PlayBox Technology will promote the latest additions to its range of broadcast playout and channel branding solutions at NAB New York, Javits Convention Center (booth 848), November 9-10. PlayBox Technology representatives will include CEO Pavlin Rahnev and USA sales manager Van Duke.

"The PlayBox Technology AirBox channel-in-a-box system has long been popular with television networks in the USA and around the world," Pavlin Rahnev commented. "Many broadcasters are now upgrading to the latest Neo software which is available as part of our annual maintenance contract. Neo attracted huge interest at the April 2016 NAB Convention in Las Vegas, with queues for demonstrations every day of the show.

"NAB New York gives us the opportunity to present our CIAB solutions to East Coast broadcasters in their home territory. AirBox Neo makes the best even better, adding a host of features including the ability to ingest and output SD, HD and 4K UHD within a single server. ProductionAirBox Neo incorporates extra features for use in broadcast news studios, sports and live production. Both products are very easy to install and operate. Neo systems can be configured from a range of nine modules to match practically any desired workflow."

"We will also be demonstrating AirBox Neo in a highly innovative combination with our CloudAir system," added Van Duke. "This allows broadcast channel management, playout and archiving to be conducted via PlayBox Technology cloud-based software. CloudAir enables a new channel to be started at very short notice without needing upfront capital investment in hardware. It is controlled entirely from a standard PC via a secure internet connection.

"CloudAir has an extremely wide range of applications ranging from large scale network operation to red-button supplementary channels, offsite archiving and offsite emergency-recovery. CloudAir also gives universities, companies and indeed any organisation the ability to deliver online television content relevant to a specific theme."

AirBox Neo adds UHD capabilities to the core PlayBox Technology content playout system which now supports UHD, HD and SD in single server. New features include a streaming input supporting HTTP, HTTP Secure, UDP, RTMP, MMS, MMSH and YouTube. RTMP Streaming Output improvements have also been added, allowing easy web streaming. AirBox Neo comes with a virtual output which now supports multiple instances. Third-party product support has been extended to Ross NK series routers and the Horita TR-100 timecode reader. Timecode can now be applied to MOV files. Multiple DeckLink cards can now be used for multi-channel ad insertion. Enhancements have also been made to the clip trimmer and audio level control. AirBox Neo is designed for 24/7 unattended operation. It can also be operated manually, including the ability to handle live-to-air throughput. 

ProductionAirBox Neo is a media manipulation and delivery system with the near-zero latency demanded for the fast-paced work environment of broadcast news, sports and live production. A wide range of file formats and resolutions can be imported into the playlist, with up to 16 digital audio channels to accommodate multi-channel multi-language programmes. The feature set also includes forward or reverse shuttle at up to 32x speed, mixing of different video resolutions and formats in a single playlist, logical content trimming, multi-channel audio output, plus support for a wide variety of compression standards and media containers. The NewTek Network Device Interface (NDI) open protocol for IP production workflow is supported.

AdBox Neo enables content owners to maximise their business potential by targeting advertisements for specific audiences with ad insertion and Digital Programme Insertion (DPI) in both SD and HD, in either SDI or DVB (ASI/IP). It performs basic cost-effective digital ad insertion and can easily be scaled to meet the next-generation of targeted advertising solutions that are driving the revolution in today’s television advertising. In addition to ad insertion and DPI, AdBox Neo can include graphics capabilities ranging from simple logo insertion to full CG and interactive graphics insertion - using TitleBox Neo to enable a complete and very powerful local branding solution including SMS2TV. AdBox Neo can be installed locally or remotely at the headend and monitored and controlled via the internet. If required, many hundreds of hours of ad insertion and DPI can be scheduled and an entire stand-alone solution can be provided, or alternatively it can be integrated into the content owner’s current workflows and systems.

CaptureBox Neo allows HD or SD content to be captured from up to four video sources simultaneously. These can be monitored on a single screen and controlled via a streamlined user interface with enhanced multichannel control and operability. Audio levels can be monitored as loudness/true-peak displays and adjusted when required. Ingested content is available for playback seconds after ingest commences. Capture lists can be imported from third-party traffic systems.

EdgeBox Neo provides a tapeless file-based operation that has two parts: one integrated with the broadcast centre and the other at the remote site. At the broadcast centre it is fully integrated into the current or preferred systems including traffic, storage, MAM, ingest, transcoding and file transfer systems, or PlayBox Technology can provide these. This connects to the new remote EdgeBox site’s playout equipment via the public internet – making a huge cost saving over the traditional dedicated fibre or satellite links.

TitleBox Neo provides a wide range of interactive on-air graphics and titling capabilities which can be manipulated live. It includes substantial improvements for dealing with UHD projects as well as supporting HD and SD operation. A new API plug-in has been produced for use by PlayBox Technology development partners, allowing easy interfacing to third-party software devices. Improvements have also been made in dealing with ODBC data providers and RSS feeds. TitleBox Neo provides total control during on-air session, including text selection, running speed and transitions. The TitleBox feature set includes horizontal crawling text, vertically rolling credits and messages, still and animated logo graphics, analogue and digital clocks, banner slideshows and chat text with automated horizontal or vertical scrolling. Among the additional creative facilities are pre-constructed graphic components, video resizing (from live source or file), window-style display and website content ingest.

QCBox Neo analyses the relevant media files in a playlist, folder or selected files. Basic tests include checking for correct duration of streams, continuity (no missing or overlapped frames), frozen and black frames as well as audio tests, including loudness, phase and audio levels measurements. Test results are stored in a metadata file that accompanies the media file. The metadata file is checked prior to programme playout on AirBox Neo,and the AirBox Neo playout can be configured to skip the file, show a warning before playing the file, or play the file depending on the data parameters. In addition, the loudness measurement data from QCBox Neo can be used for automatic adjustment of the audio playback levels.

SafeBox Neo replicates remote content to local playout server folders for safe transmission. It implements a new graphic interface plus new significantly faster processing for moving primary or copied content to the playout and central storage servers. In addition, a new workflow routine protects content being overwritten. Expired daily schedule content is automatically deleted or moved to a predefined folder for manual deletion or archiving. Deletion can be performed automatically or by manual approval of deletion lists. Files can also be assigned specific protection to prevent removal from network sources. SafeBox Neo can be operated in playlist-dependent or stand-alone mode. 

TimeShiftBox Neo is a dedicated product to meet the needs of satellite teleports, telecoms, international broadcasters and TV networks for delayed TV channel playout. It provides user-definable delay in 10 second increments up to seven days, logo overlay and multichannel audio. Audio is kept with all SDI ancillary data intact. Configurations include single-channel SD-SDI/HD-SDI or dual-channel SD-SDI/HD-SDI. For enhanced reliability the hardware is protected with features including RAID-protected media storage and redundant hot-swap power supplies.

CloudAir is a development of the EdgeBox remote playout concept which is used by many broadcasters around the world. Core software running on a proven server is located at the broadcaster's choice of remote playout facility, typically a 24/7 service provider in whichever town, city, country or continent the broadcaster prefers. Management of playout schedules, ad sales, media management and monitoring are all performed in the usual way on the broadcaster's premises via a fire-walled IP link. Integral to CloudAir are templates which customers can preconfigure to match their requirements, eliminating any need for subsequent manual interference. Every clip in a playout schedule, except the one which is currently playing, is accessible for trimming, editing or repositioning. CloudAir gives operators the freedom to change playlist order on the fly using commands such as skip-to-next or jump. Changes can be performed seamlessly without stopping the current playout session.