Prime Image Introduces Software Time Tailor

Prime Image has released Software Time Tailor (STT), a tool that allows broadcasters to optimise the runtime of broadcast-quality video.

STT has the same functionality of Prime Image's established hardware-based Time Tailor 3500 and Time Tailor Digital Media Controller (DMC) products, but can run either in a cloud environment or on a generic Dell server in the customer's data centre. All of Prime Image's Time Tailor products provide automated micro-editing of content that maintains creative intent while creating run time for additional revenue generating opportunities.

Prime Image customers have also used the product for the automated trimming of content and for reducing the perception of propagation delay in studio-remote broadcasts.

"The Software Time Tailor cloud service/virtual machine software delivers unmatched performance, automation, flexibility, utilisation and QoS," said Michael Mayfield, CEO, Prime Image. "Tasks can now be automated that had required manual processes before. The embedded transcoder delivers flexibility and more autonomy for retiming jobs, and seamless integration in to MAM and other automation systems allows the virtualisation of retiming tasks."

The STT runs on Linux or Windows operating systems in a virtual machine configuration, and cloud service is an option using Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure. It can automate playout clock distributions for broadcast and OTT media assets, and reduce the bandwidth of OTT streams and the size of an operation media archive.

Standard features include retiming automation; multi-segment retiming with segment in/out points defined using timecode; an embedded transcoder that supports MOV, MXF, and Mp4 containers and broadcast codecs; 1080psf24, 1080i, 720P, and NTSC /PAL SD format support; up to 16 channels of audio processing with multi-track per channel formats; a tempo regulator to dynamically manage drop rate to eliminate audio tempo variation; and faster than real-time processing on a single asset with these results varying by codec and retime rate.

In addition to the cloud service, other optional features include support for frame accurate closed captions; slate and black slug formatting at program start or between segments; a vertical cut log file that specifies all vertical cuts expressed in timecode or frames; a chapter retiming mode; and a black slug formatting mode to normalise black slugs in OTT streaming assets.

www.primeimage.com