GoodTV Project: A Total Media Management System

Etere will implement a “Total Media Management” solution able to store and transparently manage the facilities’ archive material over the long term in a tape robotic system. Etere’s solution consist of a system intended to be the core of the central archive, providing media archive management and delivery services to the global system including instant access and delivery of media files; all this media management is cemented on a file-based workflow framework featuring a wide range of function-specific workflows for ingest, production and playout with additional integration capabilities.

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Introduction
GoodTV was founded in 1997 as a non-profit satellite television channel which looks forward to deliver through communication media, religious and formative contents that will help to a caring audience to reproduce the family values of family television, this, under the slogan of “bringing people to faith, hope, and love". GoodTV is the Chinese first, the world’s largest Christian television and, currently, it’s the Taiwan’s only Christian television station.

GoodTV programming comprises programs specially directed to children, woman, seniors and the entire family such as English teaching programs, music shows, health programs, educative classrooms and many others. GoodTV programs are specially prepared to let parents to rest assured that transmitted content will improve the audience’s family business.

Etere provides broadcasters, media companies, content providers and house productions with an integrated archive and distribution system which combines powerful servers with an easy to use browser interface. Etere has developed the latest technology to turn a broadcast system into a digital archive that combines rock-solid reliability and high availability with increased bandwidth and storage, allowing operators to easily search, retrieve and browse any media they want from the digital archive.

Etere will implement a turnkey solution that will comprise media ingest, archive, management and distribution solution combining powerful modules with an easy to use interfaces, this solution will permit to straightly connect content captured by Etere Ingest with Etere MAM to view and catalog video assets before delivering them via workflow, in either standard definition or high definition. Etere MAM (Media Asset Management) will be the core of the overall system, providing workflow management, production project management and content management features; thus ensuring a streamlined tapeless environment able to capture, edit, catalog and deliver contents, fast and efficiently.

This paper illustrates how Etere is aware about the importance of media archiving, and how it offers not only a world-acknowledged system but a hard-earned expertise on the implementation and maintenance of digital archives able to bring access to any file, at anytime and most important, with a the maximum of speed, characteristics that will ensure the improvement of each single broadcasting area with a wide set of cutting edge applications that goes from an accurate contents management to an automatic delivery of contents.

Etere Solution: Overview
Etere will implement a “Total Media Management” solution able to store and transparently manage the facilities’ archive material over the long term in a tape robotic system. Etere’s solution consist of a system intended to be the core of the central archive, providing media archive management and delivery services to the global system including instant access and delivery of media files; all this media management is cemented on a file-based workflow framework featuring a wide range of function-specific workflows for ingest, production and playout with additional integration capabilities.

Etere’s solution consist of a system intended to be the core of the global system, providing media archive management and delivery services including instant access and delivery of media files.

Operations related to all contents present in the station are cemented on a file-based workflow framework featuring a wide range of function-specific workflows for ingest, production and playout with additional traffic capabilities. The modules that Etere will implement across the system are briefly described below:

■ Etere Ingest, the flexible solution for capturing contents from a wide range of sources
■ Etere MTX, the most advanced, tightly integrated and cost-efficient driver to implement a video server based on the ultimate HD/SD Matrox digital video cards
■ Etere MAM, the best solution for indexing and editing a huge amount of media assets, it provides tools for an easier metadata insertion and video cut and merge
■ Etere Air Sales, a robust solution for Traffic departments which permits to maximize the productivity of the commercial on-air planning, from an initial proposal to a final invoice
■ Etere HSM, an automatic tape-based storage system for long-term management archive
■ Etere Media Manager, the enterprise workflow-based media manager that guarantees timing and effectiveness on media transfers between devices
■ Etere Automation, a fault-tolerant system to automate the playout of scheduled contents
■ EtereWeb, a secure and robust threshold to the station’s outside world, a web-based interface that will permit a tight integration with NLE systems and remote facilities (e.g. post-production)

An Etere-based central media management system is able to interface existing sub-systems and NLE systems while maintaining the consistence of its wide set of characteristics that makes of it the right solution for an enterprise management of digital content under a file-based workflow environment.

The station will be mainly provided with the following key features:
■ A distributed architecture managed via workflow to avoid any single point of failure
■ Seamless integration with existing and co-existing systems
■ Safe and fully-tracked access to the content archive
■ Enterprise management and transport of media between storage devices
■ Transparent media transferring, the correct media format will be always delivered
■ Quality control to ensure the reliability of archived assets over short and long terms
■ High preservation and high availability of archived and catalogued media content
■ Browsing features including preview, slow-motion, timecode, bookmarking and metadata
■ Robust editing functions including video cut, merge, overlay and restore
■ Best flexibility on digitizing media content from multiple sources
■ Full integration support for NLE systems (Avid, FCP, etc), including content uploading/downloading
■ Fast and efficient transferring connection between internal –and external- systems
■ Reliable monitoring of the modules and equipment integrated within the global system

Furthermore, the implementation of an Etere system will allow Editing Systems to access the digital archive directly and efficiently through a proper production environment, making use of the highest security standards.

3. Etere Solution: Architecture
Etere is based on a distributed architecture which allows different modules to run on different workstations interconnected via a local area network. All system configuration parameters, security roles, user data, and pre-defined rules are stored in a reliable SQL database supporting backup and redundancy operations.

A Distributed System
ETERE is a distributed, modular and fully integrated broadcasting system composed by a set of applications specifically oriented to efficiently perform each complex phase of the broadcasting chain synchronously within the same database environment, being all managed by suitable user-defined workflows that ensure an efficient overall system controlling.

Etere’s distributed architecture allows achieving a top-level availability of resources and reliability of operations across the entire broadcast workflow thanks to its redundant capabilities to improve the fault resilience on any hardware or software failure.

3.2 Multi-level Storage Hierarchy
Etere systems improves the media management by introducing a multi-level storage management consisting in the use of different storage levels based on the frequency of use of the files stored on them. For example, data files which are frequently used will be stored on video servers (i.e. online servers) whereas those which are not used for a certain period of time (e.g. typically a few months) will be eventually archived in tapes (or any other long-term storage mean) and then automatically restored -to video servers- every time they are required by the broadcast playlist.

Etere offers a hierarchical storage management of media content, it allows to organize in user-specific levels an unlimited number of content versions with different access times (e.g. video servers, near-line servers, archive servers), being all these levels available to the operator under a simple and user-friendly interface:

Moreover, media holders (i.e. asset forms) can be organized –along with their related information-under a hierarchical structure based on Parent-Children relationships, thus allowing, for example, to handle different versions of a same asset and all the assets derived from them:

3.3 User Access Levels
Etere provides stations with a ‘Rights Management Tool’ to control and track access to its various modules and functions, with it, stations will be able to freely assign (grant or deny) access to specific user groups (i.e. roles to which one or more users belongs to), thus allowing to set different mixtures of access levels for each group.

Etere allows managing different –and fully customizable- access levels for users which form part of the system, with Etere; it will be possible to configure specific access rights not only for different users, but also for different stations.

3.4 Rights-based Operations
All the functions provided by an Etere system (e.g. quality control, event scheduling, program playback, etc.) falls under different categories according to their nature (e.g. media manager, air sales, automation), the availability of these functions is determined by the ‘Right Management Tool’.

Thanks to this tool, stations will be allowed to reflect into the Etere system the actual way in which rights are managed within the station facility, for example, scheduling operators will be allowed to use only those modules to which they are authorized to use, including (or excluding) some sensitive functions intended to be managed by system administrators.

4. ETERE SOLUTION: MEDIA FUNCTIONALITIES
Etere’s solution features an integrated and professional approach based on a workflow management to optimize the station’s entire broadcasting system, reduce operating costs and facilitate overall process control. Etere Workflow permits modules to for example, seek confirmation for sensitive process, follow specific rules, enhance the efficiency and reliability of process, and manage multiple workflows to perform different tasks simultaneously and independently.

4.1 Multiple Storage Management
Etere reduce the complexity of managing storage devices by arranging physical storage devices present across the system into metadevices (logical devices), the use of metadevices improve the overall media management by offering the following features:
■ Automated management via workflow of logical devices including arching, restoring, transcoding, etc,
■ Monitored storage space owing to the set of restrictions,
■ Increased storage and better performance since metadevices acts as a virtual device representing several logical disks or disk systems
■ Distributed storage according to specific requirements without the need of creating partitions, just associate individual disk volumes to different.

4.2 Custom Design Workflow
All workflows can be customized to fit the real needs of the station and thus give complete control over the overall system management which offers:
■ Clear definition of each complex step of the broadcasting process,
■ Visual representation of each step mapped out on a PC not in a paper document,
■ Set of instructions and authorizations that must be followed in order to move forward,
■ Complete log of all steps carried out, operations denied etc.
A comprehensive and user-friendly workspace allows creating suitable workflows based on custom actions just by dragging and dropping the necessary elements into it.

4.3 Integration between workflows
Etere allows calling workflows from others just by inserting an action that can perform a specific task (i.e.: attach, attach and start, start, abort, reset, restart, detach, etc) on a certain workflow.

4.4 Workflow File-based Processing
Etere provides a wide range of templates for creating workflow actions regarding the most common file-based media operations, allowing to customize them and also use completely user-defined actions.

4.4.1 Quality Check
An Etere quality check workflow is able to automatically ask operators to assign a quality value to a certain asset(s) after browsing its video content.

4.4.2 Content Check
Etere counts with a workflow action called content check that once inserted into a workflow and attached to an asset, searches on its related proxy video file for defective video issues.

All defective video segments will be marked into their EDL list including black scenes, scene changes, freeze video, color bar, etc.

4.4.3 Archiving
Etere allows you to design a workflow for archiving your assets on LTO tapes, including a quality and content check, a proxy copy generation and a final email indicating the result of the process:

4.4.4 Restore
Create a workflow to automatically restore any scheduled asset for its playout by searching for them amongst a group of devices arranged on basis of their priority:

4.4.5 Transcoding
Etere’s integration with Rhozet's Carbon Coder software handles a wide array of critical operations including format conversions, workflow operations that can be launched for example, immediately after a content capture:

Checksum MD5 Verification
Etere offers an enterprise control of video files integrity; it keeps a log of the hash md5 of video files such in a way that it is possible to verify at any time if they have been modified after their approval. All video files registered on the Etere’s database can be verified through an md5 checksum, this control is performed via workflow, each time that a video file is moved from one device to another, its initial hash md5 is calculated to allow a future checking.

The workflow editor allows creating custom Checksum workflows to either generate or check the MD5 hash of a video file.

4.4.7 Video Cut
Etere offers ‘Cut actions’ that permits to take only a portion of a certain video file, using a given timecode SOM and EOM. Defining and using a Memory Cut operation is as easy as shown below.

4.4.8 Loudness Control
Etere provides a file-based loudness control, allowing stations not only to check the loudness level of media contents but also to normalize them to meet specific limitations. Loudness control workflows can be launched automatically for specific assets, for example, after their ingestion or tapeless reception (i.e. web upload):

4.4.9 Antivirus Scan
Etere includes, as a part of its enterprise media management, the capability of integrating antivirus protection within workflows, allowing stations to improve their media workflows (e.g.: post-upload workflows) by giving them the capability of automatically scanning transferred files for virus and thus end their work with a flourish.

As shown in the figure above, the automatic virus scan capability can be easily integrated within any workflow at any stage just by inserting an action block configured to perform the virus checking; stations can insert them, for example, within the default workflow to be launched after an EtereWeb upload.

4.5 Subtitles Management
Etere includes, as a part of its enterprise media management, the capability of managing subtitles, subtitles can be generated whether using the WMP synchronized lyrics tool or any other external tool, in all cases Etere will import them automatically:

Once imported, subtitles are stored in a repository, ready to be moved to the subtitle engine when either the broadcast playlist will require it or a proxy preview will be performed (e.g. for quality check purposes):

Additionally, multiple language subtitle files are supported, allowing stations to specify so many subtitling languages as needed (including their storage paths):

4.6 SMPTE Metadata
SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) Metadata is a key part of the media management, that’s why Etere provides a dedicated module for defining eventually useful metadata (e.g.: 'technical comments', 'descriptive names', 'intellectual rights') and store them into a robust SMPTE dictionary:

In Etere, all assets contain user-defined SMPTE metadata fields, these fields can be either manually compiled or automatically compiled (retrieved from specific asset properties):

SMPTE metadata can be used also for cataloguing media content, allowing operators to quickly add specific information to a video segment.

5. ETERE SOLUTION: COMPONENTS
ETERE is an integrated broadcasting solution that implements a modular system formed by a set of modules specifically oriented to cover each complex phase of a broadcasting system, focusing to efficiently carry out specific operations such as media ingest, archiving, transferring, browsing, etc.
All these operations are synchronously performed within the same database environment and managed by suitable user-defined workflows that ensure an efficient overall system control; these are some of the main features that make of ETERE a solution that can easily fit any media management workflow.
All modules that make part of the Etere’s proposed solution will be treated throughout this chapter, explaining how its distributed architecture and integrated complementation are key parts of the success of the global system where a top-level performance and reliability is reached.

5.1 ETERE MAM: Browsing and Editing
Etere MAM will allow operators to store information, search media EDL, and transfer EDL-based media to the playout server and the editing systems.

Etere enables comprehensive search and browse and cataloguing of rich media, its very intuitive interface establishes a bridge between the ingest department and the production department, allowing contents to be browsed simultaneously from various workstations thus enabling low-res proxy browsing over the network.
Etere also allows restoring only a part of video files by creating either high or low resolution video files including specific segments described on the source video EDL, it is important to note that as usual on Etere’s operations, the conforming of video files is fully performed via workflow:

Etere MAM permits to join cut segments from different sources, to create a single final video file containing all scenes selected by the operator:

5.2 ETERE INGEST: Enterprise Capturing System
Etere ingest is a versatile set of modular applications that significantly improves the digitization process inside a broadcasting system, this software covers any particular requirement of the entire process such as automatic and scheduled ingest:

Etere Ingest supports multiple parallel ingest streams, managed automatically either on a single workstation or across various workstations, allowing also to schedule the video files to be ingested:

Once ingested, video files are transcoded into the specific format of the destination device on which they will be stored, in the same way, video files are transcoded each time they are moved from one device to another (e.g.: archiving, playout, etc.):

The image below illustrates how Etere allows setting the workflow to be launched at the start and end of an ingest process to for example, create a low resolution version or normalize the audio of captured contents:

5.3 ETERE MEDIA MANAGER: A Digital Archiving and Delivery
The Media Management solution proposed to encompass station’s content transfer and archiving goes beyond of a simple copy concept by moving video files based on custom policies, transcoding video files when required and offering a full track of all operations.
Video contents will be transferred between the various departments (e.g.: near-line storage, archive, post-production, playout, browsing, and even non-Etere systems) by Etere Media Manager; this migration process also includes rewrapping and transcoding capabilities.

Etere’s approach is oriented to “virtualize” the entire media management process, improving it with flexibility, customization and most important cost-effectiveness.

Etere manages (logical) metadevices instead of (physical) devices, this approach results in a wide range of possibilities for the media management, for example, it is possible to control with one click the available space of all metadevices:

Etere Data Mover is the application used to perform the physical storage and retrieval of video files, a typical Data Mover operation would be to move a video clip from a video server to an archive based on custom actions which are defined and executed via workflow.
Additionally, Etere Data Mover is capable to provide both, distributed processing for using an independent agent per data transfer and parallel processing for simultaneously performing different instances of one data transfer; these features will allow stations to exploit high computing resources to use a single workstation to perform multiple transfers, thus enhancing the flexibility, scalability and fault-tolerance of the entire Etere system.

5.4 ETERE HSM: A Tape Based Archiving
LTO tape libraries present in the station will be managed by Etere HSM, the cost-effective solution to radically streamline the management of expensive tape libraries; allowing stations to optimize the migration of contents including high and low versions as well as associated metadata.

Etere HSM improves the management of libraries by controlling their mechanical movements through the HSM Robotics Control and HSM Data Pump applications, which are able to run several data pumps on different machines to boost their throughput, while offering access to real-time logs, reports and statistics.

Etere HSM distinguish four different archiving levels into a broadcasting workflow, these levels required distinct access times which vary from 0 minutes (video server) to 15 minutes (standard video tapes).

All these levels are managed “virtually”, that is, you can use logical devices (metadevices) based on physical devices to free design your storage layout, enriching in this way the entire system with the benefits derived from the use of metadevices:
■ Carry out loan-balanced movements on an intelligent multi-volume scenario,
■ Extend your storage space by joining physical devices into one metadevice, without altering the archiving workflow,
■ Categorize your storage devices by dividing them into metadevices with no partitioning required,
■ Space limits and storage distribution are defined by the user and not by devices itself,
■ Classify metadevices in media pools in order to automate their management,
■ Background defragmentation and online/offline tape management,
■ Scheduled archiving of devices, media contents and entire databases.
Etere HSM forms a tandem with Etere Data Mover to be the only solution in the market with an embedded multi-level and multi-rule cache that offers an intelligent management which ensures the best performances with low investments.
Moreover, owing to Etere’s comprehensive character, these applications are perfectly integrated with other modules (e.g.: Ingest, EtereWeb, etc.) to allow all these modules to use shared resources and have unlimited communication.
5.5 ETERE AIR SALES: Commercial Traffic Management
Etere Air Sales is a complete, modular and scalable traffic system for the management of the planning and commercial processes of a broadcaster. From planning to playout, it provides specialist application modules to manage sales, planning, presentation, scheduling and invoicing of commercial contents.
Weekly Schedule is the module that permits to build long-term and frame-accurate schedule grids that will define the traffic playlist, this schedule grid is formed by program blocks which at their time are formed by program segments defined by specific properties (i.e.: time range, duration, program type, price list, etc.):

The Strategic Editor module provides a high flexibility to the scheduling process, based on a schedule grid structure; it integrates schedules with the assets' database, ensuring a rock-solid scheduling module where only valid events can be scheduled. Moreover, Strategic Editor features various facilities such as multiple color displays, intuitive events selection, automatic rights verification, etc.

The Etere Sales module allows elaborating proposals that includes multiple product details which can be made up by multiple assets (e.g.: for different channels or periods). A customer-tailored elaboration of Sales proposals is possible thanks to the use of flexible schedule grids improved with key booking features such as an automatic pricing based on day parts (e.g.: breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night) and a powerful spot placement based on key scheduling criteria (i.e.: top, bottom, priority, rotation or optimization).
The invoicing process is the final -and most delicate- stage in the commercial broadcast chain, where all commercial events are reconciled with the accounting department, at this stage, the Invoicing module, is the section dedicated to generate, settle and track invoices, it is tightly integrated with all Etere modules to permit a centralized management of invoices including a set of tools that permits operators to easily bill invoices and pay salesmen commissions in just few steps:

5.6 ETEREWEB: Post-Production Integration
Etere’s NLE integration will allow stations to achieve a tight integration with NLE systems, without using insecure “hot folders” or “ftp open sites” but including full tracked uploads (i.e. digital receipt of files) and immediate workflow triggering. EtereWeb is best solution for integrating NLE systems (e.g. FCP, Avid, Edius) with the station’s broadcast workflow; it provides non-linear editors with an authentication web portal for managing media contents through a user-friendly interface:

The EtereWeb web service supports all major browsers including Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari; thus ensuring the reliability and quality of the service. EtereWeb integrates the latest streaming technologies for video distribution and a comprehensive rights management system that gives to authorized users the possibility to access via web to a user-friendly interface:

5.6.1 Authenticated access and rights
In order to ensure that only authorized persons access the web service, EtereWeb counts with an encrypted authentication method on which users must count with a username and password in order to enter the web portal:

5.6.2 Tapeless Reception
Etere Tapeless Reception is an extension of EtereWeb designed with the purpose of offering an efficient solution for multimedia content transfer between external agencies and stations, it integrates the latest streaming technologies for video distribution and a comprehensive rights management system that gives to authorized users the possibility to access via web to a user-friendly interface:

Etere Tapeless Reception takes full advantage of a tapeless environment to eliminate the need of creating physical copies, entrusting valuable material to private couriers, risking of excessive waiting times; thus by enabling contents to be sent digitally (i.e. without using magnetic tapes) via internet, bringing a shorter delivery time than this required by a common consignment of magnetic tapes. 5.6.3 Search, retrieval and preview
The Quick and robust search engine of EtereWeb allows users to easily search and preview assets, even during the search:

The Media tab holds information regarding the media associated to the asset, time code details and EDL configuration. By double clicking on any media item, if available, it will be available the preview and download of the asset:

5.6.4 Selective Upload Interface
EtereWeb allows uploading media files into the server through a simple and intuitive wizard procedure. Depending on the upload interface set in the system, it will be possible to upload the media file using either a java-applet or an active-x interface:
■ Java-Applet: This interface allows dragging and dropping the media file(s) to be uploaded from the file explorer into the web browser:
■ Active-X control: This interface allows browsing for the media file(s) to be uploaded, being also possible to create a zip file for uploading an entire directory:

5.6.5 Pre and Post upload workflow triggering
EtereWeb allows to set different workflows to be launched at different stages of the web management, for example, it is possible to configure the following workflows:
■ Pre-upload workflow:
■ Post-upload workflows:

5.6.6 Multiple file upload
EtereWeb supports not only uploading multiple files with a simple drag and drop action, but also manage them as a single metafile:

This feature allows NLE systems to, for example, upload into the station's server all the files which make part of a project (e.g. production of promos, conforming of separate scenes, editing of source material, etc.) and deliver them to the related department with a single click and with the reliability of a workflow management.

5.6.7 Workflow integration with NLE systems
Thanks to the file-based approach of its media management, EtereWeb supports interfacing centralized NLE systems (Avid Transfer manager, Final cut pro server) via workflow. With Etere, it will be possible to transfer video files from and to NLE systems automatically via workflow, these workflows can be attached, for example, to an assets which requires to be edited:

5.6.8 Centralized monitoring
EtereWeb provides administrators with two key sections from which they will be able to consult specific information about accesses, statistics and more:
■ Login Report : Detailed information about user-specific accesses:
■ User Statistics : Overall information about daily and weekly accesses:

5.6.9 Security Integration
EtereWeb works perfectly behind routers so remote access and ftp transfers are drastically improved. NLE systems can deliver contents via Etere Web as a digital equivalent of physical reception, where selected people can deliver video and metadata to the station, but owing to its digital nature, operations are perfectly organized, performed and logged, avoiding loss of any content information.

5.7 ETERE AUTOMATION: Playout System
Etere Automation is the powerful, reliable and modular playout system able to enhance the station potential in terms of functions and workflow design, it is based on a unique approach which combines in a single product real-time device control and media asset management, offering a powerful mix of solutions and capabilities under a graphical user-friendly interface displaying for each event its source, type, description, properties, live status, secondary events, time code, GPI status, scheduled and real times, etc.

5.7.1 Secondary Events Management
Etere Automation manages all the secondary events intended to be transmitted by dedicated devices (e.g.: Logo Generators, Crawl Generators, Subtitlers, etc.) with a simple graphical tool, allowing previewing secondary events in low res before their playout through a browsing application:

5.7.2 Live Events Management
Etere Automation offers complete support for live events present on the daily schedule, being possible to manage various different live inputs that can be switched at any time, few minutes before the event broadcasting or even during its transmission.
Additionally, Etere allows managing one video router per automation, being possible to create links between routers so when a channel is switched in the Main Router; the equivalent channel is also switched in the Backup Router.

5.7.3 As-Run Logging
Moreover, the ability to export As-Run logs containing the schedule “actually” transmitted allows an easy reconciliation between planned and real playout, being possible to send to multiple (UNC and FTP) destinations a frame-accurate log in any of the available formats.

5.8 ETERE ALIGNER: Broadcast Synchronization
Etere Aligner is the application that maintains the published schedule constantly synchronized, it aligns the independent automation schedule with the Etere stored schedule, this operation is very important for the broadcast process since published on-air timings may vary and will need to be updated.
Etere Aligner provides stations with the following key features on managing broadcast schedules:
■ Automatic publishing of the schedule by Executive Editor,
■ Ensure consistency of the published schedule by updating it with last changes,
■ Launch workflows automatically to restore video clips scheduled to go on-air.
In Parameters you are also able to specify that the system also carries out publication of the schedule at each Etere F90 request.

Moreover, Etere Aligner allows restoring via workflow all those video files associated to scheduled events and which are missing in the remote archive, either manually or automatically.

5.9 ETERE SNMP: A Complete System Monitoring
The Etere SNMP Console is the solution that allows to monitor any Etere module which collects and stores its management information (errors, warnings, etc.) through the locally installed Etere SNMP Agent which sends messages containing this information to a remote Etere SNMP Console which in this way monitors all the Etere's modules; through this console the operator can decide about the receiving policies (content, validity, filters, etc.).
The Etere SNMP Console is a key part of the broadcasting process because it permits to have a complete report of the way the Etere modules are working, allowing to catch errors, store them in a database for a further analysis and also forward them to an another console (forward the message to the pertinent operator who is intended to solve it) and thus saving time and resources on real-time which are invaluable assets in the broadcasting business.

In order to improve monitoring of modules and devices, all Etere components are automatically subscribed to the Etere SNMP Service, so it will monitor the periodic heartbeats sent via SNMP by the components.

The monitoring system (i.e.: Etere SNMP Console) detects missing heartbeats and sends both a visual-alarm and an e-mail notification to the operations department. Owing to the use of this feature, the general health of the Etere system can be further examined to isolate raised faults:

5.10 ETERE MTX: Digital Capture using Matrox Video Cards
Etere MTX is the application offered by Etere to drive the most popular HD/SD Matrox digital video editing platforms, it combines the professional effects technology of a wide range of industry standard codecs with an Etere system, allowing to capture in both high and standard definition formats over digital inputs.
The multi-format ingest allows to use any codec and wrapper on the market, whereas for playout it can mix in real-time all types of footage on a timeline with more layers and/or effects, as well as parallel multi-format ingestions, all these under a user-friendly interface. Besides the common preset and preview bars, available on a friendly touch-screen graphic interface, MTX includes most graphics and audio functions such as:
■ 8 logo layers with unlimited sizes
■ 1 Crawl /CG
■ Audio shuffling
■ Audio control
■ Dolby E Pass-through
■ Video transitions

Etere’s solution implementation requires only a card with 1 input and 2 outputs to deliver the full MC functionalities, with a really cost effective system, and the possibility of working in SD and HD without any additional cost. Furthermore, due the reduced cost each broadcaster can have a fully redundant master control based on a main/clone approach that makes backup resources work at the same time in a full fault tolerant chain.
Etere software panel can be installed in multiple PC’s, being commonly used on the 2nd monitor of Executive Editor, thus allowing to control multiple channels from one single panel, a truly cost effective multi-channel solution. The future is IT-based, it is better, faster, and provides more functions at lower prices; the Etere’s approach will push everyone to develop a comparable function system. MTX substantially reduces capital expenditure and operating costs for television facilities since it replaces proprietary broadcast playout and processing hardware with standard IT servers and Etere software. Cost savings are achieved through reduced purchase costs, faster revenue generation, improved system scalability, and more efficient workflows.

The use of an arrangement-convenient IT hardware will also result in a significant reduction of space and power requirements, as well as in a simplified maintenance. Thanks to the IT-based architecture of MTX, facilities can easily increase channel counts without traditional scaling constraints, its simplified system design will allows a much faster deployment of new facilities, additional channels and services, that is, MTX can be seriously considered as a system for lifetime.

MTX can be used for more than 10 years with no changes, the free upgrade policy of Etere allows broadcasters to use the same system for 21years, thus saving their investments by making of MTX their FINAL solution to playout. The highly integrated, end-to-end workflow streamlines all the core processes, MTX forms part of global Etere MAM solutions, thus allowing it to use the same metadata and interface available for ingest, content management, transmission control, traffic, archiving, and monitoring.

MTX is based on 21 years of expertise in deploying high-end solutions for broadcast, time in which Etere solutions had become fully customizable enough to adopt any workflow and improve it with the legendary robustness of Etere. MTX offers uncompromised playout performance, ideally suited to the requirements of primetime television channels.

The system delivers superb picture quality due to the reduced number of broadcast devices in the chain, combined with native Digital signal processing. The station will be benefited with a lower cost, a complete support and most important, an unbeatable relation between quality and price.

6. BENEFITS
This paper has described how the development and deployment of a comprehensive Etere-based “Total Media Management” system is able to provide the station with a large number of operational benefits and advantages derived from the correct use of ultimate media management technology; Etere will entirely manage the digital contents of the station, from acquisition to delivery, by providing them with the following key features:
■ Workflow Reliability, all operations automatically generates fully customizable logs to track both the overall and individual functioning of the entire system,
■ Flexibility, on meeting all requirements by proving a versatile media management system tightly integrated with all capturing and storage devices present on the station,
■ Scalability, for increasing the number of capturing channels and devices without altering the system workflow complexity, thus minimizing operational overheads and reducing overall costs,
■ Efficiency, reduced need for repetitive manual operations, allowing to define them in advance and then include them in the ingest workflow, thus increasing productivity,
■ Accuracy, during the whole media management process, reducing the risk of mistakes when retrieving data since all archived contents are continuously checked
■ Integration, Non-linear editing systems will be able to access the digital archive directly and efficiently through a proper production environment, making use of the highest security standards.