MediaKind Cygnus Contribution

Publish » Linear Signal Distribution » Distribution & Re-distribution » Encoding and multiplexing for distribution and re-distribution »

Aquila Broadcast from MediaKind offers a broadcasting solution to minimise costs, maintain quality up to UHD HDR services whilst enabling broadcasters to transform their workflow to an all-IP architecture.

Solution values

• Class leading picture quality
  
  
  
  • Offers 10% year-on-year gain in video quality giving subscribers and viewers a more immersive experience annually.
  
  
  
  


• Flexible deployment
  
  
  
  • Deployable as an appliance or software only, either on-premises or in the cloud ensuring any system implementation fits with all current architectures.
  
  
  
  


• Supporting an all IP workflow
  
  
  
  • Supports the latest IP standards, including SMPTE 2022 and SMPTE ST 2110 enabling a simplified and more cost efficient solution implementation.
  
  
  
  


• Converged broadcast & OTT solution
  
  
  
  • When combined with the Aquila Streaming solution, Aquila Broadcast provides a cost efficient broadcast and streaming platform.
  
  
  
  

Publish » Non-Linear Publishing » Non-Linear Publishing Systems » Cable/IPTV VOD servers and systems »

MediaKind’s Aquila On-Demand solution delivers an end-to-end content delivery workflow designed to ingest, process and deliver video files for OTT and IPTV consumption. This solution addresses the challenge in delivering a high-end user experience while ensuring operational costs remain under strict control. When combined with the MediaKind PRISMA advertising and alternate content portfolio, it also enables new revenue streams leveraging advertising and content distribution rights capabilities.

• Push your video quality higher leveraging MediaKind’s On-Demand Encoding technology to provide the highest video quality and guaranteed performance across multiple codec choices - MPEG-2, H.264 & HEVC•


• Enabling a better consumer experience delivering content to a wide variety of devices by leveraging MediaKind’s packager support for all major segment and manifest formats (HLS, Smooth Streaming, DASH, CMAF)•


• Faster time to market by deploying a unified solution across any network and infrastructure type (COTS servers, IT datacenters & private and public clouds)•


• Reduce operational complexity using a single interface for all services and servers’ operations•


• Optimize server footprint with an underlying micro-services design, that provides deployment flexibility, allows scalability according to demand and delivers a highly available service

 

Publish » Linear Signal Distribution » Distribution & Re-distribution » Encoding and multiplexing for distribution and re-distribution »

Aquila Streaming provides broadcast quality video encoding capabilities alongside the latest packaging formats for delivery to OTT, or converged broadcast applications. Aquila Streaming also creates new revenue streams with digital ad-insertion and enables managing the headend lifecycle by leveraging cloud-native applications. The solution is available as an appliance, software (which can be deployed on reference or dedicated hardware), private or public cloud, or as a MediaKind delivered service.

Solution value

• Push video quality higher by leveraging MediaKind’s Encoding Live award winning technology to deliver the highest video quality and guaranteed performance across multiple codecs (MPEG-2, H.264 & HEVC)


• Enable a better consumer experience with support for a wide variety of devices by leveraging MediaKind’s packaging technology with support for all major segment and manifest formats (HLS, SS, DASH, CMAF)


• Faster time to market by utilizing a single solution to address all networks and all infrastructures (Appliances, IT datacenter & private and public clouds)


• Reduce operational complexity using a single point of entry for all media services and servers’ operations.


• Optimize OPEX and CAPEX when migrating to full IP leveraging the latest IT & cloud technologies (containers & orchestration) to significantly reduce infrastructure costs.


• Highly Available with a variety of redundancy and recovery schemes thus ensuring maximum uptime and minimizing servicing costs leading to reduced consumer churn and maintaining important revenue streams


• Aquila Streaming can be combined with Aquila Broadcast enabling a fully converged Broadcast and OTT headend

Aquila Streaming delivered as a Service

This type of solution deployment enables some further key additional benefits:

• Faster time to market for media content


• Peace of mind from proven integration with ecosystem partners to offer a full turn-key solution


• Significant cost efficiencies from the reduction of locally deployed equipment procurement or management needed since the solution leverages public cloud infrastructure


• Reduced in-house operational requirements and lifecycle management cost implications as these are handled by MediaKind


• Applications supported for 24/7 live channels, occasional use/events, and additional use cases such as disaster recovery for on premises headends

Connect » Real-Time Signal Transfer » Intra-Facility Connectivity » Contribution encoders »

MediaKind's Cygnus Contribution solution enables live events to be captured reliably, cost effectively, with the highest quality and lowest latency. It supports UHD HDR, the latest IP standards, and delivers remote/ at-home production applications.

This media processing and delivery solution addresses a number of different live content contribution use cases and applications such as remote / at-home production with distinct values enabling content providers/owners, Broadcasters and TV Operators to maximize their investment whilst maintaining the quality and low latencies required for professional media delivery.

 

Publish » Linear Signal Distribution » Distribution & Re-distribution » Edge devices »

Cygnus Distribution is a new generation solution for primary distribution applications from MediaKind. Whether it is the professional distribution of live events such as sports matches, or the distribution of 24/7 channels, Cygnus Distribution enables this to be delivered securely, reliably and in high quality whether that be via satellite, or IP network, or a combination of both networks.

Store » Real-Time Storage » VTRs & DVRs » Digital video recorders »

 

For cable companies, multiple service operators (MSOs), telcos and content providers who need a cost efficient, reliable solution for massively scalable video storage and recording that exceeds stringent performance requirements, the MediaKind Video Storage and Processing Platform (VSPP) is the only field proven, large scale software-based solution that provides resiliency, very high throughput, and virtually hands-off maintenance. This platform is highly optimized to minimize hardware footprint and provide the best possible TCO.

Supported use cases

Cloud DVR

Cloud based DVR applications enable service providers to offer a DVR service without the need todeploy or upgrade to expensive DVR boxes at the subscriber site. By locating the storage and streaming at the network operation center and running an RS-DVR client software at the subscriber site, operators can offer a full DVR service without the need of hardware upgrades at the subscriber.

Dynamic origin server

The origin server is a scale out media storage system that can also perform content transformation, and streaming. The origin ingests MPEG-TS CBR and ABR, and transforms them on-the-fly to RTSP and different OTT formats, thus eliminating the need to store multiple formats.

VSPP tiered architecture

Supports different tiers to address specific streaming patterns as well as content popularity.

Edge pumps

With an ongoing transformation to the full-blown Media Edge for the legacy and OTT delivery.

Monetize » Sell Content & Advertising » Advertising Systems » Programmatic and addressable advertising platforms »

MediaKind's PRISMA solution enables advertising and alternate content & blackout content insertion on any applicable workflow (live, near-live or non-live) across broadcast and IP networks delivering the maximum monetization potential and ensuring full compliance with linear distribution rights.

PRISMA solution enables fully unified and and standards based layer between advertising and linear rights business systems (ad-decisioning system, traffic & scheduling system) and A/V broadcast and/or IP processing and delivery chains.

Connect » Real-Time Signal Transfer » Intra-Facility Connectivity » Contribution encoders »

MediaKind's Cygnus Contribution solution enables live events to be captured reliably, cost effectively, with the highest quality and lowest latency. It supports UHD HDR, the latest IP standards, and delivers remote/ at-home production applications.

This media processing and delivery solution addresses a number of different live content contribution use cases and applications such as remote / at-home production with distinct values enabling content providers/owners, Broadcasters and TV Operators to maximize their investment whilst maintaining the quality and low latencies required for professional media delivery.

 

Connect »

The Intraplex® IP Link family of IP audio codecs provides high-end features at an affordable price. Offering an array of audio coding options along with IPConnect technology for data tunneling, the IP Link codecs are suitable for use in Studio-to-Transmitter Links (STLs) as well as audio contribution and distribution networks. Support for IP multicast and multiple unicast streams enables one encoder to feed multiple decoders.

By incorporating three IP Interfaces that can be used for streaming and management, the IP Link systems can provide a level of reliability not seen in comparably-priced codecs.

As the latest additions to the Intraplex line of data transport products, the IP Link family of audio codecs bring legendary Intraplex reliability to the IP codec market.

IP Link 100/100p: Single bidirectional stereo audio channel IP Link 200: Two bidirectional stereo audio channels IP Link 200A: Two bidirectional stereo audio channels with one channel being AES67 Standard: Linear, AAC-LC, Opus and G.722 audio coding Optional: AAC-HE, AAC-HEv2, AACELD, MPEG2, MPEG3 and Enhanced aptX audio coding Optional: Automatic audio loudness leveling and metering compliant with EBU R-128 and ITU-R Optional: IPConnect capability to reliably transport external IP packets Other transport modes: Transparent AES up to 192 kbps to support composite FM multiplex signal over AES Protocol Encapsulation: RTP, SHOUTcast/Icecast, MPEG-TS Three independent IP interfaces for redundant network operation Optional redundant power supply: 12VDC or 48VDC Built-in silence sensor with optional stream switch over Automatic backup to audio playout from USB drive or external audio source Multicoding can encode the same audio source in multiple formats for STL, backup, and web streaming Optional Dynamic Stream Splicing providing “hitless” operation and T1/ E1 circuit like performance on less predictable IP networks Prioritized stream sources at the output with automatic switch over and switch back between primary and secondary streams and backup sources (streams, USB, external audio source) Programmable RTP level Forward Error Correction (FEC) scheme Programmable time diversity and interleaving of streams to combat burst packet losses Integrated with Intraplex IP Link Scheduler for automated scheduled program switching Integrated with Intraplex LiveLook (network analytics and monitoring software) N+1 redundancy with integrated control of external switching equipment IP Link 200/200A/100p: SynchroCast™ option provides dynamically managed precision delay for Single Frequency Network (SFN) broadcasting and simulcasting Support for IP multicast and multi-unicast Web browser user interface and SNMP network management Eight multipurpose contact closure inputs and outputs provide: Transport of logic signals with time-alignment to audio Stream control Alarm notification

Connect » Provide Connectivity » Access Connectivity »

The next generation of digital STL
Our challenge: to design a studio-to-transmitter link (STL) for your most demanding 950 MHz applications — one as reliable and robust as Intraplex® T1 and IP audio links. Digital STL manages much more than audio, so installation and configuration need to be straightforward, not a science project. Data should not be optional, requiring additional boxes and complexity. Your STL should be ready, out of the box, for AM, FM and HD Radio™, as well as future multimedia applications.

Earlier digital STLs were not designed for IP data transport. Adding IP data to them required optional modules and external add-ons, and many engineers working on HD Radio installations reported spending much time and money trying to eliminate glitches.

Our solution: HD Link™ is designed to manage all HD Radio™ transport scenarios, regardless of where you place your importer and exporter. Its two prioritized Ethernet paths give preference to HD Radio™ data over control and other LAN/WAN data. It supports both UDP and TCP, and even handles the switching of TCP return packets over asymmetric IP paths with plug-and-play simplicity.

HD Link offers RF power to spare, an integrated IP gateway with sophisticated data handling capabilities, and multiple channels of audio. The intuitive front panel and remote interfaces tap into the most complete feature set of any microwave STL, yet take less time to configure. It can even operate on both RF and IP simultaneously, and allows automatic backup of all services from one to the other.

Intraplex is broadcasting’s first choice for rock-solid, full-time operation of T1 STLs. With HD Link, you can now count on the same dependable performance, superior support and long-term value for your microwave links.

Publish » Content Protection » Content Protection & Encryption » CAS, encryption, DRM »

The X Platform is a high-capacity, versatile, ultra-low latency platform for high-speed video networking, enhanced IP security and advanced compression for the remote production, contribution and distribution markets.

Connect » Real-Time Signal Transfer » Intra-Facility Connectivity » Contribution encoders »

In video production and contribution, V-Nova’s VC-6 (SMPTE ST 2117) encoding processing efficiency enables up to 70% cost savings per channel, while at the same time unlocking the promises of low-latency UHD sports contribution, HDR, remote production, IP production and software-defined workflows, including virtualisation and cloud.

Connect » Real-Time Signal Transfer » Intra-Facility Connectivity » Contribution encoders »

Ultra-low latency, HD bi-directional live encoder/decoder. Transmit & receive live audio/video or audio only in real-time, with full duplex audio.

Receive from any Quicklink studio contributor – ST500, ST150, ST100, iOS App or chrome browser for broadcast output via HD-SDI, HDMI and IP (NDI™, MPEG-TS). The ST100, ST102, ST208 & ST200 are an essential element in any point-to-point broadcast solution where ultra-low latency and high quality links are required. Ideal for networking studios and bureaus together.

• 265/HEVC equivalent utilising VP9


• Simultaneous encode and decode in point-to-point or relay mode


• 200ms glass-to-glass delay


• Rate adaptive up to 1080p60 30Mbps


• Supports HD-SDI, HDMI, IP inputs and outputs


• Full duplex audio, no audio ducking


• 2 Channels of audio with one channel available as talkback from the ST100/ST200 to the contributor


• Audio I/O: XLR analogue, AES digital and AES67 IP


• Deployable on both private and public networks


• No public IP required with inbuilt NAT traversing


• Automatic failover between network connections for maximum up-time


• Create permanent video circuits – Automatic link recovery in case of power outage


• Simple central management from a web browser


• OEM options for customisation

Connect » Real-Time Signal Transfer » Intra-Facility Connectivity » Contribution encoders »

The ViBE CP9000 contribution encoder from Harmonic addresses the call for preserving video quality at the front of the broadcast chain with the ability to process uncompressed UHD signals at eight times the bitrate of current HD sources, up to 160 Mbps. The platform encodes content in a single slice in real time via HEVC & AVC (H.264), today’s most advanced compression standard. Up to two UHD or eight HD video channels, and 16 audio channels, can be encoded on the 1-RU chassis.

The compact and rugged ViBE CP9000 encoder is a perfect fit for DSNG vehicles, teleports and flyaway packages. An ultra-low latency encoding mode, less than 100 ms, offers broadcasters the chance to get a true jump on the competition, and also enables home/remote production application.

ViBE CP9000 features include:

Comprehensive UHD Workflow
The ViBE CP9000 encoder is part of a comprehensive Harmonic UHD workflow that includes all phases of the broadcast chain, including contribution, file ingest, collaborative post production, encoding, high-speed transcoding and delivery. This end-to-end approach makes it possible to quickly and cost-effectively deploy a live UHD channel over existing DTT, DTH, cable, telco and OTT networks.

Flexible Deployment
Simple and cost-effective to deploy, the ViBE CP9000 encoder is interoperable with most professional decoders, including the Harmonic ProView™ 7100 IRD. It integrates seamlessly with the Harmonic Amethyst™ III smart redundancy switch as well, enabling a compact 1+1 UHD redundant solution in just 3 RU. DVB/SMPTE standards are supported.

HDR Support
Compatible with the Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) and SMPTE ST 2084 (PQ) HDR formats, the ViBE CP9000 encoder is ready for the next phases of UHD content delivery. As a result, image detail, sharpness and color gradients are preserved throughout the distribution process — right up to the consumer’s UHD display.

Pay-As-You-Grow Scalability
License-based pricing assures that customers pay only for the features they need. Video and audio codecs and formats are easily added to the ViBE CP9000 encoder via firmware upgrade, enabling a scalable migration path that provides operational flexibility and business continuity, and extends the system’s value.

Produce » Real-Time Production » Audio Production » Audio mixers and consoles – radio »

Lumo aims at bringing radio closer to its audience.

It is an all-in-one virtual radio studio including Playout (playlist & jingles players), a Mixing Console with DSP & automixer, a VoIP SIP phone, and an AoIP transmission codec.

Lumo runs on a simple laptop. It is web-native and touch-friendly, you can control your studio with a fingertip from any device (including iPad and Android tablets).

Lumo makes remote operations much easier by reducing to a minimum the amount of gear to deploy and offering intuitive yet powerful user interfaces for technical and non-technical operators.

Licenses can be purchased for temporary use as for yearly contracts, making sure you don't pay for resources that you don't use.