iTX Integrated Playout Platform
4K/HD/SD Integrated Playout with IP/SDI Flexibility & Advanced Workflow Automation
iTX integrated playout is the world’s most advanced, integrated playout platform for broadcast television, providing outstanding IP/SDI format flexibility and scalability for future readiness, along with end-to-end workflow tools for greater process automation and lower OPEX. Its outstanding playout capabilities are combined with a proven track record, with more than 17.5 million hours of broadcast television delivered by iTX each year. These channels range from national broadcasters and global brands to local stations, and they carry some of the biggest live events on television. With iTX, broadcasters are assured that commercial revenues are protected, while the costs of operation are minimized.
FEATURES
Unified, end-to-end workflow from ingest to playout
- The iTX workflow spans ingest, quality control, content management, archiving, traffic interface, audio/video processing, graphics/subtitling, transmission control, transcoding and monitoring
iTX broadcast engine delivers greater scalability, lower cost of ownership
- The iTX broadcast engine integrates all core playout functions (source selection/mixing, file playout, up/downconversion, ARC, audio processing & up/down mixing, graphics, subtitling/captioning, Nielsen watermarking and automation)
- The iTX broadcast engine’s dual channel capability delivers more streamlined, high performance HD/SD simulcast with fully independent processing of both outputs, including independent graphics
Flexible migration path to IP
- iTX is ideally suited to broadcasters who are aiming to migrate to IP, with its support for SMPTE ST 2022-2 MPEG-2 and H.264 compressed IP outputs plus simultaneous SDI playout
- iTX can mix IP (both SMPTE ST 2022-2 and 2022-6) and HD-SDI live inputs, using back-to-back IP and SDI clips. This allows an easy introduction of IP feeds into a basebase oriented system
- Alternatively, iTX can be used in a pure IP environment
4K/HD/SD multiformat performance
- iTX broadcast engine offers outstanding 4K playout picture quality using square division quad-split or 2-sample interleave (configurable at channel level; one input, one output)
Audio playback using PCM, Dolby Digital (5.1) or Dolby Digital Plus (7.1)
- Advanced subtitling/captioning
- Fully featured integrated Softel subtitling/captioning with support for up to 20 languages per channel, including major worldwide languages
- Supports the import of subtitle files from third-party subtitling vendors, including Screen, Cavena and EBU
- Output of World Standard Teletext, OP42, OP47, EIA-608/EIA-708 closed captions Open (burnt-in, 2 languages) and DVB/teletext subtitles within an IP stream
Seamless handling of dynamic schedules & live content
- iTX manages highly dynamic schedules and late arriving media by supporting multiple video format playbacks without the need to transcode
- File wrapper support for popular formats, including IMX, XDCAM HD, AVC-Intra 100, QuickTime, MXF, GXF, DNxHD and XAVC
- Responsive transmission control of live content, using GUI or a traditional master control panel. The GUI simplifies last minute schedule changes with instant recalculation of schedules
- Internal secondary record enables live events to be captured, with or without graphics, removing the need for additional record ports
Automated ingest, quality control & transcoding
- iTX Delivery Manager supports a wide number of asset delivery partners for automating the ingest of media and metadata, including PathFire, PitchBlue and CatchBLUE for file delivery
- Automated quality control via Interra Baton file-based QC
- Extended transcoding with Telestream Vantage enables content to be automatically transcoded
Advanced real-time graphics
- Real-time rendering using Vertigo XG graphics processor
- Powerful, HD/SD character generator allows the playout of virtually unlimited layers of animated and dynamically updated text
Integrated, playlist-aware monitoring
- Integration with iControl Playout monitoring and Kaleido multiviewers enables better anticipation of potential transmission errors by operators, as well as faster fault finding
- Publishing of real-time playlist data to the multiviewer, including now/next countdown information and missing media alerts
Automated VOD asset preparation and publishing
- iTX On-Demand option reduces VOD preparation time for pre-recorded and live content and enables new revenue streams.
Enterprise-level resilience & redundancy
- Fault-tolerant framework with redundant playout configuration
- Each output channel contains a local media cache, plus an automation engine that holds the playlist for that channel. This architecture allows playout to run standalone in the event of the iTX Framework becoming unavailable, until the local schedule and content cache have been exhausted
- Optional multisite disaster recovery
Global support
- Peace-of-mind from an enterprise level software with sophisticated upgrade management and version control plus detailed system health monitoring
- Wide range of Grass Valley services for project management, training and 24/7 technical support
MEDIA GALLERY
ORDERING INFORMATION
For advice on ordering an iTX solution or further information, please contact your Grass Valley office or local representative.
