Miranda Partners with Pebble Beach Systems

Miranda
Technologies has partnered with Pebble Beach Systems to offer a highly
automated, multi-channel playout system with graphics and an easier
transition path to IT-based operations.
“ Unlike other IT-based playout
equipment, which typically offers minimal interfacing with legacy hardware and
control systems, the new Miranda and Pebble Beach integration allows
broadcasters to retain their existing systems, while migrating cost-effectively
and securely to more streamlined playout,”
says David Jones, Senior
Vice-President – Playout and Graphics, at Miranda.
The
system is based on a tight integration between
Pebble
Beach
’
s
Neptune automation and Anchor media management, and
Miranda
’
s Xchannel playout server with advanced graphics.
“
We understand that migration to
IT-based solutions will be a gradual process
’
, said Ian Cockett, Technical
Director at Pebble Beach.
“
Not many customers can afford to
take the risk of big-bang solutions, and it
’
s essential to be able to fit new
equipment alongside existing architectures. Our combined solution can fit
painlessly into existing traffic and media management workflows.”
Miranda’
s Xchannel combines a video server, master
control switcher, and a branding processor, all in one, highly integrated
device. It
’
s operated by standard server and branding
automation protocols, making it easy to integrate with existing automation
systems. Xchannel is ideal for playing out the most demanding graphics, such as
complex interstitial and in-show promos, using Miranda
’
s XmediaSuite
“
smart templates
”
for real-time data-driven graphics with advanced logic.
Coupled
with IT-based storage systems,
Pebble
Beach’s Anchor media
management can be used to intelligently move clips and graphics to and from the
Xchannel playout and branding servers. The Anchor system integrates closely
with the Xmedia Suite graphics management tools to ensure that the correct
content is delivered in a timely fashion to the correct Xchannels.
This rich
integration allows the
Pebble
Beach automation to
manage secondary branding events directly, driving the graphics engine in the
Xchannel, to perform highly efficient graphic template population, rather than
relying purely on pre-rendered graphics or external databases. Miranda’s manual
graphics control capabilities can be used in parallel with this automation to
allow triggering of graphics during live content.