SRF relocated to purpose-built headquarters in Zurich, where Pebble has implemented integrated multi-channel playout to result in one of Europe’s largest ST 2110 environments.
Swiss national broadcaster SRF has relocated to a purpose-built headquarters in Zurich. A key element of the project is upgrading workflows and operational practices through the use of modern, standards-based products and systems. The result is one of the largest media environments in Europe using interoperable SMPTE ST 2110 equipment.
As a specialist in automation, content management and integrated channel infrastructure, Pebble has completed the development and implementation of the playout functionality for SRF. The project has involved collaboration with multiple vendors in order to achieve integrated workflows in the all-IP environment.
Resilient Playout of Premium Channels
Central to the new facility is secure, highly resilient playout of the three premium channels in German-speaking Switzerland – SRF 1, SRF zwei and SRF info. The multiple variants of these channels, designed to meet the needs of different delivery platforms, are managed and played out using Pebble Integrated Channel software devices, under the control of Pebble Automation.
Vital to the project was the integration of the playout system into the wider media and information flows across the IP networks. As content is required, it is pulled from central storage servers into the Integrated Channel devices. To achieve this smooth integration, the whole environment uses the NMOS specifications from AMWA to set up the interface, or connection point between different systems and applications, to enable the exchange of data and information. Meanwhile, the NMOS standards also serve as the protocol, defining the rules for data exchange.
Customisable Automation
Pebble Automation is designed to be highly customisable, ready to adapt to an organisation’s workflows, devices and channels that may need, for example, to switch between languages, insert ads to suit different regions and control audio dynamically. It can be scaled from a single service to many, across different locations, and is capable of dynamic scheduling to accommodate complex channels subject to change. It features a flexible playlist that the Integrated Channel system can use for dynamic schedule changes and media validation.
The Automation system can be integrated with existing asset management, traffic and scheduling applications, while controlling user permissions and activities. Because high availability is critical for automation systems, SRF has multiple redundancy options to ensure caching and file movement are in place.
Flexible Integrated Channel
The Integrated Channel system keeps channel design and editing tools relatively simple with drag-and-drop functionality and, drawing on information from the scheduling system and elsewhere, Pebble Automation adds live graphics as required by controlling Vizrt graphics running as plug-ins.
Pebble’s Integrated Channel gives operators flexible input and output options supporting SDI, MPEG-TS, NDI and SMPTE 2110, with playback from most NAS systems supporting Server Message Block (SMB). Flexible audio routing and processing capabilities are also flexible, ranging across channel management, Dolby E and loudness monitoring and control.
As well as SRF’s pre-recorded content, the Pebble system also routinely delivers live content, accepted directly into the Integrated Channel software appliances.
“This has been a highly trustful collaboration between SRF and Pebble,” said Martin Sauter, Project Manager at SRF. “Pebble understood the challenges we faced and sought to work with us closely every step of the way to achieve the common goal of a successful ST 2110 playout centre that fulfils our needs.”
Sally Wallington, SVP Sales at Pebble said, “This has been a complex project, with not only requirements and workflows developing along the way, but the entire foundation of SMPTE ST 2110 and NMOS coalescing to give us the practical tools we need for seamless interworking. Thanks to the professionalism as well as the enthusiasm of the SRF engineering team, it was immensely satisfying for us. Everyone from Pebble who worked on it sees the new Zurich centre as a tremendous achievement and we are very proud to have played our part.” www.pebble.tv
