OmniBus Systems, the award-winning provider of comprehensive automation and content management solutions to the broadcast industry, announced the introduction of OmniBus iTX intelligent transmission software for IPTV applications. By replicating all the functions of master control to a very high level of sophistication, iTX enables IPTV service providers, online broadcasters, mobile TV services, content aggregators, and media portals to launch new services quickly, simply, and cost-effectively via a single software-based transmission solution.
"The entry of iTX into the IPTV world changes everything, opening the broadcast scene to newcomers from markets such as content providers, digital signage and IPTV services," said Jay Schwartzberg, OmniBus Systems vice president of worldwide sales for iTX. "The cost and complexity of traditional broadcast infrastructures previously was an obstacle to the launch of new channels and services. iTX eliminates that stumbling block, replacing the unwieldy broadcast infrastructure with an elegant, affordable, and infinitely scalable all-in-one transmission solution."
Modern broadcast infrastructures require a substantial amount of dedicated hardware, and coordination of all of the systems and related protocols to enable transmission can be both challenging and expensive. iTX system software solves this issue, serving as video server, master control, graphics, and logo inserter with functionality including automation, ingest, editing, and basic content management. This full-featured, format-independent, and bit rate-agnostic solution can mix DV, MPEG1, 2 & 4, AVI, and WMV formats freely and will scale incoming media of any resolution to the appropriate output format, enabling SD and HD content to be mixed on the same playlist.
"Nontraditional broadcasters are cognizant of the value proposition of an IP-based transmission solution, and they embrace our technology because they understand they can gain the benefits of traditional broadcast functionality by leveraging the very network infrastructures in which they already have invested millions or even billions," added Schwartzberg. "Because iTX is a modular system, these types of users can grow their IPTV broadcast business as their overall business models evolve."
As more and more broadcast content is distributed through various platforms, it becomes increasingly important that programming is well constructed, with an appealing look and feel made possible through sophisticated branding and smooth transitions between clips. iTX provides all of this functionality from a single flexible and intuitive drag-and-drop interface that allows operators to monitor and control multiple channels and schedules on-screen simultaneously.
Captions, logos, vision effects, and even audio effects are built into the interface, and a preview function allows the user to validate complete sequences before they air. Operational training requires just a day, which means that an iTX customer can get a new channel up and running overnight. The speed with which services can be launched on iTX gives the IPTV market much greater freedom and flexibility in responding to consumer demand.
Available with servers optimized with the latest AMD Opteron processors, as well as modifications that maximize bandwidth use and real-time video processing, iTX serves as an unusually easy-to-maintain and cost-effective playout solution for moderately-sized transmission facilities, emerging transmission markets, disaster recovery systems, or companies launching IPTV services.
More information about OmniBus Systems' groundbreaking iTX solution is available online at www.omnibus.tv.
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