-screen overlays, setup menus and monitoring information are displayed in the selected language.

Another new feature is the ability to embed custom 3D LUTs in Blackmagic RAW clips. The 3D LUTs can be directly embedded as metadata within the .BRAW file. The 3D LUTs files are easily accessible with software like Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve, according to the company.

Additional elements of the update include the ability to disable or remap the HFR button, as well as remapping the VTR and return buttons on Cine-servo PL and B4 lenses; customers can lock timecode to the SDI input; jam sync timecode is maintained between power cycles; the NDI filter is always visible on status text when in use; the option between -18 or -20dB audio alignment levels; the addition of sidetone adjustment for talkback; adjusting of line level input signals; improved ballistics for audio meters; and auto exposure speed and performance has been improved, as well as playback of renamed clips.

The Blackmagic OS has also been updated and has added 1/3 stop ISO increments to the ISO slider and the ability to switch media from the heads up display. New 2:1, 1:1 and 5:4 frame guides have been added, there is an option for custom frame guides and the media formatting interface has been improved, Blackmagic says.

For more information, visit www.blackmagicdesign.com. 

FLOWER MOUND, Texas—RUSHWORKS is unwrapping a new platform for broadcasters to add to their production kits, the RUSHPROMPTER teleprompting software.

RUSHPROMPTER is a Windows-based software that can either be downloaded as a stand-alone service from www.RUSHWORKS.tv or integrated with the company’s VNEWS TV news production hardware/software system.

Among the features offered by RUSHPROMPTER are RTF and TXT creation, export and import, find and replace, real-time font-size adjustment, variable line spacing and individual character control of bold, Italics, underline, colorize and highlighting.

RUSHWORKS also created a lightweight prompting stand that supports up to two 12-inch 16:9 monitors for displaying the promoter text, as well as any video switcher Program output.

RUSHPROMPTER is available for $99, but RUSHWORKS is offering a free trial period with download.

Stand 6.C19

IBC DEBUT

CastAway

Rascular has continued to expand its integration of Newtek’s NDIprotocol, announcing the development of CastAway, a new Helm application, which provides NDImaster control switching in software. This allows users to easily find and view incoming sources, presented in a multiviewer. In addition, Castaway also includes vision mixing/presentation switching capabilities to handle transitions, logo insertion and so on. Rascular’s standalone NDI routing application RouteMaster-Lite also benefits from these new multiviewer capabilities.

Helm upgrades

Helm benefits from several upgrades, including the ability to now control Blackmagic Design’s multifaceted HyperDeck broadcast decks. Via Helm, users can now also drag and drop single transport control groups onto a user panel to provide easier server control. Helm is integrated with Contour’s ShuttlePro USB jog/shuttle wheel, an easy-to-use, tactile controller that works alongside keyboard and mouse, now able to be used for server transport control in Helm. PESA router control is also available with Helm.

Helm integration with YouTube and Facebook Live

On show for the first time at IBC 2019, Rascular is highlighting its ability to provide direct control of YouTube live streaming in addition to its ability to allow easy streaming to Facebook Live, using flagship control technology Helm. This can be achieved via Helm on a PC or via associated, device-independent web panels.

Also on show

WebCentre is a device-independent application that provides browser-based user role creation and management, control panel configuration and access to those panels for device control. It’s on-premise server-based, with any modern browser on any device – tablet, PC, smartphone – able to access user-defined control panels according to the user management settings. Using HTTPS, it’s fully secure.

RouteMaster-Lite is a standalone, PC-based, single licence application, based on Rascular’s powerful RouteMaster technology and is designed to provide comprehensive router control for NDI sources up to maximum 20x20 router size.

RouteMaster integrates Rascular’s router control and emulation technology to form a powerful yet flexible router control system. Built on tried and tested software modules, RouteMaster can be used with a wide range of broadcast video and audio routers - past, present and future, SDI and SDI/IP hybrid - from the major router manufacturers. It also provides control of NDI sources. It’s equally suitable for new router installations or increasing the capabilities - and lifetime - of existing systems. RouteMaster also now includes tie-line capabilities, allowing the easy integration of NDI virtual routing in an SDI facility.

LA CROSSE, WIS.—Comprompter News and Automation is getting ready to release a new voice captioning software, the Caption Central Multi. This live captioning voice system is designed to support up to eight users in the same session, i.e. dual anchors, round table discussions and in-studio interviews.

The Caption Central Mutli features a Speech Engine that synchronizes to the spoken words within a reported two seconds of the time they are spoken. The software also identifies the name and title of the speaker. Spell-checking and context checking are used to select the most appropriate word when a conflict arises. Additional features include built-in 30 second voice training; a more than 300,000 word dictionary; the creation of custom vocabulary or common names, words and phrases;

Comprompter will offer the Caption Central Multi in either a four or eight speaker server system in a 4RU rack-mounted case with LAN switch, a USB serial adaptor and XLR to USB audio adaptor.

INDIANAPOLIS—The ShotPut Pro 6 from Imagine Products has gotten a facelift from its predecessor, offering a new interface, faster media offloading and additional features offering greater offload control, per the company’s press release.

The updated software now offers desktop notifications, the ability to pause and resume offloads, and the ability to cancel all or some offloads. There are also new reporting features that include the addition of detailed PDF reports with a choice of thumbnails, naming conventions, and the capability to create and nest multiple folders within that naming structure. The process of offloading multiple files to multiple locations and bundling offloads from different locations to a single destination has also been upgraded.

The newly designed interface was meant to be more intuitive for users. Features include color-coded presets that can be exported and shared with other ShotPut Pro users, and a progress window.

Imagine Products’ account-based activation system has been incorporated into the ShotPut Pro 6, allowing users to see which computers are actively using the software and manage them remotely.

ShotPut Pro 6 is currently available for Mac users, with a Windows version expected at a later date. A new license is available for $129, while existing users can upgrade for $49.

LONDON—Autocue is dishing out its QStart teleprompter software to anyone who wants it. The company announced that the Windows/OS QStart software is now available for free to all users, with or without hardware.

QStart is downloadable software that can be used offline. Based on the QMaster software, QStart features multi-language text and menus, and icon-based action buttons. Scripts can be imported from .doc, .rtf, and .txt files. Script makers and assignable hot keys are also available.

To download the free version of QStart, click here.

Autocue is a Vitec Videocom brand.

NEW YORK—Software provider Dalet Digital Media Systems has announced its updated Dalet Brio 3.4 has been released. The latest version of its I/O platform, the Dalet Brio 3.4 runs on IT-standard hardware but adds new formats to support IP, dynamic ingest management capabilities, and Media Navigator and MultiCamera Manager.

Dalet Brio MultiCam viewer

In its support for IP, the Dalet Brio 3.4 now supports SMPTE-2022-2 playout (H.264/AAC) and SMPTE-2022-6 ingest and playout. Newly added ingest tools include a Web Ingest Scheduler with router control and RESTful API; automatic up-scaling on input; XAVC-Intra HD, LongG HD and Intra-4K support; audio routing; and a backup copier. Meanwhile, the new Media Navigator offers rolling playback mode, quick preview, custom metadata handling and consolidation of playlists. The MultiCamera Manager features transfer management to Avid Interplay, Adobe Premiere/Anywhere, and FTP and S3.

The Dalet Brio is designed to integrate with Dalet systems to provide flexible and scalable end-to-end technology.

BOSTON—At the annual INTX show, Imagine Communications has debuted a new unified distribution initiative designed to accelerate modernization of video service providers’ networks through the transition to Internet-based networks. Imagine’s new technology plans to address OTT delivery and ad insertion infrastructure issues by consolidating it into a software-based HTTP network that uses Adaptive Bitrate technology.

Part of the unified initiative is the Selenio Video Delivery Edge, an HTTP-to-UDP gateway that enables operators to streamline the consolidation of legacy and next-gen networks. The Selenio system converts ABR-based content into transport stream-compatible signals that are delivered through existing set-top boxes. Selenio also uses the ad insertion technology currently used to provide commercial spots to Internet-connected devices, replacing outdated hardware-based ad splicers.

Other components of the distribution initiative include SelenioFlex, SelenioNext, Selenio One and xG AIM.

Additional features of the unified distribution approach, according to Imagine, include a path to deployment of next-generation ad insertion infrastructure; ad targeting capabilities, as well as the option to modify, move and change ads and channel lineups; helps with migration to an IP-based datacenter environment; improved video quality; and migration to HTTP-based infrastructure.

Imagine will demonstrate its new unified distribution initiative at booth 1644 during the INTX show, which runs from May 16-18 in Boston.

TORONTO—Venezuelan media services provider VC Medios has acquired two new MassStore platforms from MassTech, building off a previous installation. The MassStore system manages and automates file-based production and digital delivery workflows.

VC Medios initially used the MassStore platform to automate the transfer of file-based content between in headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela and a partner facility in Florida. Now the company uses the MassTech system to manage the movement of content across locations and internally between VC Medios’ archive, post-production and playout workflows.

One of the two newly acquired systems was deployed to the company’s recently opened Bogota, Colombia production center. The second was added to its headquarters to support operations for IVC Net.

MassTech is a provider of software systems for managing digital media content. It is based out of Toronto.

BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC—Nokia has announced that it is adding Comprimato’s JPEG2000 software codec to its 360-degree virtual reality camera Ozo. The cameras output of eight 2Kx2K sensors will be compressed and packaged into a single stream, which Comprimato decodes in software for live monitoring and responsive post-production for rendering and real-time views.

Nokia Ozo

With the JPEG2000 software codec, the Ozo’s eight output streams and rendered together into an immersive virtual environment. The decoder uses Comprimato’s GPU accelerated processing, allowing users to see what is being shot. The consistency of the JPEG2000 encoding ensures post-production stitching is seamless, according to Comprimato.

Comprimato will showcase its JPEG2000 software codec at the upcoming 2016 NAB Show at its booth, SU13305.

BRISTOL, ENGLAND—Provider of automated quality control and correction of file-based media, Vidcheck has announced the latest upgrade to its Vidchecker software. Vidchecker V.7 will feature new automated correction options, allowing for the addition of file-correction capabilities.

New features for Vidchecker V.7 include automatic video segment detection, advanced validation of Interoperable Master Format metadata and essence, multi-lingual alerts, and peak attenuation. The updated version also uses parallel processing architecture employed in modern digital microprocessors.

The automated error correction options that are introduced as part of Vidchecker V.7 combine detection and correction into a single application. These new options include layout changes allowing automatic addition of bars and black to a file without interruption; PSE correction; and transcoding.

A majority of the new V.7 features are also available on Vidchecker-post.

Vidcheck says that Vidchecker V.7 will be available as a free upgrade to existing customers with current Vidcheck software maintenance contracts, and to Vidcheck On-Demand license holders.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems has announced that it plans to release a new software upgrade for its DASDEC platforms for advanced EAS and Common Alerting Protocol messaging compliance. Version 3.0 of the software will help DAS be in compliance with the FCC’s new rules that become mandatory in July, the company says.

One of the new features of the software is the Alert Agent, which allows for the selective processing of alert messages from different sources. The tool is able to consolidate settings under Alert Nodes, providing controls for selective message-handling for each source, event and originator. Alert Nodes define specific actions based on event parameters and use a visual stacking order; they are also able to be managed directly within the browser.

The Alert Agent software is able to react to specific conditions to manage and control actions of the EAS system. This allows some alerts to be forward automatically, while others can be held for additional review.

Version 3.0 of Alert Agent supports Triveni Digital’s SkyScraper for data integration; it also features optional PureCAP and OmniLingual alert modules to expand its range of languages and capabilities. Additional features include a new integrated lexicon editor that allows users with premium text-to-speech voice modules to directly edit the lexicon.

DAS, which is a division of Monroe Electronics, will release version 3.0 of the software in April at a price of $495.

LONDON—Video compression technology provider V-Nova has officially released its Perseus technology as a software development kit; don’t worry, no need to brush up on your Greek mythology. The company says the Perseus SDK is designed to enable operators and video platform providers to integrate and deploy the Perseus system on existing ecosystems for the delivery of full HD video over bandwidth constrained networks.

Available as an encoder plug-in and decoder plug-in for integration and deployment, Perseus plug-ins are supported on a range of platforms, including Intel x86-based encoders and iOS and Android consumer devices. Pre-integrated encoding/decoding combinations are also available for the deployment of Perseus OTT services.

Some of the benefits of the Perseus plug-ins, according to V-Nova, include reducing service buffering, allows product differentiation, and delivers HD OTT video services with few profiles and at lower bit-rates.

BILLERICA, MASS.—Broadcast Pix’s Granite and Mica production switchers have received an upgrade with the release of the Version 5.0 software. New features of the software includes new Virtual Studios virtual set platform, expanded support for third-party IP-based cameras and streaming appliances, and the ability to correct content issues with Source Controls in real-time.

Virtual Studios is a combination of Broadcast Pix’s ClearKey chromakey technology with virtual backgrounds for up to eight cameras. The platform preserves natural light and shadows from the set to provide a more realistic background. Virtual Studios also allows multi-box DVE compositions to be scaled to full screen or squeezed back into the box effect; it also does not require optical camera tracking systems.

Source Controls, meanwhile, enables users to reposition logos, squeeze video to compensate for incorrect aspect ratios, and other content issues in real-time. It allows live cameras, internal clips and graphics to be resized and moved via DVE before being applied to a keyer. Custom settings can be applied, and can be saved as macro for easy recall.

Additional features from V5.0 include the expansion of robotic camera control to IP-based cameras from Sony, Marshall Electronics, and Vaddio. Up to 12 cameras can be controlled through one Broadcast Pix system. Integrated IP control of Matrox Monarch and Monarch HDX streaming and recording appliances is also part of the upgrade.

For customers still under warranty, upgrading to V5.0 is free. If not, the V5.0 upgrade is available for $995. Version 5.0 will be available for Broadcast Pix’s Flint and Roadie systems at an upcoming date.

PORTLAND, ORE.—Audinate has announced that its new Dante Via software is now available worldwide. The Dante Via software connects any audio application or computer device to a Dante network, including USB, FireWire or Thunderbolt devices.

Able to create a Dante network without dedicated Dante hardware, the Dante Via allows for routing audio using only computers. With its drag-and-drop interface Dante Via enables rapid discovery and simple connection of devices and applications. It also allows integrators, engineers and end-users to create and extend audio systems using computer-based networked I/O.

The Dante Via software runs on Windows 7, 8.1 or 10, and Macs OS X10.9.5 or higher. It can support up to a total of 48 source and 48 destination channels, and stereo I/O for as many as eight applications.

Dante Via is available for $49.95. A 30 days free trial is available by visiting www.audinate.com/dantevia.

SAN FRANCISCO—Users can now subscribe to Autodesk Flame software in monthly, quarterly or yearly plans, the company announced on Wednesday. Autodesk also announced that Flame will be available as a software only product; customers can also choose their own qualified Linux hardware; and support of the Flame on OS X, as well as Flame Family 2016 Extension 2, are planned to be released later in November.

Flame 2016 timeline workflow

The new subscription plans for Flame and Autodesk Lustre are available at a monthly fee of $750/month, $2,000/quarter, and $6,000/year. Autodesk plans to continue to sell perpetual licenses for the Flame Family. The new Flare and Flame Assist subscription plans start at $400/month, $1,050/quarter, and $3,200/year.

As a result of Flame being sold as a software only product and customers having the ability to use their own Linux hardware Autodesk plans to discontinue sales of the Flame as a turnkey system starting early 2016. In addition, users do not have to own a Flame to purchase the Flare or Flame Assist systems.

Additionally, Autodesk is eyeing Nov. 24 for the release of the Flame Family 2016 Extension 2 and the ability to support Flame on OS X. The new Flame Family extension brings new format support and performance gains in color grading workflows, including GPU acceleration on the Lustre Reactor and support for the full DNxHR media family.

Autodesk’s new subscription plans are available now, as is the ability to purchase Flare and Flame assist.

GRAND RAPIDS—Version 7.4 of Broadway Systems’ Broadway Cross Platform was unveiled on Monday with new features designed to manage advertising needs across linear TV, video on demand and digital.

The updated system’s new features include VOD Dynamic Ad Insertion interface with Canoe for seamless ad management for DAI; programmatic advertising, which manages all programmatic buying and selling through the single platform; management of non-linear sales like banners and digital video ads through a single streamlined platform; advanced cross platform billing; management of sales products and rate cards; unified sales proposals across all platforms; combined reports for both linear and non-linear buys; cross platform sales tracking; and non-linear in-flight yield management, which offers a graphical view to track deals relative to their intended final delivery.

Broadway Systems is a provider of advertising management software for cable and advanced television networks.

FAREHAM, ENGLAND—SGL has announced that its FlashNet content management software is now fully integrated with the ExpeDat Gateway for Amazon S3 from Data Expedition, Inc. The integration enables broadcasters and content owners to transfer data directly to Amazon Web Services at maximum speeds, which provides an additional means of storage and disaster recovery workflows.

FlashNet with ExpeDat enables files to be transferred to and from S3 at 700 Mbit/s. Once stored, data can be moved to Amazon Glacier using a standard AWS interface.

FlashNet’s rules-based implementation provides fully-automated data duplication across multiple storage layers and locations. The FlashNet archive can also track and record where material is at any given time and can alert third-party systems that content is available for download. With the FlashNet, users can also create additional rules to send materials directly to the cloud.

SGL is a provider of content archive and storage management software based in Fareham, England. Data Expedition delivers data transport technology.

DALLAS—Imagine Communications has announced that it will integrate its Landmark Agency 5.0 system with Ad-ID, the advertising industry standard for identifying advertising assets across all media platforms. With Ad-ID integration, companies can import a unique Ad-ID code into the Landmark Agency system, bringing over Ad-ID code information, advertiser commercial activity dates, and more for use in national, local and multimedia planning and buying modules.

The Landmark Agency is an enterprise software designed to help control advertising agency business processes, including media planning and buying, account management, creative, traffic, production, finance and digital asset management.

In addition to Ad-ID integration, the Landmark Agency 5.0 provides support for the change in the Nielsen ratings service broadcast day to 3 a.m. for the capture of early morning news programs.

The Landmark Agency is currently in beta testing and will be released later this fall.

CHAMPAIGN, ILL.—Cobalt Digital and Nextstar Broadcasting Group have collaborated on a new software system with text-to-speech capabilities to serve the needs of blind and low-vision people. The +TTS is compatible with many openGear cards and BBG-1000 standalone units. To ensure compliance with FCC and the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, an optional software license for the cards is also available.

+TTS is a text-to-speech generation/audio insertion system for embedded or discrete audio systems. The software monitors local and network watch folders for new text files, converts text to human-voice audio, and inserts it into user-configured audio channels. The +TTS can prioritize alerts and is designed to be independent of a station’s graphics engine.

The +TTS comes with a built-in, user-definable dictionary to substitute phonetic spelling for hard-to-decipher words and proper noun phonetic emphasis. The software comes standard with an English-language speech engine; advanced engines are available as expansion options. The Acapela Group is providing the voices.

OpenGear users can incorporate +TTS by installing a microSD card. Those without an openGear infrastructure can use Cobalt’s BBG-1022-FS standalone unit for integration into a broadcast facility.

Cobalt Digital designs 3G/HD/SD multiviewer technology for broadcast TV based in Champaign, Ill. Nextstar Broadcasting Group is a traditional, digital, and mobile media company headquartered in Irving, Texas.