GETTING AGILE WITH YOUR BROADCAST STREAMS New technologies are replacing hardware to create better experiences for audiences – and broadcasters
he digital world has left linear content in pieces – and that’s actually a good thing. Being able to insert tailored or localised content at will into a video stream means providing an offering that can be monetised or personalised for
software solutions, we are very focused – and very agile – and we’re not dragging a huge net full of old technology that we are trying to maintain behind us.” Starfish’s infrastructure, simply put, automates the processing of broadcast TV streams. For many broadcasters who are still relying on older systems – particularly for ad insertion – Starfish is a means to step up into a more elegant, sophisticated way of swapping content into a stream. “We have developed patented techniques to do this and that’s why it’s a superior product. In past years, you might have seen black frames or visual disturbances during advertising breaks. We are replacing those dedicated boxes with software that runs on generic computer hardware.” Moving into the world of pure software allows Starfish to run up to 40 HD channels on a single server, which makes the economics very appealing. What once required a broadcaster to maintain racks of dedicated hardware can now be run on one or two generic servers. And there are notable savings in power consumption, too, when a company no longer needs to operate and cool a packed machine room.
any audience. Television needs to be flexible now. As a result, big media concerns are turning to highly agile, tech-savvy companies to find solutions. Starfish Technologies, based outside of London, has developed a range of innovations allowing for efficient and seamless transport stream processing and splicing – including ad insertion. Like a secret ingredient in a universally beloved dish, Starfish is the silent element that allows major media outlets internationally to localise ads, or insert alternative content to meet regional regulations. All in a way that is totally invisible to audiences, with no disturbance of the signal whatsoever. “Our customers are typically very high-level broadcasters,” says Starfish Technologies CMO Peter Blatchford. “We have a very impressive customer base to whom we supply innovative
“Customers are able to remove huge amounts of infrastructure and replace it with just a couple of servers running our software. These cost savings can be very significant!” explains Blatchford. Taking control of your streams means being able to leverage your content to its best advantage, creating a much- improved experience for the audience and ultimately producing significant cost savings for your company.
WE SUPPLY INNOVATIVE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS, WE ARE VERY FOCUSED – AND VERY AGILE
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