Automation System

Technical Document – Release Version 1.0
Technical Document - Release Version 3.0
Brochure
Automation System
Play-out, Ingest and Scheduler in MCR
SI Media is a private
company founded in
1978 as a software house
for Television
management systems.
Today, SI Media is one of
the leading providers with
decades of experience in
the development and
deployment of Traffic,
Playout Automation,
Media Asset
Management and
NewsRoom solutions for TV
Broadcasters.
Table
of Contents
1. Automation .......................................................................... 2
2. Playout: MediaPlay ............................................................. 3
2.1 Multi Format ..................................................................................... 3
3. Scheduler: MediaList ........................................................... 5
3.1 Asset editing and Program creation......................................... 6
3.2 Short, medium and long term program scheduling ............. 6
4. Recording: MediaRec......................................................... 7
The SI Media Traffic,
Automation, MAM and
Newsroom systems are
available for deployment
either as stand-alone
solutions, or integrate in a
homogeneous workflow.
SI media solutions will
easily interface with all
the most popular
archiving systems, video
servers, CGs, Subtitle
inserters as well as other
traffic and automation
systems.
http://www.si-media.tv
1
1. Automation
Key Features:

Fully hardware
independent, IT platform,
Server-branded or mixed
workflows

Multiple file format
playout back to back
(minimize the need of
transcode)

Secondary events
manager (GPI, graphics,
cuetones,
countdowns...) fully
integrated with traffic
systems

Device manager
(device controller
application to interface
audio/video routers,
master control switcher,
graphics and character
generators, logo
generators, GPI, aspect
ratio converters..)

Last second changes on
play-list clips, sources
and graphics

Full integration with MAM
system to optimize copy

Total CG-on air control
manager, (animated
logos, 3D objects,
RSS/XML Text Crawls)

Automated up scaling
and down scaling
from/to SD/HD format
SI Media has a dedicated suite for the automation system
in Master Control Room.
SI Media’s automation can work indifferently in IT
environments; server branded solutions or mixed platforms.
The automation system is fully integrated with the other
parts of the system (MAM, Traffic, CG) in order to optimize
transfers and copies, and in general the time necessary to
execute the requests coming from the automation. The
backup (available in 1:1, 1:n and clone mode)
guarantees the continuity 24/7 in any case of failure. SI
Media provides also features to monitor the status of each
application and to immediately communicate any issue
by sms or e-mail to the operator.
The main application composing the Automation system
are MediaPlay, MediaRec and MediaList.
http://www.si-media.tv
2
2. Playout: MediaPlay
Key Features:

Guarantee of continuity
24/7 with MediaPlay BK
available in 1:1 and 1:n
(Stand-by Mode) or in
clone mode

Closed Captions and
Subtitles in multiple
formats and languages

Mix transitions between
any sources, including
live inputs

Loudness assessment
and adjustment

As-run log automated
generation to elaborate
reports from traffic
system

Emergency manager
with fillers/bumpers
playlists, alert monitoring
and error alarming;

Full integration with
streaming module to
create VOD

Play while ingest function
to put on-air and
incoming SDI or DVB/IP
signal

EPG generation
scheduled from traffic
system

Multiple playout
manager with
MediaViewer
MediaPlay is the SI Media application for Playout
Automation in MCR.
The software runs automatically 24/7/365 based on a
playlist done with MediaList or any 3rd party Traffic
software that can be easily integrated with the system
due to the open integration interface.
Furthermore many manual options are available from the
GUI (next, advance and delay manager, graphics trigger,
clips edit, emergency events, clips add/replacement,
etc).
MediaPlay Client interface
MediaPlay is hardware independent, support SD, HD, 4K
and DVB-IP playout and workflows, seamlessly updatable
without software or hardware changes.
2.1 Multi Format
MediaPlay can playout multiple formats in SD, HD, 4K and
DVB-IP. Mixed workflows are also supported and an
embedded
software
upscaler/downscaler
will
automatically convert on the flight the clips adapting
them to the defined output method.
http://www.si-media.tv
3
Below a table highlighting the various video codecs and
wrappers supported:
Multi-Format
Benefits:
 User-friendly interface
 Reliable TV playout
with numerous levels of
redundancy options
MediaPlay can run up to
n different formats at the
 SD, HD and 4K support
same time (both SD and
HD), removing the need
 Controls top video
for transcoding systems. It
servers brands in the
is fully compatible with 4K
market
(one of the first company
to comply it in the
 Extreme flexibility and
market).
scalability
SI Media can provide full
service to verify your files
 Customizable to meet
before the start of the
specific Customer’s
installation.
needs
 Full integration via Mos
Hardware independent
with several Traffic and
Media Assetcan
MediaPlay
work
Management
systems
indifferently in IT-based,
server branded or mixed
environments,
Numeric andensuring
graphicalin
configurable
both
cases reliability and
countdowns
maximum stability.
Integration with videoservers
Automatic
or manual
is performed
both
graphics management
via VDCP protocol and
via API’s, thanks to all the
 MediaPlay CLIENT
partnerships
we’ve
application for more
established
in these
deeply and
easily years.
customizations of the
interface for each user
Video Codec
Wrappers
Available
Bitrate
Mb/s
SD
MPEG-1
-
Range

MPEG-2
H-263
H-264
MPG, AVI ,
MOV, MXF,
I MX
MPG, MOV,
AVI
MPG, MOV,
AVI , FLV, MP4

HD
4K
IP

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Range
Range
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Range
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Flash
FLV
Range

DV25
DVCPRO50
DVCPRO100
DI VX
JPEG 2000
AVC I ntra
Window s Media
Real Video
Apple pro res
XDCAM
HVEC/H265
AVI , MXF
AVI , MXF
AVI , MXF
AVI
AVI
MOV, MP4
VMV
MOV
MXF
MOV, MPG
25
50
100
Range
Range
Range
Range
Range
Range
Range
Range
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The next table is referred to the audio codecs available
and supported by MediaPlay:
Bitrate
SDI IP
Mb/s
Audio Codec
Wrappers Available
PCM
MPEG-1 Layer I I
MP3
AAC
WM Audio
RealAudio
Dolby Digital
MOV,MPG,MXF,AVI
MPG
MOV,MPG,MXF,AVI
MOV,MPG,MXF,AVI
WMV
MOV,MPG,MXF,AVI
Range
Range
Range
Range
Range
Range
Range
Dolby Digital Plus
MOV,MPG,MXF,AVI
Range
http://www.si-media.tv
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3. Scheduler: MediaList
Key Features:

Daily and weekly playlist
management

Strategic
management

Single and Multi-channel
working environment

Short, mid and long term
events scheduling

Secondary
event
management:
GPI,
channel branding, CG,
subtitles,
switching
commands on the A/V
Router and many others

Low resolution (proxy)
media browsing

Checking tool for Playlist
errors

Multi
functionalities

Full control of user rights

Automatic
playlist
update from changes
made during playout
playlist
MediaList is the SI Media application for Scheduling and
Playlist management.
MediaList is the solution for administering in the same
interface all the elements involved in a detailed
scheduling procedure: creating a daily playlist the user
can also manage the programs rights, the secondary
events, the advertisement contracts, besides he can
consult the As Run Log automatically generated, many
reports and analysis and also create a prebilling to export
the data to accounting systems.
Cut-Cut

Automated As Run Log
generation

Many
different
and
comprehensive reports

Manual and automatic
playlist optimization
Weekly playlist view with MediaList
MediaList helps the user to prepare and manage the daily
playlist quickly and easily through an intuitive and easy-touse graphical interface.
User can insert new events from the Program Archive with
drag & drop and then use the cut, copy and paste well
known functionalities. The customizable colours help the
user to handle the Program archive and the playlist.
http://www.si-media.tv
5
3.1 Asset editing and Program creation
Benefits:

Frame accurate playlist
scheduler for programs,
promos,
spots
and
advertisements

Automatic
schedule
validation in terms of
Broadcasting Rights and
Online/Offline
Media
Management

Media
Alerts

Integration
3rd party
systems
Offline
Visual
to several
automation

Possibility to exchange
data with any 3rd party
device
or
system
through MediaLinker, via
xls or xml

Completely integrated
with SI Media MAM

Multi-language
supported
Secondary Events and
GPI Management
For each Program and/or
Clip it is possible to add
until 6 different levels of
secondary events: logo
and graphic projects,
A/V Router
switching
commands,
Master
Control
Switcher
transitions, GPI events in
input and output.
Asset editing using low-res preview
With MediaList it is possible to edit (cut-cut) assets
available into the archive and create Programs.
Each Program includes one or more cut-cut asset (i.e.
Clip) created by the user browsing and watching the low
resolution preview.
MediaList permits also to tag clips giving them a title, an
episode number and other metadata.
3.2 Short, medium and long term program
scheduling
With MediaList Programs can be scheduled in short,
medium and
long period.
This feature
allows
the
user
to
significantly
speed
up
the
daily
playlist
creation
process.
Program Planning
http://www.si-media.tv
6
4. Recording: MediaRec
Key Features:

Automatically
control
one or more A/V Routers
or Matrix

Remote Control of VTRs
and Cart Machines

Audio/Video
preview
while
ingest
for
monitoring and real time
verification

Metadata input for MAM
application

Define
automatic
encoding sessions

Edit/Play while
with AJA board

Simultaneous creation of
different formats of the
same file while ingest
MediaRec is the SI Media application for manual and
automatic scheduling of video signal ingest from VTR,
satellite and live feeds.
At the same time of doing the video ingest it’s also
possible to add metadata for the new assets and to see
the signal preview (video and audio) that it’s going to be
captured.
The application can also control the available encoders
(local or remote) and manage at the same time the highquality and the low-resolution (i.e. proxy) encoding of the
new asset. MediaRec also controls remotely devices such
as VTRs, Cart Machines and Audio/Video Routers for the
automatic assignment of the video source that is going to
be recorded.
ingest
Contact SI MEDIA
Business Details
HQ: Via Costanza 5 -31039
Riese Pio X (Treviso) Italy
Phone: +39 0423 750075
Singapore Branch:
20 Martin Road, #05-02
Seng Kee Building, 239070
Singapore
Phone: +65 8432 5394
MediaRec Interface
Discover all the SI Media Automation software available
at http://si-media.tv/broadcast_automation_system/
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.si-media.tv
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