EbonyLife TV Goes Live with PlayBox Technology

The installation includes ingest, storage, content management, channel branding and playout automation using PlayBox Technology’s flagship AirBox and TitleBox servers. EbonyLife TV is based at Studio Tinapa, Nigeria’s ultra-modern ‘Nollywood’ movie production centre at Calabar in Cross River State.
"We wanted a no-hassle complete automation workflow from one vendor," comments EbonyLife TV founder and seasoned broadcaster Mo Abudu. "PlayBox Technology has an excellent reputation in Africa and worldwide both for the robustness of its control and playout systems and for the efficient support it provides during initial planning, installation, training and onsite testing. Our production staff like the system’s fast and logical user interface which gives them all the information and control they need to perform each specific task.
Our technical management team recognise and appreciate the system’s reliability. Knowing that it works and is fully protected by redundant PlayBox Technology servers, we are able to concentrate on our main objective of originating entertaining and informative programmes."
"EbonyLife TV produces a large proportion of its content in house," adds PlayBox Technology Managing Partner and Director, Sales, Don Ash. "For that reason, it needed a solution which could capture and pass live video and audio content as well handle pre-prepared files. The system we have provided is capable of easy expansion if or when the station introduces additional channels. It was installed over a two week period prior to the channel going live at the beginning of July."
"The system was assembled in our test centre and configured to suit the requirements of EbonyLife before being delivered," says PlayBox Technology UK Sales Director Ben Gunkel. "Dual high-definition servers drive the channel output. The media asset management and traffic system power the operation before going to air. A PlayBox Technology MAM server allows operators to access their growing content library. The traffic system provides advanced scheduling with forward planning and reporting for the advertising sales team."
EbonyLife TV is Africa’s first Global Black Multi-Broadcast Entertainment Network and multi-platform broadcaster. Its aim is to reach Africa’s most important target demographic, the custodians of the present and the future. EbonyLife produces and broadcasts non-stop original programming with world-class production values through a variety of engaging platforms that include TV, mobile, online, apps and live. EbonyLife is positioned to be the home of the best of African content available. EbonyLife TV is a subsidiary of Media and Entertainment City Africa (MEC Africa) located in the serene surroundings of Tinapa, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.
PlayBox Technology is an international communications and information-technology company serving the broadcast, corporate and digital signage markets in more than 100 countries. It is dedicated to the research, design, development and provision of the best products, systems, solutions and services. Users cover a wide range of today’s broadcast activities and include start-up TV channels, webcasters, DVB (IP/ASI) TV channels, interactive TV and music channels, film channels, remote TV channels and disaster recovery channels as well as satellite, local, regional, national and international broadcasters.
Read the article in the online edition of Regional Film & Video here.
(MH/CD)