LANCASTER, Pa.—Pocono Television Network (PTN) is operated by the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau (PMVB), a private, nonprofit organization that serves to promote, educate and attract visitors to Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Launched in 2017, the channel showcases the region through original segments such as “Pocono Perspectives” and “Pocono Mountains Magazine,” weather updates, live webcams and features on local businesses and events.

The PMVB created its own television network in order to drive content development with a focus on storytelling about the destination and the organization’s 600 members. As president and CEO of the PMVB, I also serve as the executive in charge of production for PTN, which, over the past eight years, has grown substantially in its broadcast, cable and streaming coverage to now reach more than 50 million households.

By 2022, we had exceeded the technical limitations of our third-party distributor and decided to expand our existing partnership with Take One Productions. Under the new arrangement, Take One’s team and PMVB’s in-house staff produce content for the network, while Take One oversees content aggregation, scheduling and playout across cable, OTT and digital platforms.

Broadcast-Grade Upgrade
Supporting continuous multi­platform distribution of PTN would require more than a basic file-based system that simply creates playlists from uploaded content. We needed a broadcast-grade solution that we wouldn’t outgrow, supporting the complete workflow—ingest, media asset management, playout, graphics and master control—while delivering the scalability and long-term reliability needed for a 24/7 network.

Just as important, the platform had to be cloud-based. With Take One’s studio in Lancaster and the PMVB located two hours north in Stroudsburg, relying on physical infrastructure wasn’t practical. The Versio integrated playout system from Imagine Communications, combined with the company’s cloud-native Aviator Automation, turned out to be the perfect solution.

Versio gives us the core playout engine and pulls the workflow together, but the bonus is in how seamlessly it works with Imagine’s Aviator Automation to create a unified, cloud-based operation.

Aviator Automation simplifies the programming process, offering remote login capabilities that enable programming from anywhere. In addition, the platform provides as-run logs to reference what has played, while its built-in Content Portal makes managing content simple. For additional visibility into PTN’s inventory, special fields were added to the metadata so content can be quickly identified by season and region.

Versio and Aviator Automation are incredibly easy to operate and have been exceptionally reliable—in more than two years of 24/7 broadcasting, there hasn’t been a single minute of downtime due to system failure. And when there have been any issues, the Imagine team is available within minutes, and the issue gets resolved on the spot.

Easy to Scale
The Versio platform’s cloud capabilities have enabled us to expand PTN’s cable footprint to nearly a dozen providers across Pennsylvania. At the same time, we’ve built a strong OTT presence through Vimeo’s enterprise platform—allowing the network’s live stream from Versio to be delivered to a wide array of consumer devices. Viewers can download the app to watch live programming or explore on-demand content from anywhere.

Last year, we added over-the-air broadcasting to the distribution mix. The channel is now live in six markets—with a seventh on the way—reaching audiences in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Lancaster and Philadelphia, as well as Wilmington, Del., and even areas near the New York State border.

With cable, OTT and OTA distribution, PTN has the potential to reach millions of households, not including international audiences streaming online. For a regional tourism network, that kind of reach is a big step forward. We’ve even discussed launching a second channel, and with Versio, that’s now a realistic option. What once took nine months can now be done in just a few weeks.

More information is available at https://imaginecommunications.com.

ALLENTOWN, Pa.—Owned by Maranatha Broadcasting Co., WFMZ-TV is an independent station based in Allentown, Pa., that also operates Maranatha-owned MeTV affiliate WDPN-TV Philadelphia. We are a unique operation, airing more than 10 hours of local news daily, covering the northern tier of the Philadelphia DMA and 12 total subchannels across our stations.

As sponsorships have become more graphics-intensive, we realized that our old automation was showing its limitations. Managing playout and graphics across multiple facilities and monitored channels also became increasingly inefficient with our existing system. We needed a cohesive platform from a single vendor that could handle automation and graphics with ease.

Linked Deployments
Imagine Communications offered exactly that. We adopted the company’s ADC automation and Versio Graphics solutions, deploying the automation across three sites: our main studios in Allentown, a disaster recovery site, and a separate onsite disaster playout server at the MeTV transmitter site in Philadelphia.

With the Imagine solution, we gained a unified workflow that aligned perfectly with how we already created content. The built-in Adobe After Effects integration was especially valuable.

Once we chose Imagine and went online, the benefits were immediate. Our syndicated content comes from sources such as Extreme Reach and Pitch Blue. For years, we segmented shows manually, a slow process of recording and segmenting each program by hand.

That changed with Imagine’s Motion feature, which reads BXF metadata from syndicators to segment programs automatically. Even when issues arise, we can reingest and resegment within minutes. The improvement in efficiency and reliability has been tremendous.

Versio Graphics has also transformed how we engage with our viewers. We now use a wide range of on-screen graphics, L-bars, snipes and more in our newscast and sponsored snipes on various channels. Each month, we partner with a local client for an awareness campaign tied to that month’s theme.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, for example, we created educational snipes with rotating facts about Hispanic history and culture. The system randomized which fact appeared, keeping content fresh and engaging.

We realized another example of the system’s flexibility when our Reading, Pa., newsroom celebrated the 30th anniversary of its “Berks Edition” newscast. Using Versio Graphics, we created a dynamic on-screen bug that animated from our standard logo to reveal the anniversary emblem. With the dynamic branding feature, the automation recognized when the Berks Edition newscast was live and automatically switched to the special bug, no reprogramming required.

That same efficiency extends to our weather channel, which runs nearly 300 graphics, all based on a single Adobe After Effects template that lets us quickly swap in client logos and publish updates. The process saves hours of production time and keeps every graphic consistent with our design standards. Versio Graphics made it easy to maintain, even with the many updates we manage each week.

Earlier this year, the platform played an instrumental role in overhauling our weather channel, enabling us to replace a complex system of external machines and contact closures. The system’s new “play from folder” feature lets us integrate video playback directly into the graphics engine, turning what could have been a costly rebuild into a quick, affordable transition.

Versio Graphics
Choosing Imagine for our operations was absolutely the right move. Versio Graphics and ADC automation have brought reliability, flexibility, and creativity to everything we do. Viewer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and Imagine’s support team has been outstanding. Whether troubleshooting or tracking down the source of issues, they’ve always been responsive and professional, even during late-night calls.

As an independent station preparing to celebrate our 50th anniversary during Thanksgiving week of 2026, we continue to chart our own path, guided by a forward-looking management team that’s always planning for growth. Our infrastructure gives us room to expand, and with Versio Graphics and ADC automation at the core, we’re well-positioned to keep innovating and delivering high-quality local content.

More information is available at https://imaginecommunications.com/.

LANCASTER, Pa.—At Take One Productions, we’ve been producing professional video content from Lancaster since 1984. What started as a corporate video company has grown into something bigger, especially in our work creating long-form commercial spots for the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau (PMVB), and in 2023, when we took over full broadcast operations for the Pocono Television Network (PTN).

PTN is a 24/7 television network available on streaming, over-the-air and cable. Designed to promote the Pocono Mountains region, PTN presents original segments like “Pocono Perspectives” and “Pocono Mountains Magazine,” local weather, live webcams and features on small businesses and regional events. Since its inception in 2017, the network has gained significant traction, quickly outgrowing the capabilities of its original distribution provider.

More Than Playout
To support this growth, we needed a platform built for demanding broadcast television operations. Our checklist included a playout system that managed ingest, media storage, graphics and master control, all while delivering scalability and rock-solid reliability. And because our studio is in Lancaster and PMVB is two hours north in Stroudsburg, it had to be cloud-based.

All these requirements led us to Imagine Communications’ Versio fully integrated on-prem and cloud playout system with the Versio Control configurable master control dashboard.

We reviewed a lot of playout systems and most felt bare-bones. But when we saw Versio in action, we immediately knew it was different—providing a fully integrated, cloud-capable playout system that could do everything we needed and more. We didn’t want a system we’d outgrow in a year; we wanted something we could build on, and Versio has proven to be exactly that.

Today, Versio is the engine behind PTN’s master control. We’re using the Versio Control dashboard to switch between live production, clip-based feedback and live weather from the Poconos area. In addition, the dashboard plays a critical role in our workflow. Before we go live, we check the interface to confirm that everything is properly synced and running as it should. That final verification step is essential—and Versio has become our go-to tool for ensuring broadcast continuity.

No Downtime
Not only has Versio been incredibly easy to operate, its reliability has been exceptional. In more than two years of continuous 24/7 broadcasting, we haven’t experienced a single minute of downtime due to a system failure—that’s virtually unheard of in this industry. On the rare occasions when we’ve had a question or issue, Imagine’s support has been outstanding. We open a ticket and within minutes, we’re on a live call with a team that resolves the issue right then and there.

With the Versio platform’s scalability and cloud capabilities, we’ve extended PTN’s reach far beyond what was possible just a few years ago. We’ve expanded from a handful of local cable systems to nearly a dozen across Pennsylvania. We stream live and on-demand content to major streaming platforms, and we’ve also added over-the-air broadcasting in six markets—with more on the way.

For a regional tourism network, that kind of reach is a major step forward. And as we look at future possibilities such as launching a second PTN channel, we know we have a platform that’s ready to grow with us.

More information is available at imaginecommunications.com.

LINCOLN, Neb.—Starting out with a single over-the-air channel in 1954, Nebraska Public Media has been providing news, education, entertainment and sports programming for the last 70 years.

We now support five live-to-air TV channels, two radio channels and online resources. In addition to producing live community and news programs, we broadcast programming from PBS and NPR on TV, radio, online, social media and mobile apps. We transitioned into streaming when we began broadcasting live gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Nebraska Legislature.

The Emergency Alert System is also a huge portion of what we do, and as the State Emergency Communications Committee Chair for Nebraska, I help with a lot of EAS activities. In addition, we serve as the backup for the PBS Diverse Disaster Maintenance System, which means we cover the entire country with PBS signals when serious weather hits the East Coast. 

It’s a lot to manage, and I have spent the last 29 years helping the station connect its local communities to the world and each other. 

Automating Master Control
As network operations manager, it’s my job to keep everything on air, and I’ve been working with Imagine Communications products since 2000 to ensure our master control infrastructure meets our changing needs. 

We use Imagine’s Versio integrated playout engines for channel origination, four Nexio+ AMP servers for record and quality control, Nexio Motion for media asset management, and ADC automation for content control and delivery. The Versio offline Creation Station enables us to quickly create a snipe or a crawl for sports or for EAS alerts. In addition, we use Selenio encoders for transcoding, which enables us to operate 12 live streaming channels and create VOD files for PBS Passport delivery.

Imagine ties everything together, and everything is interoperable. The Nexio Motion software moves files around our facility, including to Avid editing stations and to the web, making our file-based workflow perform efficiently.  In total, we have 91 workflows built in the Motion system to shuffle files around in our facility.

All of our signals go to air through the Versio platform, with each of our five channels split between two ADC Air Clients, which let us monitor and control multiple playout and ingest channels from a single UI. Our operators are very comfortable with this setup, as we have been using ADC for years, and the Versio is mostly hands off. 

Automating our workflow helps simplify all our on-air operations, and the fact that our operators don’t have to touch it illustrates the reliability of the Air Client and how well it works. The playlist is everything, and the Versio platforms just run and run. 

Managing Growth
As time goes on, our services keep developing, and Imagine products enable us to grow alongside them.For example, our tie-in with the Nebraska Legislature requires a big commitment to record facilities, and we recently upgraded our Nexio servers to provide the capacity for 16 HD record channels. Next year we’ll add English and Spanish captioning to the Legislature—for each floor debate as well as all its hearing rooms—which we are obliged to copy for the public archives.

Finally, like most of our broadcast peers, we are starting to plan for the inevitable transition to IP, and we know that Imagine gateway products enable a hybrid environment and gradual migration to ST 2110. 

Al Krause is network operations manager at Nebraska Public Media. He can be reached at akrause@nebraskapublicmedia.org.

More information is available at https://imaginecommunications.com.

SINGAPORE—The leading independent Philippine broadcaster TV5, which is part of the MediaQuest Group, has implemented a comprehensive playout system built on Imagine Communications’ Versio integrated playout platform and ADC automation system. 

The fully integrated and automated architecture helps TV5 to streamline their master control workflows, improve operational efficiencies and easily expand as their business evolves, the companies said. 

“We chose Imagine Communications’ solution because of its flexibility and scalability and because it readily integrated with our existing technology,” said Ronaldo A. Hernandez, office-in-charge (OIC), network engineering at TV5. “Additionally, the graphical user interface is completely intuitive, bringing simplicity of operations and allowing our teams to be up and running very quickly. The new system provides increased efficiency and reliability that enables us to build on our existing workflows without impacting our daily operations and ensures that we deliver the engaging content our viewers demand.”

Hernandez added that “we are pleased with Versio Graphics, which simplifies the graphics creation process and enables us to support logo, real-time animation, video or audio clip, text crawler, dynamic branding (now, next and later), and DVEs. The two SDI inputs allow the playout to switch the two live feeds back-to-back seamlessly. Additionally, the multiple outputs can be configured on Versio to serve different purposes, whether the output is for the main branded program, clean, pre-set, branded+ or simulcast.”

The new system provides a scalable and flexible playout solution for the two flagship channels, TV5 and One News, as well as support for other channels and comprehensive media management. The master control system includes shared storage built on Imagine’s Versio IOX platform, which in turn integrates with the broadcaster’s legacy NAS storage and archive network, ensuring easy access to all stored content, the companies reported. 

Playout uses Imagine’s software-defined Versio solution configured as full 2+2 redundancy for the main channels and as a 3+1 playout network to support the broadcaster’s other operations, including separate feeds for the ISDB digital terrestrial output. Imagine’s ADC automation provides system level control, managing asset movements as well as precision playout. An intuitive graphical user interface makes it even easier to use, while offering a high level of channel security with alarms and logs to the system, Imagine said. 

The MCR installation is completed with Imagine’s Platinum IP3 router. As well as switching all the facility’s signals, under both automatic and manual control, the router includes integrated multiviewer functionality, which allows operators to create monitoring setups to meet their precise requirements. Because the multiviewers are integral to the router, it enabled TV5 to simplify the installation, reduce cabling and rack requirements, and minimize power consumption.

“TV5 is typical of a broadcaster needing to bridge legacy technology with a software-centric future,” said Mathias Eckert, senior vice president and general manager of APAC and EMEA at Imagine Communications.  “The powerful combination of Versio and ADC provides TV5 with a secure, flexible, dynamic playout solution that can address their needs today and into the future ― and we look forward to supporting TV5 as it continues its ongoing growth and development.”

The system design was developed by Imagine Communications and TV5 and was installed in the Mandaluyong broadcast center by Imagine’s partner and system integrator Composite Technology, Inc.

More information about Imagine Communications is available here. 

DUBAI—Imagine Communications recently worked with MBC Group, a media company serving the Middle East and North Africa, to implement a new playout infrastructure designed to protect revenue streams through multiple, interlocking redundancies and provide expansion opportunities.

The entire Imagine playout solution at MBC Group’s headquarters in Dubai Media City has been implemented in software running on COTS hardware. Imagine’s Versio modular playout system was key for the installation, enabling MBC to add new channels and functionalities without disrupting daily broadcast operations.

With Versio Graphics, MBC can use Adobe After Effects to create and modify sophisticated graphics in real time, including while on air. The touchscreen-based Versio Master Control Surface, meanwhile, provides live control functionality, simplifying and streamlining MBC’s workflow.

The addition of Versio is part of the first phase of MBC’s new playout center, which is now equipped to deliver 11 premium HD channels, with full N+N redundancy and seamless failover. Centralized control of the Versio playout channels, graphics and master control, as well as third-party devices, is handled by Imagine’s ADC automation. There is also the Versio IOX high-performance storage unit that delivers large-scale shared storage.

Imagine’s Nexio+ AMP video servers are used to manage content ingest with content workflows controlled using the Nexio Motion workflow orchestrator, in conjunction with the Versio IOX. The software-defined architecture provides interfaces to external workflows, including traffic and scheduling and data sources for on-air graphics.

The Platinum IP3 router from Imagine is also used to switch SDI source materials and live feeds. Imagine’s Magellan SDN Orchestrator software control system handles signal management and will allow for IP/SDI expansion in future phases.

“Our software approach means MBC can scale the solution almost infinitely, in terms of number of channels, it’s geo-diversity and, where required, additional functionality,” said Anas Hantash, head of Middle East, South Asia and North Africa for Imagine. “All this is a solution that comfortably meets MBC’s CAPEX and OPEX targets, while establishing a strong platform for growth in the future.”

The new playout system went online for MBC in March.

HUNT VALLEY, Md.—Early in 2020, Sinclair made the business and operational decision to migrate three of our national networks—Comet, Charge! and TBD—to automation and playout in the public cloud. This entirely new infrastructure and services platform allowed us to take a green field approach and let us consider how we really wanted to operate.

As a broadcaster, we sought to add value by streamlining the media supplychain and operations workflows, automating processes to remove manual touch points and reducing the effort required to build and maintain racks of equipment. We looked to remove the hardware wherever practical and move the signaling processes from manual operations to embedded in the creation of the linear stream itself.

We had some experience in public cloud playout in the past, with Imagine Communications as our primary technology partner. It made sense to build on this experience, as we were already familiar and comfortable with the Versio platform. This time we decided to originate these channels from Versio playout instances controlled by Versio automation and running within AWS.

FAST AND SIMPLE

The first thing to say about cloud playout and automation is that it is swift to implement. Our timeline was to design in April, start implementation in May and finish in the third quarter. That left us with development testing in June and production deployment in July and August, in time for shadowing in September when we also went on air. All this took place in a year when external forces limited everybody’s mobility and every design, implementation and training session was remote.

This is a big point in favor of the cloud. With automated infrastructure deployments, you can build large infrastructures in days, not weeks, and without any requirement for hands-on servers, switches and storage.

The second point is that this migration allowed us to streamline our playout operations with extensive automation. The software and infrastructure now leverage the metadata that accompanies our media to ensure it’s in the correct distribution path with the correct segment timings, and that any information that does need manual review is handled by exception.

Public cloud serverless computing means our traffic team no longer works from a spreadsheet—the BXF segment timings are reformatted, embedded in a message and distributed.

EVOLVING WITH THE TIMES

Similar to letting our metadata drive multiple outputs, our linear stream itself now serves multiple distribution paths. Our streams used to be created individually, with broadcast sent to LTN Global for distribution and separately sent to digital encoders for OTT. Now the same stream serves broadcast and digital using embedded signaling.

What are the results? First and most obvious, we are much more efficient. We have increased our capability for ad delivery and distribution, which is critical to any media company.

Second, we are no longer constrained by hardware, making our operations more flexible. We’re not stuck making assumptions that we’ll need to live with or face as obstacles in the future. We’ll build the system we need now and as business requirements change, we can change with them.

Essentially, our architecture does not age, it evolves. As AWS, Imagine or one of the other partner providers innovate, we can quickly take advantage of any new capabilities.

It becomes a living system on which we can improve and innovate at any time we choose. That gives us remarkable flexibility as a broadcaster: The freedom to efficiently match infrastructure and operations to business models.

Mike Kralec is vice president of Technical Operations and deputy CTO at Sinclair Broadcast Group, responsible for media technology and operations. He can be contacted at mkralec@sbgtv.com.

For more information, contact Imagine Communications at 866-446-2446 or visit www.imaginecommunications.com.

DUBAI, UAE—Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (SBA) in March went live with an Imagine Communications disaster recovery (DR) solution that ensures business continuity and protects the broadcaster’s program archive at its backup center in Al Thaid, UAE.

At the IP-SDI hybrid disaster recovery site, SBA, formerly called Sharjah Media Corp., is using software-defined technology in a primarily IP-connected environment, said Imagine. The site provides full DR for four SBA TV stations, which also rely on an Imagine playout solution.

The new system will support a software-defined network-based expansion of SBA’s operations, including new channels to reach fresh audiences in the Emirate and throughout the region, said Imagine.

“This project is a really important step on our migration path toward IP networks and virtualization,” said Aisha Alzareef, SBA director of broadcast technology and information systems. “Collaborating with Imagine helps us ensure that our technical and operational teams understand the challenges of these new technologies.”

The implementation of the new IP-centric DR solution puts SBA “in a great position to prepare plans for future developments and the complete migration of our main playout center,” he said.

The new DR site maintains perfect synchronization with the broadcaster’s main site and provides full content mirroring, said Imagine. This is the system’s main benefit because the design provides for a seamless switchover in the event of a problem.

SBA is using the Imagine Versio virtualized integrated playout solution, providing a geographically dispersed operation as the centerpiece of its DR deployment. The Versio software runs on commercial off-the-shelf hardware from Hewlett Packard Enterprises. The setup provides full automation and playout in addition to server and content management, graphics, storage, master control switching and management of synchronization and mirroring.

To support its legacy SDI infrastructure, the broadcaster is relying on a Platinum VX router and Selenio MCP processing platform. The design provides for SDI-IP conversion. An Epic MV multiviewer provides SBA with a comprehensive means to monitor the entire operation.

SBA is using an Imagine Magellan SDN Orchestrator software control system to manage and control its legacy infrastructure as well as incorporate next-gen technologies, switching and interworking between HD, Ultra HD and uncompressed, real-time SMPTE ST 2110 streams, Imagine said.

HUNT VALLEY, MD.—Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBG) is one of the largest and most diversified broadcasting groups in the nation. In 2017, we launched KidsClick, a national, animated programming block for kids available across both broadcast and digital platforms.

With plans to roll out KidsClick to many of our nearly 200 affiliates nationwide, we were looking for a scalable playout foundation that would allow local stations to customize the content and target their advertising. We also needed a solution that would make economic sense for a service that runs only three hours a day.

FULLY VIRTUALIZED APPROACH

It sounded to us like a classic case for the cloud. We worked with Imagine Communications to develop a platform that would provide the scalability, flexibility and geo-dispersion we needed by putting the resources in the public cloud.

Imagine delivered a fully virtualized approach to playout and content delivery. The solution enabled us to achieve cost efficiencies and speed to market that we could not have met using a traditional, on prem playout architecture. We believe this is one of the most advanced commercial deployments of cloud-based playout to date, as it breaks new ground in terms of scalability, flexibility and operational efficiency.

The core of the system uses Imagine’s Versio Platform, a software-only, cloudnative, microservices-based playout solution. An instance of Versio Platform, running a unique playlist, content and ad load, is assigned to each affiliate. Stations can customize their programming and target advertising to their market and time zone. Every time another station joins KidsClick, we simply spool up another instance.

Most importantly, because the solution is running in the public cloud, processor and server resources are automatically allocated when needed, then released when the task is complete.

Imagine’s SelenioFlex File file-based processing solution—also running in the public cloud—provides any required transcoding, format conversion, bitrate adjustments and audio processing. Both Versio Platform and SelenioFlex File are built on Imagine’s Zenium microservices architecture, which means that we can incorporate new capabilities and features as our business demands them, simply by adding new software services.

We manage KidsClick from our Las Vegas NOC. Here, the only processing we need is monitoring and quality assurance. This is provided by another Zenium-powered product, the EPIC MV multiviewer. Again, this is ready for future upgrades when we need them as the installation is UHD ready.

Enterprise-grade connectivity is of course critical to a cloud-based delivery system. For our KidsClick service, technology from LTN Global Communications provides managed and secure paths from the cloud to our SBG affiliates.

The business benefits of this solution for SBG are clear. Running this service in the cloud gives us near limitless scalability and resource elasticity. We can provision a new service virtually instantly, by simply commanding another instance of Versio Platform. It means we can work toward customized content and commercial payload for each affiliate. This gives them the chance to increase customer loyalty and generate new revenue through richer ad targeting. All without the need to plan investments in time and capital to build hardware playout chains.

Finally, KidsClick is giving us experience and confidence in software-defined, virtualized mission-critical applications that we can carry forward into more cloud deployments in the future.

As the CTO for Sinclair Broadcast Group, Del Parks is responsible for the oversight and coordination of all Sinclair technology efforts and operational deployments. He can be reached atdparks@sbgtv.com.

For more information, visitwww.imaginecommunications.comor call 866-446-2446.

AMSTERDAMS–In advance of the 2018 IBC Show starting later this week at the RAI in Amsterdam, Imagine Communications says its Versio microservices-based playout solution has become “the platform of choice for global media companies at every stage of the transition to next-generation technology.” In the last three months alone, Imagine says customers worldwide have used Versio to put more than 100 channels on air.

Combined with the company’s Zenium microservices platform, the Versio playout solution has gone from “pioneering to proven,” according to Steve Reynolds, president of Playout and Networking at Imagine Communications.

“Imagine was a very early advocate for cloud-native and microservices-based innovation, and it took time for the industry to understand and accept this significant technology shift,” he said. “Time and time again, we have shown that no other system provides the flexibility or the time to market advantage of Versio.”

At IBC2018, Imagine will demonstrate a complete Versio-based playout and media workflow platform spanning from ingest, prep and playout to automation, graphics, master control and branding. The company will also showcase various transition scenarios that allow customers to gradually layer in new features and capabilities that the Versio playout engine offers—and migrate from traditional to next-generation playout operations at a pace that works for their operation, whether in a traditional broadcast center, a data center, or private or public cloud.

Over the past year, Imagine says Versio has been deployed by media companies around the world in multiple applications including Atresmedia, a Spanish commercial broadcaster that complemented its existing Versio integrated playout installation with a Versio-based disaster recovery playout center; Jawapostv, an Indonesian news broadcaster that chose Versio for the upgrade of its master control room for HD playout operations; and Dubai’s Abu Dhabi Media, which used Versio as the foundation for a full upgrade of its central technical facility, which currently supports playout of 15 HD channels, but is future-proofed to incorporate IP connectivity.

[Read: IBC2018 Preview: Transforming Theory To Application]

France Télévision used Versio to undertake the first large-scale hybrid SDI/IP playout implementation in the country as part of an upgrade of its master control functionality for France Ô, which provides television services for the nation’s overseas territories. In addition, French operator Médias du Sud chose Versio to support the “VIA” initiative that formed the basis of the first national grouping of local TV stations in France. Médias du SUD/VIA plans to eventually extend to cover 30 stations, all driven from the same central playout data center.

In Thailand, True Visions, a leading cable and satellite operator in the country deployed Versio—in a playout architecture that took just four weeks to set up—to deliver the FIFA World Cup in 4K Ultra HD to its subscribers. The deployment represented what Imagine says is “the first Ultra HD channel in Southeast Asia.”

In the U.S. Sinclair Broadcast Group is using Versio in a fully virtualized public environment for its KidsClick Diginet, using the public cloud to distribute the channel’s children’s programming in a Software as a Service (SaaS) environment to affiliates across the country.

“The scalability and customization capabilities that the public cloud approach offers is unlike anything we could do using a traditional, on-premises model,” said Del Parks, CTO, SBG. “And since we’re only delivering this programming for a few hours a day, the flexibility of originating in the public cloud is a far superior alternative to purchasing traditional equipment that would sit idle for many hours at a time.”

Imagine Communications will be in Stand #4.01 at the Amtrium in the RAI. 

HONG KONG—Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) has a new channel, the MRTV Entertainment Channel, and has tapped Imagine Communication’s Versio integrated playout system for support.

The Versio system combines automation, branding, graphics, file server, storage and master control capabilities in an integrated environment. The playout system is able to simplify the creation and management of MRTV Entertainment Channel, while also providing high-quality content and graphics to viewers.

The MRTV Entertainment Channel airs movies and educational programs on Digital Terestrial on DVBT2 across Myanmar.