Pebble Beach Systems To Demo Marina

At IBC2017, Pebble Beach Systems will highlight how its ingest, content management and multi-channel automation solution can help broadcasters manage their multi-lingual playout operations.

Playing out channels across regions where content is delivered in multiple languages brings a specific set of challenges for the broadcaster or service provider. Managing all of the audio, voiceover and subtitling requirements is complex and when files are missing, fail to play, or require substitution the situation can rapidly become unmanageable, particularly when Dolby surround sound needs to be considered.

Pebble Beach Systems has developed a series of tools for its Marina automation system which simplify the management of complex multi-lingual workflows and help to ensure that the language playout conditions will be met, whether the services are being delivered via SDI or IP.

When a broadcaster wants to use a single playlist to originate several channels with multiple IP outputs for different language requirements, all of the audio tracks, voiceovers and subtitle files that need to be played out are associated with the correct channel. Marina has the ability to handle multiple output audio configurations from a single SDI or IP player. Its configuration tools enable the creation of bespoke language sets, so that audio and subtitle sets can be grouped for different territories or regions.

Marina also detects the language within the MXF file when the content is received, and if a file should fail to play, or the preferred language file is not available when the content is delivered, its configuration rules enable the dynamic substitution of the next preferred language file. Marina is able to dynamically determine the correct audio channel mapping on an event-by-event basis.

"As content providers acquire rights to distribute media worldwide, the demand to produce and play out content in multiple languages is increasing. This typically involves the acquisition, management and control of multiple-language versions of each piece of core content. However, efficiently managing this media while keeping international playout centers cost-effective, can be a truly daunting task," explained Ian Cockett, CTO at Pebble Beach Systems.

www.pebble.tv