Morpheus V4.0 Playout Automation Introduction
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Innovation in the Multi-Screen World Morpheus V4.0 Playout Automation Introduction In today’s media and broadcast industry The company’s fl agship broadcast From its core database engine through one of the big challenges centers on automation solution, Morpheus, is a fi t to every device, Morpheus is designed for content delivery in a landscape where for purpose, scalable, multi-channel and resilience and, where required, redundancy, consumer behaviour and service demands multi-screen playout automation solution ensuring the right content and its metadata are changing rapidly. that is appropriate for the widest range of will be in the right place at the right time. applications including: With over four decades of leading edge Snell has the knowledge and experience development experience Snell delivers the National Broadcasters to develop an automation solution that is most fl exible and powerful broadcast Network Origination fi t for your purpose, irrespective of the size automation solutions on the market today. Centralcasting and scale of your enterprise, the range of From simple server playout to highly Business Continuity content distribution platforms integrated complex channels, the company’s key within your business model and your plans enabling technologies provide an extensive Based on format and device independent for future growth and expansion. suite of enterprise-wide media workfl ow platforms, Snell offers a range of robust and solutions for the effortless management resilient content distribution mechanisms, Taking an agnostic approach to formats of content. which keep pace with new devices as they and platforms means that Snell empowers evolve to meet the demands of future its customers to extract every drop of value The essence of Snell’s playout automation services, delivery platforms and consumer from their investments, while their builds on the principles of utmost appetite. customers consume content on their terms. versatility and fl exibility combined with the ability to support a myriad of different With Snell as your content distribution Utiizing Snell’s Momentum Media Asset workfl ows, production environments and partner you can rest assured that you will Management and Workfl ow Automation content distribution platforms. benefi t from fl exible device management, product, content is tracked, re-purposed and ensuring that resources can be dynamically distributed to both linear and non-liner deployed where and when most needed. platforms in a fully automated manner, freeing up time to concentrate on more pressing business imperatives. What’s inside Morpheus Applications Centralcasting 01 Centralized Multi-Region Broadcasts 02 Business Continuity 03 Sports 04 Morpheus - The Intelligent 05 Distribution Solution Content Management Made Easy 07 Partnering with Snell 09 Snell’s centralcasting technology is proven and on-air in major facilities around the world. Morpheus Applications Centralcasting In today’s cost conscious environment The example below illustrates the effi cient At the regional stations, Morpheus ICE centralcasting provides broadcast workfl ows capable between the Hub and (Integrated Content Engine) stores all stations with signifi cant operational multiple regional stations (Spokes). The received Hub content as well as providing all effi ciencies. It offers a solid basis for cost Hub provides the bulk of the ingest and live, branding and mixing requirements for reduction, increased system resilience storage for the sites as well as on-air playlist that market. The entire process at the (with fewer points for potential equipment management and remote monitoring of station level is fully-automated, alleviating failure) and a stable platform to launch the broadcasted signals. When new events the need for local level intervention by staff. new digital services. (or schedules) are added to the playlist, ingested content is transferred to the Morpheus easily accommodates for local Morpheus has the ability to support multiple regional stations. personnel intervention when required. Each centralcasting models, thereby decreasing region has the ability to “come alive” with operational costs and duplication of local ingest and on-air playlist management equipment. It offers a high degree of for news or other live events. Also for system- resilience and effi ciency for playout models wide resilience should communication with across multiple sites and geographical links with the Hub be compromised. Local playlist regions. control is available for specialized local programming events Regional Station Regional Station Local Local Morpheus Morpheus Full real-time Control Control control of the region is ICE ICE available centrally Local Live Local Live Mixer Mixer Central Control (Hub) Local Ingest Local Local Ingest Local Content Content Local Branding Local Branding Local Central Morpheus Control WAN VPN WAN provides control and content connectivity. Content can be transferred Central to and from regions Ingest Central Regional Station Regional Station Storage Local Local Morpheus Morpheus Control Control ICE ICE Local Live Local Live Local Ingest Local Mixer Local Ingest Local Mixer Content Content Local Branding Local Branding Local Local storage enables store and forward content model, ensuring regions are Centralcasting resilient to WAN interruptions/failures 01 Centralized multi-region broadcasting enables highly effi cient production and distribution resource utilization. Centralized Multi-Region Broadcasts Centralized multi-region broadcasting is Additionally, related regional channels need another solution that enables effi cient not be restricted to commercial and utilization of a facility’s transmission graphical insertion – they can be used to resources for regional distribution, playout alternate programming on different enabling the playout of common broadcast platforms where rights issues programming with variations in prevent transmission of certain material commercial, promotional, and graphical (such as sporting events “black-outs”). insertions from one main location. The preservation of the regional character The example below illustrates a primary not only appeals to the viewers, but also channel originating for four regions. Each increases advertising revenues with region has local branding available for its specifi c regional commercial programming output. During the commercial breaks, there for a market. is region by region fl exibility to insert local advertising or remain on the primary signal. Primary content across all regions Regional variations ICE Regional Mixer Content Regional Branding ICE Playlist combining ICE Mixer common primary Regional Live Content programming and Regional Branding individual regional programming Primary Mixer ICE Content Central ingest Cantral Storage Regional Mixer SAN Content Regional Branding ICE Regional Mixer Content Centralized Multi-Region Broadcasting Regional Branding 02 Business Continuity The biggest commercial risks facing Morpheus provides full functionality The illustrated example refl ects a business broadcasters are any operational, between both the primary and the remote continuity architecture where the primary technical or environmental issues site. Content is not “ever-green” material site is managing multiple channels with affecting on-air operations. A mission but instead a mirrored output of the main direct control available for the disaster critical requirement for any media broadcast signal. If a system failure occurs, recovery (DR) site. If a system failure occurs enterprise is that of cost-effective back-up a seamless transition can be made to ensure at the primary site, the DR site takes over operations to ensure business continuity continued operation and complete the primary role providing local storage in the event of a major disaster. transparency to the home viewer. and playout using Morpheus ICE (Integrated Content Engine). Content can continue to be ingested, branded and transmitted until the main site status is restored. Full real-time control of the DR site is available from Local ingest Primary Site primary site provides long-term Disaster Recovery Site operation beyond replicated content Local Morpheus Control ICE Multi-Channel Morpheus Direct Control of DR Site Local Ingest WAN VPN Mixer Duplicated Branding Content Data Insertion Third WAN provides ICE Party Mixer control and content Server Branding connectivity. Content Data Insertion is automatically replicated to DR site Mixer Duplicated Branding Content Data Insertion Multi-Channel Transmission Infrastructure High Channel ICE’s multi-format Primary functionality Density support eliminates of original transmission need for transcoding chain replicated in integrated playout platform Business Continuity 03 Join-in-Progress When live sporting events run late, Morpheus provides the tools to join a schedule in progress. This system can dynamically cue any event to any new in-point based on the event’s original airtime. To make this normally complicated workfl ow easy, Morpheus can automatically air a JIP clip (or “bumper”) prior to taking the program to air. Sports Change individual commercials or entire breaks across multiple regions Track number of times a commercial has aired against slots sold in original schedule Rapid editing with hot keys and drag/drop functionality Sports Television is an area where the Closed loop Commercial ‘Hot Lists’ best broadcasters can differentiate their Morpheus reacts to operator intervention, Once again, with one button press a channels