PRINCETON, N.J.—The triumvirate of Triveni Digital, Digital Alert Systems and Ohio Educational Television Stations, Inc., recently collaborated on the creation of Ohio Digital EAS (OEAS). This IP-based delivery system distributes emergency information to the public and first responders using datacast technology from Triveni and a software-based emergency messaging delivery platform from DAS. The alerts and government communications are distributed through Ohio’s 12 public television stations.
WOSU-TV Chief Engineer Tim Kelly (right) Shows OETS Project Manager Dave Carwile the Testing Setup for the OEAS System
The OEAS uses DAS’ DASEOC emergency operations center to aggregate all emergency messaging originating from the federal government, state or county authorities, into a single data stream compatible with ATSC broadcasts.
Triveni’s SkyScraper datacast technology is then used as the final step to insert the stream into stations’ digital broadcast signal. SkyScraper allows the stations to organize and target content to receivers, allocate bandwidth and insert content into broadcast streams, and extract content from broadcast streams and have it available for users. The state’s EMA headquarters features SykScraper’s DataFab and DataHub components to create an EAS message stream that is distributed to all Ohio PTV stations by secure fiber into over-the-air broadcast signals.
A digital TV data receiver and an integrated DASLC emergency content management server make messaging content available to any EAS equipment in its native format on the user end.
In addition, the OEAS system features a content-agnostic architecture that can transport digital content, including non-public messaging like data and live video. Any properly formatted digital signal can be delivered using the OEAS system, which will allow it to still be utilized when broadcasters transition to an ATSC 3.0 infrastructure.
The Ohio project was funded by the Corporation of Public Broadcasting.
