MUNICH, Germany—Regional German broadcaster Südwestrundfunk (SWR) has deployed the Rohde & Schwarz Pixel Power graphics and playout solution.
Based in Baden-Baden, Germany, SER is part of the German federated ARD consortium. It provides the primary playout facilities for its own channels and other southern German broadcasters, including Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR), Hessischer Rundfunk (HR) and Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR).
SWR chose a software-defined playout replacement for its existing playout infrastructure as it reached its end-of-life. Having graphics and branding integrated into the solution was a key part of SWR’s strategy.
“In our search for a modern playout solution, we wanted a solution that is truly future-proof, flexible and highly scalable,” said SWR project matter Udo Fettig. “Gallium and StreamMaster are our chosen solutions providing all necessary information in one graphical user interface, without restrictions. We could lay the system out to suit all our operational workflows.”
The broadcaster required the ability to manage live events and schedule breaks as well as add live graphics, ranging from lottery results to severe weather warnings. The new system also offers a text-to-speech function to meet the needs of the visually impaired in emergencies, Rohde & Schwarz said.
The Rohde & Schwarz Pixel Power Gallium and StreamMaster software applications run on commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware. They can operate on premises, in the cloud or as a hybrid, the company said.
They also support remote access. SWR has already run output with the solution’s channel controller from a home office location without sacrificing the flexibility and interactivity needed for live breaks and unscheduled events, it said.
More information is available on the company’s website.
