ABS-CBN Global Ltd chose Etere

Philippines broadcaster, ABS-CBN Global Ltd chose Etere.

Etere, Italian broadcast automation in the Philippines.
(traslation from Monitor March 2004)

ABS-CBN Global Ltd chose Etere Automation for schedule management and playout of its new installation, in order to modernize its broadcast infrastructure.
The feasibility analysis was carried out by Media Convergence Inc., Etere distributor in the Philippines. The main innovations concern the arrangement of video content, full redundancy, general and commercial schedule management of no less than 4 satellite channels: TFC Europe, TCF North America, TFC Middle East and Pinoy Central TV. The playout and scheduling system for the above-mentioned 4 channels is totally controlled by Etere Automation, the flagship of the whole installation is represented by the fact that Etere has provided a software-only solution, able to run on any standard PC.
To achieve the maximum flexibility in creating and detailing the scheduling phase, in Etere this is comprised of two levels:
- Presentation Editor: a genuinely high-level multifunction editor for sophisticated schedule editing
- Instant Editor: this allows carrying out changes in the schedule also within seconds of the broadcast time.
Thanks to the Etere ‘distributed architecture’ the system is fully customizable and fail-safe, being Fault Tolerance / Fault Resilience. Etere Automation is perfectly integrated with Etere Traffic, which has revolutionized the way of programming and managing commercials in a broadcast environment. Now commercials aren’t being sold anymore according to “fixed times” but according to the schedule, so it is possible to trade them regardless of time variations in the schedule. Etere remotes 1 BMC Seachange Video Server, 2 Sony Betacam VTRs for filing, that is ingesting clips from tapes to Video Server.
Every device is controlled through RS 422: a cutting edge technology which allows the virtualization of the various devices remotely connected to its interface. The device virtualization forms a part of the core technology offered by Etere through its distributed architecture, which grants a number of valuable advantages, including the possibility of sharing all the devices and controlling them in real time all from more than one PC, and also in a completely fail-safe way.
Victor Saragoza from ABC-CBN claims: “Etere software solutions will automate broadcast operations providing great quality and reliability. Any quick addition to the “DTH Bundle” will be granted through very simple operations embedded in the system and with no doubts configuring Etere is so much more efficient than the manual system in place at the moment, there is no comparison!”
Media Convergence, Inc. is specialized in delivering solutions for creating, distributing and managing contents. Its main commercial partners are SeaChange International, Etere Automation, Miranda, Ross, among several others.
ABS-CBN Global Ltd is a subsidiary company of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, the leader broadcasting network in the Philippines.
In June of 2002 ABS-CBN Global decided to expand its business abroad, until then it had operated only in the Philippines.

The operative broadcast complex is located in Manila, at the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation Technical Operations Center.