NEW STAND LOCATION – SL5922, NAB, Las Vegas: Pixel Power, the automation, branding and graphics innovator, is drawing on its pedigree of nearly 30 years of uncompromised excellence for its new generation of products. At NAB 2016 (Las Vegas Convention Center, 18 – 21 April) it will demonstrate new, highly productive software solutions that bridge the transition from today’s broadcast infrastructures to the IP connected future.
“The revolution is not about swapping IP for SDI, it is about seizing the potential of software-defined networks,” said James Gilbert, CEO of Pixel Power. “That means completely redefining the way we work, relying on tightly integrated software systems to automate dull and repetitive tasks, freeing talented broadcast staff to focus on what they do best.
"We saw that this was inevitable many years ago, so the main thrust of our development has been around putting our graphics excellence into an environment that invites software workflows,” he added. “Pixel Power is now delivering practical solutions to playout and automated content production which can exist in standalone devices, virtualized in the data centre or virtualized in the cloud.”
Leading the demonstrations at NAB will be the latest version of StreamMaster™ virtualized playout. Built on the Clarity 3D graphics engine, the modular software platform is designed to provide scalable facilities for anything from a pop-up channel to a full premium service, running on dedicated hardware, on a virtual machine or in the cloud.
The modular software architecture means it is format agnostic, and is ready for all variations of Ultra HD today. It is also scalable in terms of functionality and future growth. As well as operational efficiency it delivers impressive cost savings and offers new pricing models, including pay-as-you-go for trial channels and pop-up services.
Another important boost for productivity comes through automated content production. Pixel Factory™ adds to the proven Clarity 3D graphics engine the ability to use templates to generate large numbers of sophisticated clips such as promos, trailers and other marketing content. Creative editors set out the templates and provide the core information for each campaign, with the Pixel Factory automatically generating all the versions and resolutions for each clip. Broadcasters already using Pixel Factory report savings in post production time of 50% or more through the elimination of unproductive repetitive manual tasks.
“Pixel Power is well known for the quality of our graphics engines, and we have enjoyed great success in the market because of it,” emphasised Gilbert. “Our focus at NAB is on helping broadcasters and content companies make the best use of their creative teams, letting them concentrate on what makes them great and leaving our automated systems to do the rest.”
StreamMaster virtualized playout – in standalone hardware, in the data centre and in the cloud – Pixel Factory and the rest of the Clarity graphics family can be seen at the new location of the South Lower Hall at NAB 2016 on booth SL5922.
