IBC: Playbox Features Low-cost Worldwide Local Playout


Playbox Technology has signed an agreement with Step2e to offer a cost-effective, and fully integrated traffic and playout system for television broadcast applications. Named TrafficBox, the new product is set for launch at IBC2010.

TrafficBox draws on the talents of both companies to provide a complete range of fully integrated traffic management and broadcast playout capabilities. TrafficBox ties a wide range of activities together into one coherent system that includes scheduling, traffic and rights management, planning, as-run logging, sales, statistics, billing and pre-billing. It allows the creation of long and short-term programme grids down to frame-accurate run lists including live, tape or video server events for single or multi-channel clients.

PlayBox also will show the new AirBox playout server , which supports Windows 7. New playback capabilities include simultaneous scaling (picture-in-picture) of both live input and playlist output. Also, multiple live video sources allow the simultaneous output of "common" live with the additional playlist live source. Other new capabilities include a DTMF Generator, multi-channel audio support within a new multi-format playout plug-in, multi-audio control (reordering the audio streams), dynamic WSS, per-clip field order and aspect ratio description, live UDP / SDI without time limit, Macromedia Flash playback support (.FLV files), as well as Deltacast video output card support including SD and HD plus CC ETA 708 (608).

Also shown will be an Edge Server, the centrepiece of the company’s unattended automated remote playout solutions that enable the full operation and monitoring of distant broadcast playout. This can use public Internet as the link for all content delivery, control and monitoring. Customisable to fit user requirements, single and multi-channel operation and full equipment redundancy are available. Rather than offering only unbranded generic feeds, the PlayBox automated remote playout solution can allow the complete localisation of content branding, including commercials, station IDs, multilingual audio, subtitles and graphics. This makes possible low-cost worldwide local playout from any network operations location.

Playbox Technology will be at stand 8.C30.