Pharos Communications at SBES 2004

Pharos Communications is to demonstrate major enhancements to the industry-leading Pharos Audio Server at SBES 2004.
These include remote ingest, offering full networking and media-management for voiceovers and programme repurposing.
Pharos Audio Server brings major advantages both to production and playout operations. Recordings can be made to the server without having to load, label and archive individual tapes, cartridges and discs. Audio content held on the Pharos Audio Server can be accessed rapidly using an integral SQL database, giving all the benefits of a massive library without risk of items being lost in transit from shelves of individually-archived storage media.
Audio files can be located quickly and used in playlists or played directly to air. Applications include radio announcements, programme store and forward, automated voiceover playout and multichannel audio playout. A record screen enables announcers or voiceover artists to make their own recordings. Also new from Pharos, Playtime iA (interActive) enables broadcasters to deliver dynamic presentation such as viewer-controlled games and vote-enabled content. Complex interactive audience-participation effects can be achieved reliably and efficiently under automated control. Playtime iA adds rules-based operation to the package principle developed for the original Playtime. Broadcaster-definable rules-based tracks allow interactive non-linear presentation, offering tremendous creative opportunity to programme designers. Playtime iA combines dynamic viewer-responsive presentation with reduced overall production costs. Next-event-to-air can be based on aggregated audience feedback or other data. Playtime iA is also ideal for managing audience reactions and playout from live studios.
(GB)