PlayBox Neo will demonstrate the latest additions to its range of broadcast TV channel branding and playout solutions at the April 16th-19th NAB Show in Las Vegas.

Also on demonstration will be the latest-generation AirBox Neo-20 playout, ProductionAirBox Neo-20 production playout, Media Gateway live media delivery and distribution, and the Channel-in-a-Box television branding and playout system.

NAB Show Debut: EAS emergency alert management

The new EAS (Emergency Alert System) interface provides broadcasters with greater flexibility when airing emergency alerts and reduces the need for potential advertiser make-goods. Critical EAS data for crawls and audio is extracted within the AirBox Neo-20 streaming and broadcast playout module and the TitleBox Neo-20 character generator.

NAB Show Debut: Enhanced TS Time Delay

Designed for fully automated operation, TS Time Delay gives broadcast channel managers efficient control over program playout to multiple time zones. Time delay can be preset to run in fully hands-off mode or switched at any time to alternative offsets, including a zero delay output for each input. New features include built-in decoders and encoders plus the ability to transcode output stream parameters such as data format, video resolution and frame rate. Timing adjustment can now be adjusted over a wider range. Previously controllable from 15 seconds up to several days, channel-specific playout can now be delayed from 1 second to several months. Multiple channels can be controlled within a single AirBox Neo-20 server.

ProductionAirBox Neo-20 production playout

ProductionAirBox Neo-20 allows content manipulation and delivery to be performed with the near-zero latency demanded for fast-paced broadcast news, sports and live production. Features include the ability to trim or reposition every clip in a playout while the scheduled session is on-air. Commands such as next, jump or shuttle allow playout order to be modified seamlessly without interrupting the current playout session. ProductionAirBox Neo-20 can be configured to function as up to four independent players. Each player has a separate playlist and playout control. All four SDI interfaces can be assigned as a program or preview output. Single-channel or multi-channel user interfaces are available to streamline the operation. ProductionAirBox Neo-20 integrates easily with MOS-compatible solutions. Most recent of these is the recently announced agreement with SNews whose Arion software equips newsroom teams to monitor, search and filter incoming and archived content.

Media Gateway live media delivery and distribution

Media Gateway allows the entire process of playout routing and decoding to be handled in software. This eliminates the capital cost needed to operate hardware routers, codecs and related devices. Media Gateway can be installed onsite or in the cloud. Integral software codecs allow signals to be converted between SDI, NDI, SRT, UDP and RTP. Video and audio content can be sourced directly from a desktop screen and delivered as live feeds. A built-in multiviewer includes automated black-frame and frozen-frame alarms.

Channel-in-a-Box television branding and playout system

PlayBox Neo Channel-in-a-Box is a complete system providing all the facilities needed to create and maintain single or multiple television channels within a seamless workflow for local or remote control. Based on AirBox Neo-20 playout automation, it can be configured to any required scale from optional elements such as Capture Suite media ingest, TitleBox Neo-20 interactive character generation and graphics, and ListBox Neo-20 scheduling. Terrestrial, satellite, cable and IP-streamed transmission are all fully supported.

New TS Time Delay product integrated into PlayBox Neo Suite architecture.

AirBox Neo-20

• Implemented Drag’n’drop improvements for eMam Media Asset Management
• Implemented “StreamID” field in the UI
• Implemented support for EAS from DasDec device
• Implemented additional video stream data for DVB analyzers
• Implemented a brand new subtitles render engine
• Implemented “original language” for usage with external .wav files (xxx_ORG.wav)
• Implemented new BlackMagic Atem Switcher plugin (use 8.x SDK) support than more than one DSK control
• Implemented Capture Suite Control plugin settings per instance
• Implemented interface selection feature for TimeCode output when there are multiple LAN cards

TitleBox Neo-20

• Implemented support for EAS from DasDec device

Media Gateway – PlayBox Neo Suite Architecture

• Implemented support for internet radio stream source
• Improvements in decoding of video sources for MultiViewer
• Implemented display of CC errors for stream sources
• Implemented support for hardware accelerated ingest with Intel VGA (H.264 and HEVC)
• Implemented NDI 5.5.2 support
• Implemented RTMP input
• Implemented Audio alarms (missing audio, under/over level) for UDP/SRT/RTP/RTMP input and AirBox Neo-20 Virtual input
• Implemented Audio alarms for low disk space and low RAM resource
• Implemented support for BMD Mini Monitor card
• Windows VLAN Support
• Implemented MultiViewer for Capture Suite Ingests
• Implemented new MPEG2, H.264 and HEVC output Encoders
• Implemented SCTE support for the new Encoders
• Implemented “Encoder delay” information
• Optimized performance for Sony XDCAM Encoder
• HEVC conversion to 10bit enhancements.
• Zixi pull stream source Implementation
• Zixi push stream destination Implementation

Multi Playout Manager

• Implemented “append playlist” function
• Support for non-English language MS Windows OS
• Implemented license information window
• Implemented https protocol
• Implemented “state” for the pushed buttons
• Implemented “always on top” for currently playing clip

ProductionAirBox Neo-20

• Support for Stream Deck external device

MultiBackup Neo-20 Manager

• Optimized Resource usage when the PlayBox Neo Suite Switch Group plugin is used

Subtitle DVB Server Neo

• New subtitles render engine implementation