Imagine Communications, empowering the media and entertainment industry through transformative innovation, will be demonstrating the proven readiness of a broad range of solutions to today’s real-world broadcast challenges at BIRTV 2017 (China International Exhibition Center, Beijing, 23 – 26 August). Technology from Imagine Communications, including its latest next-gen products, like the Selenio Network Processor (SNP), will be highlighted at the booth of the company’s partner in China, Century Sage Scientific Group (booth 8A02).
“The broadcast and media industry in China is very dynamic and looking towards new services, new creativity and new efficiencies,” said Joe Khodeir, senior vice president Asia Pacific at Imagine Communications. “At BIRTV we will be showing proven, ready-to-roll solutions in key areas for the media and entertainment market. Whether looking to increase offerings and monetisation in OTT or to improve quality through UHD, we are helping enterprises around the world move through the transition to new architectures like microservices and achieve new agility through IP connectivity.”
Demonstration at BIRTV 2017 will focus on three important market drivers: IP, OTT and UHD. In each area, complete and proven solutions will be demonstrated.
Central to the IP processing workflow is the new Selenio Network Processor, launched at NAB this year to handle uncompressed signals (including UHD) based on the SMPTE ST-2110 family of standards. The new standards are critical to interoperability in live IP production. Imagine Communications is committed to this open initiative, and will be demonstrating its compliance with the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) roadmap across its product portfolio. It will also be demonstrating hybrid SDI-IP solutions to allow a managed migration without putting current investment at risk.
OTT service providers are challenged to reach a very large number of platforms and IP-connected devices with timely content that can be monetised with targeted and relevant advertising. Compression solutions on display at BIRTV that assist media companies in meeting consumer demand include SelenioFlex Live for encoding in high-value applications, and the Selenio One XC which delivers software-based encoding for high-density applications, and supports as many as 360 HD channels in a single server. Imagine Communications has worked with Century Sage Scientific to provide integrated solutions using the company’s products in association with SelenioFlex File HD and Selenio One XC running on commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware. These OTT solutions will be demonstrations during BIRTV.
With interest growing in UHD, including 4K resolution and high dynamic range (HDR) extended colour gamut, Imagine Communications will offer solutions in storage and playout (Versio) and monitoring (EPIC MV). EPIC is Imagine’s hybrid SDI-IP, UHD-ready multiview monitoring solution. Versio will be demonstrated alongside Chinese playout automation technology on COTS hardware, showcasing an implementation-ready UHD solution. A practical consideration when launching UHD channels is the need to cross-convert with conventional HD material, and the working demonstration will include conversion solutions.
Discussions on the stand will place the emphasis on applying innovation in a practical manner to create cost-effective workflows. The Magellan SDN Orchestrator provides a control layer for both IP-connected and legacy SDI equipment, ensuring the most efficient and practical workflows can be designed today while allowing for a managed transition of the underlying technology.