Pharos Introduces Playtime Playout System
Broadcast process control specialist Pharos Communications introduces Pharos Playtime
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Broadcast process control specialist Pharos Communications has introduced Playtime, a multi-channel multi-layered presentation playout system enabling broadcasters to emulate on-air the look and feel of internet Web pages. Playtime uses the edit timeline as the basis of a unique toolset for the creation and playout of broadcast media publishing channels. It allows a scheduler to create television channels that would otherwise require extensive post-production.
Playtime introduces the concept of packaged-playout integrated with multi-layered nonlinear editing; a package can have any number of layers and the overall system will scale from one to hundreds of channels. Traditional automation systems rely on a playlist of video events as their main timing reference. Playtime uses a package with separate tracks for every event sequence it contains. Each track, typically representing main video, backup video, discrete voiceover languages, GPIs, mixer effects, logo and subtitles) is displayed on the Playtime control screen as a separate timeline.
Playtime allows packages to be assembled manually or automatically. In automatic mode, a schedule is imported or events are sourced directly from a newsroom system. Individual event timings can be checked and adjusted before the package is committed for transmission. Video can be sourced to a package from any file without re-ingest to the server. Clip in/out points can be edited for a specific purpose without affecting the stored copy. The system can be configured to provide a backup video channel automatically matched to an incoming programme schedule, providing an alternative signal source.
Pharos Communications director Roger Heath comments: "Playtime enables a major reduction in production costs as well as freeing operators to learn new creative skills rather than having to deal with lists of names, numbers and times."
Published on 12 Dec 2003