NAB 2015, Las Vegas #N1933: At NAB 2015, Pixel Power, the innovative supplier of broadcast graphics and automation solutions, is concentrating on how uncompromised graphics quality can be implemented in file-based, metadata-driven workflows using software-defined technology. Broadcasters in today’s competitive climate need to attract and retain audiences through strong brand identities and compelling marketing, and this is just one of the ways in which Pixel Power’s automated content production delivers.
Pixel Factory is the innovative automated content packaging solution from Pixel Power, which has their powerful Clarity Graphics software at its heart. Typical applications for Pixel Factory include the production of multiple versions of trailers and promos, based on standard templates, requiring minimal operator intervention. Pixel Factory supports any resolution – including 4k Ultra HD – and any codec and wrapper, so it is as powerful for online services as for linear channels.
Raycom Media in the USA is currently implementing Pixel Factory across its Fox affiliate stations, with the intention of boosting its promotional and marketing output while controlling costs. A major broadcaster in the Middle East found that using Pixel Factory to create promos and trailers for just four channels resulted in the saving of a full-time edit suite and operator, freeing the resources for more creative work.
Buzz is Pixel Power’s new platform for social media engagement, being seen for the first time in North America at NAB2015. Through a very simple user interface it filters, moderates and prepares social media comments for on-air display. Following a quick check from a producer, the comments are rendered in stunning quality in a Pixel Power LogoVision or Clarity graphics system, matching the graphics style of the programme, and are on air within seconds from being tweeted.
Pixel Power is also debuting a major new capability within their Gallium workflow for linear channels at NAB 2015. The DynamicJunction (DJ) feature can be used to automatically fill gaps in a schedule with compelling localised content, drawn from existing data sources within the broadcaster’s back-office infrastructure. This configurable rules-based approach to auto-scheduling of primary and secondary events is great for linear channels or regional feeds which have variable gaps in a schedule due to under or over-runs. The underlying technology is already in use by major international broadcasters and has improved audience retention by 80% over existing methods of dealing with the issue. DJ can also be used to auto-schedule secondary events, saving time in traffic departments and maximising the channel marketing opportunities at minimal additional cost.
“For more than 25 years, Pixel Power has enjoyed a reputation for the quality of our graphics output, and the creative tools we give designers to produce stunning images,” said James Gilbert, CEO of Pixel Power. “What our customers are telling us now is that they want their highly skilled, highly talented designers to focus on what they do best: creating new ideas. They are looking to us to take the dull, repetitive work away from the designer.”
Pixel Power is exhibiting at NAB 2015 (Las Vegas, 13 – 16 April) at booth number N1933.
