CASE STUDY Streamlining My MTV

MTV Networks Europe North’s (MTVN) model of content and promotions is the future of successful multi-channel broadcasting. However, using conventional processes and playout operations is very expensive. Facing this challenge, MTVN enlisted the help of the cost of end-to-end channel management, content preparation and distribution. Working with technology partners MediaGenix and Publitronic, MTVN and Pharos have successfully by abandoning the conventional approach when making television. CASE STUDY

MTVN wanted to improve on conventional departmental operations and establish a more tightly integrated approach between channel operations, content preparation and broadcast technology.

The customer The project

MTV Networks Europe North (MTVN) broadcasts premier The key objective was to increase productivity and increase multimedia entertainment channels including MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Viva, and Comedy Central brands to: Germany, OPEX. This would enable expansion into new target markets Holland, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, by building new local channel identities and promotional styles Norway and Finland. ratings and production were also to be considered. With MTVN relocating to a new state-of-the-art broadcast facility in Amsterdam’s Media Wharf, the company took the opportunity to start with a clean slate and completely reassess at every desktop, would help MTVN reduce complexity and what it really needed to achieve to deliver next generation maximize the integration between key processes whilst high quality regional playout cost effectively. keeping operations moving.

MTVN enlisted Technicolor to investigate new systems for a brand new approach. From the shortlist of potential solutions Finland, Norway and Denmark, and also Nickelodeon Sweden ‘Mediator’, MediaGenix ‘What’s On’ (WON) and PubliTronic which also included commercials. Little over a year later the ‘NEXUS’. • MTVN’s scheduling and content preparation is now at

operations are no longer just a planning exercise - they now a have full preview and ownership of each channel.

• Automated validation of scheduling and content, with only the exceptions raised automatically to channel managers; greatly reduces the amount of checking required for programme changes.

• maintain and to scale up for future expansion.

• Integrated transfer management for ingest, online, “This is the closest we have come to a truly archive (remote at Hilversum) and playout.

•

• Mediator’s remote capabilities enable supervisors and have reduced MTVN’s end-to-end channel managers to monitor content and status away from running costs by 60%” the facility.

• Supporting the system in action using Pharos Information Centre allows remote checking, testing and upgrades. MTVN technical staff regularly check Roderick Aal, VP Technology MTVN Europe North movements daily.

The Pharos solution Implementation

In terms of solutions architecture, the system devised in Mediator executes the creative and programming decisions conjunction with MTVN’s engineering and operations teams made in WON to preview and assemble multi-language is the closest Pharos has come to a truly next generation content, promotions and commercials. Directly integrating key technical architecture.

versions of content for each market with subtitles. The tools to manage: ingest, live record, electronic delivery, media interface is bi-directional using the Pharos eXchange format registration, quality control and the delivery of subtitles. so that status information generated by Mediator during the The system also enables desktop marking of material frame accurately using browse for promotions and to deliver within WON’s scheduling tools. completed packages for playout. Mediator provides browse and metadata for every operator and also offers advanced search tools.

There is no baseband video cabling and no dedicated ingest is for Mediator to assemble and move material for playout. server. Content arriving on tape is ingested directly by Material is transferred and transcoded by Mediator’s Mediator to an Isilon iQ central storage system as MXF Op1a integrated transcoding subsystem into the right format for the PubliTronic NEXUS servers which provide the real-time need to re encode content via SDI during ingest. playout with automated graphics, channel identity and subtitle insertion. Throughout the process, the channel manager can preview content directly from the desktop using Mediator metadata. browse. www.evertz.com Case summary

When MTV Networks Europe North (MTVN) relocated to its brand new facility at the Media Wharf in Amsterdam, it took improvement by Pharos has reduced MTVN’s multi-language content and promotion preparation by days. reduce the cost of end to end channel management. To improve productivity and to manage operations from Rather than assembling television as a last minute technical the desktop MTVN selected the three-way integration exercise in playout, MTVN’s scheduling and material of MediaGenix’s What’s On for scheduling and channel preparation is now performed in advance at the desktop at management; Pharos Mediator for content management and are no longer just a planning process; they now have full channel branding. ownership of content preparation to drive their channels.

Abandoning the conventionally accepted approach to MTV plan to increase the number of channels in 2010 and add making television, MTVN has successfully improved content content preparation for VOD distribution using Mediator.

Technology Partners

PubliTronic offers a unique combination of customised IT-based playout server hardware (NEXUS) and proprietary software IP (Cobalt). The company’s integrated playout solutions deliver unprecedented levels of automation and rich functionality to reliably and cost-effectively meet the playout requirements of modern broadcasters.

MediaGeniX specialises in integrated broadcast planning applications for European TV and Radio Broadcasters, Telco’s and Platform Operators. Today, more than 100 channels

operational, promotional and multimedia targets.

Pharos Communications Limited 83 London Street, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 4QA, UK t: +44 (0) 118 950 2323 w: pharos.tv e: [email protected] www.evertz.com