pearl.tv Uses just:play as the First European Broadcaster to Broadcast in 4K to ASTRA
17/04/2019
November 2nd 2015 - Vienna Austria / Buggingen Germany - Billing themselves as the first teleshopping network for men, since 2012 pearl.tv has been bringing their viewers the best technic, computer and audio/video products available. With a transmission start on September 4th, 2015 pearl.tvwas the first European broadcaster to transmit in 4K to ASTRA.
Based out of the EnStyle Studios in Buggingen Germany, pearl.tv has always been on the forefront of broadcast innovation. Since March 1st, 2012 pearl.tv has provided their viewers 24 hours of unique programming daily. Since day one this has been in HD quality - a European teleshopping first - and now with 4K transmission, which began on September 4th, 2015, pearl.tv remains at the forefront of European DRTV.
Focusing on computers, consumer audio/visual equipment, and cool gadgets pearl.tv targets a market segment largely ignored by other teleshopping networks - men between 40 and 99. This dedicated focus has proven a success as pearl.tv has presented their viewers over 10.000 products in three years. With availability over ASTRA, the Unitymedia, KabelBW, and Primacom cable networks, as well the Zattoo App and on-line at www.pearl.de/tv/, pearl.tv covers the entire German speaking world reaching potential customers in 27 million households.Investing in reliable and powerful equipment has always been important for pearl.tv. At the studios in Buggingen, six UHD studio cameras are used in recording and two well trained film crews are on location everyday filming product presentations with 35mm 4K cinema cameras. In total, pearl.tv produces more than two hours of cinema-style 4K content and over six hours of studio productions daily.
ToolsOnAir's just:play running on a MacPro 8-core as been a key part of the pearl.tv workflow since inception. When all content is ready to air, the playout signal is broadcast using a Blackmagic Design UltraStudio 4K in full UHD resolution. Thanks to the realtime scaler which is part of the just:play engine, legacy HD productions can be scheduled side-by-side with new 4K content. This feature was used extensively during the transition to 4K. Now pearl.tv is broadcasting exclusively in UHD.
At IBC 2015 ToolsOnAir announced 4K playout support in the upcoming 2.0 Version currently scheduled for full release Q1 2016. Commenting on the pre-release installation at pearl.tv, George Deisting, Product Manager for playout systems at ToolsOnAir, said: As development on the new 2.0 Version progressed we began looking for beta test sites. It must have been telepathy because Michael Sichler gave us a call and said he wanted to start broadcasting in 4K and could we do it. We jumped at the opportunity to have such a loyal customer volunteer as a test site and after some initial hiccups the system was up and running in under a week.
We visited Dr. Michael Sichler, General Manager at pearl.tv, to hear his perspective on the first weeks of 4K broadcast, find out why he has always placed high importance on being on the cutting edge of broadcast technology, and how ToolsOnAir's just:play meets his production needs.
ToolsOnAir: You have always focused on being at the forefront of broadcast. What are some of the challenges you have faced in adopting cutting-edge technology?
Michael Sichler: I find a project interesting when everybody tells me it can't be done. Launching a live UHD channel at first glance appeared technically feasible, we soon discovered, however, that there are a limited number of useable 4K products on the market. Frankly, regarding 4K the broadcast industry is to date, at best, in an early development stage.
This isn't surprising given that many TV stations are still struggling with the transition from SD to HD and that the industry continues to make good money with HD technology. Correspondingly there is little incentive to bring the next generation of devices to market. After all, this would place the current migration to HD in question, especially if newer technology was an even better option.
Against this background working with established broadcast system manufacturers was extremely difficult. With the exception of Blackmagic Design no supplier had market ready devices or a unified 4K production workflow and even here, not all products presented on-line and in marketing material were actually available.
Beyond the difficulty in getting access to components, we also faced numerous technical and deadline barriers including routing the live signal over 400km from rural S dbaden to Unterf hrung and exchanging all of the studio equipment. The biggest challenge was ultimately ensuring a smooth switch to UHD without significant transmission loss. We managed to replace the entire transmission technology with less than 30 minutes of off-air time and switch the studio equipment without losing a single production day.
Regarding the ToolsOnAir setup, all hardware and software components were replaced during a two-hour live broadcast, tested and put into operation. This was an easy switch and ToolsOnAir provided remote support via TeamViewer.
ToolsOnAir: Tell us more about your decision to create a teleshopping network for men. What were some of the challenges you faced?
Michael Sichler: The German teleshopping market is geared toward female customers and is dominated by two major networks, QVC and HSE24. Additionally, there are some smaller stations focusing on female viewers as well. It didn't make sense for us to try to compete in an already saturated market plus the Pearl Group already had a broad and attractive range of products that traditionally appeal to male customers. It was a logical decision for us to target this neglected male audience. We focus on this target group not only in product select
LINK: | https://www.toolsonair.com/pearl-tv-uses-just-play-as-the-first-europe... |
See more stories from toolsonair |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
29/04/2024
LG Adds Allen Media Group's Local Now FAST Channel in 223 Markets
LOS ANGELES Allen Media Group (AMG) has partnered with LG Electronics to bring 223 Local Now FAST channels to LG's free streaming service, LG Channels, avai...
29/04/2024
Ross Video Unveils Raiden Weather Graphics System
OTTAWA Ross Video has announced the introduction of Raiden, a data-driven weather graphics software that combines data gathering, processing, and visualization ...
29/04/2024
Melanie Georgieva Joins Panalux as Long Form Sales Direct...
Panalux, a leading rental provider of lighting and power solutions for the motion-picture industry and part of Panavision's end-to-end service offerings for...
29/04/2024
Cobalt Iron Earns Patent on Analytics-Based Dynamic Autho...
Cobalt Iron Inc., a leading provider of SaaS-based enterprise data protection, today announced that it has received a patent on its technology for dynamic autho...
29/04/2024
SDVI Rally Access Workstation Earns Two Top Awards at 202...
SDVI, the leading platform provider for cloud-native media supply chains, today announced that Rally Access Workstation, a fully managed solution for editing in...
29/04/2024
Premier Sports selects QuickLink Remote Commentary soluti...
Premier Sports, a premium sports broadcaster, has selected QuickLink's Remote Commentary solution for introducing professional, high-quality remote commenta...
29/04/2024
Glookast picks Jigsaw24 Media as exclusive UK channel par...
Glookast has chosen Jigsaw24 Media as the only UK channel partner to represent their portfolio of ingest and workflow optimisation products. The agreement, sign...
29/04/2024
Clear-Coms Eclipse HX and Agent-IC Technology Illuminate...
Clear-Com played a pivotal role in the seamless coverage of the recent solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Leveraging its cutting-edge Eclipse HX Digital Matrix i...
29/04/2024
PlayBox Neo to Promote Latest Smart Media Playout Innovat...
PlayBox Neo will promote its complete range of television channel management, graphic branding and playout solutions to EMEA region media content owners and bro...
29/04/2024
RuPaul Game Show Lingo' Returns to CBS May 24
Lingo, RuPaul's word-twisting game show, returns for season two on CBS Friday, May 24. Two episodes air that night, and stream on Paramount Plus, too....
29/04/2024
ESPN, Amazon Prime Video Reportedly Close To New Deals With the NBA
ESPN and Amazon Prime Video are reportedly close to scoring television rights to the National Basketball Association, according to published reports....
29/04/2024
Judge Judy,' Hot Bench' Renewed for 2 More Years
Judge Judy and Hot Bench, CBS Media Ventures' genre-leading court shows, have been renewed through the 2025-26 TV season in more than 95% of the country, Gr...
29/04/2024
Irish Sports Broadcaster Premier Sports Taps QuickLink for Remote Commentary
Premier Sports, an Irish-based premium sports broadcaster, has selected QuickLink's Remote Commentary solution for introducing professional, high-quality re...
29/04/2024
BAFTA Television Craft Awards winners announced
The awards celebrate the craft of behind-the-scenes TV talent and the best programmes of 2023 By Matthew Corrigan Published: April 29, 2024 The awards cel...
29/04/2024
Watch: How Milk VFX helped create 259 shots for Netflix's Scoop
The team at Milk had to create and deliver the VFX and environment work for the royal residences featured in the drama from scratch By Jenny Priestley Publis...
29/04/2024
What's going on at Paramount Global?
CEO Bob Bakish is expected to leave the company as early as today, with a new leadership committee likely to run the company on an interim basis By Jenny Pries...
29/04/2024
Meet the director of media and entertainment and strategic products
Albena Ivanova, director, media and entertainment and strategic products at CHAOS talks to TVBEurope about her route into the industry By TVBEurope Staff Pub...
29/04/2024
Anna Valley brand name acquired by AV company Grand Technix
The acquisition gives Grand Technix the opportunity to expand its footprint in the audio visual and broadcast technology sectors By Jenny Priestley Published...
29/04/2024
Screen Australia announces James J. Robinson's debut feature First Light
29 04 2024 - Media release Screen Australia announces James J. Robinson's debut feature First Light First Light Principal Photography is underway on Firs...
29/04/2024
Capitol Broadcasting Becomes First Company Inducted into NC Media and Journalism Hall of Fame
Capitol Broadcasting recently became the inaugural company honored with inductio...
29/04/2024
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Fanyana feels embarrassed about his sexual mishap
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Fanyana feels embarrassed about his sexual mishapDon't miss Monday, 29 April's riveting episode of South African soapie Sm...
29/04/2024
SEA.AI Navigates the Future With AI at the Helm
Talk about commitment. When startup SEA.AI, an NVIDIA Metropolis partner, set out to create a system that would use AI to scan the seas to enhance maritime safe...
28/04/2024
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with URSA Broadcast G2
Mediahaus delivers the first SRT live-streaming sports production over 5G with U...
27/04/2024
L3Harris Chair and CEO Christopher E. Kubasik Discusses 1Q24 On CNBC's "Closing Bell: Overtime"
On April 26, L3Harris Chair and CEO Christopher E. Kubasik joined CNBC's Mor...
27/04/2024
Audinate Adds Major New Features to Dante Connect
PORTLAND, Oregon Audinate Group Limited, the developer of the Dante AV-over-IP solution, announced significant new additions to Dante Connect, its cloud-based D...
27/04/2024
Bell Media Launches New Portfolio of FAST Channels
TORONTO Bell Media has launched 10 English and French-language FAST channels featuring entertainment, factual, news, and sports programming. The new free stream...
27/04/2024
Study: Broadcast TV Evening News Avoids Serious Economic Issues
An extensive new analysis of the news segments in the broadcast evening news programs of ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS has found that broadcasters devoted most of their...
27/04/2024
Hughes Opens Manufacturing Facility and Private 5G Incubation Center in Maryland
GERMANTOWN, Md. EchoStar's Hughes Network Systems has opened a new manufacturing facility and private 5G incubation center in Germantown, Maryland....
27/04/2024
Broadcasting Legend Harry Pappas Dead At 78
Harry Pappas, one of three brothers who founded Pappas Telecasting Companies in 1971, died April 24. He was 78 years old....
27/04/2024
Televisa Selects Synamedia For Broadcast Distribution Overhaul
ATLANTA and LONDON Mexican telecommunications and broadcast company Televisa has selected Synamedia for an overhaul of its broadcast distribution....
27/04/2024
Participate in the Survey - The Impact of AI on Media and the Creative Industry
Participate in the Survey - The Impact of AI on Media and the Creative Industry Pascal Wagner April 26, 2024 0 Comments By participating in this surve...
27/04/2024
SDVI Rally Access Workstation Earns Two Top Awards at 2024 NAB Show
SDVI Rally Access Workstation Earns Two Top Awards at 2024 NAB Show Brie Clayton April 26, 2024 0 Comments SDVI, the leading platform provider for clo...
27/04/2024
Berklee's Music and Health Institute Launches Community Health Musician Certificate
Berklee's Music and Health Institute Launches Community Health Musician Cert...
27/04/2024
Charter Reports Higher Q1 Profits Despite Broadband, Video Losses
Charter Communications reported higher first-quarter profits despite continued cord-cutting and competition for broadband customers....
27/04/2024
Environmental Groups Aim To Make Unscripted TV More Sustainable
Two environmentally-focused groups are partnering to engage the unscripted TV world in finding better ways to address climate change. Reality of Change is an ec...
27/04/2024
Sarah Garcia Named Weekend Anchor at Telemundo 40 in Texas
Sarah Garcia has been promoted to weekend anchor at KTLM McAllen, Texas, known as Telemundo 40. Starting April 27, she will anchor Noticias Telemundo 40 weekend...
27/04/2024
CBS Sports Kicks Off FAST Channel for UEFA Champions League on Pluto TV
CBS Sports said it launched a new 24-hour free, ad supported streaming television (FAST) channel devoted to the UEFA Champions League....
27/04/2024
Brian Roberts's Pay Rose To $35 Million at Comcast
Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts received $35.4 million in compensation in 2023, up 11% from the previous year, according to a proxy statement filed by th...
27/04/2024
John Lithgow Goes Back to School in Art Happens Here'
Art Happens Here With John Lithgow, which sees the actor study dance, ceramics, silk-screen printing and vocal jazz with students in Los Angeles, debuts on PBS ...
27/04/2024
FETV Wants Upfront Buyers Seeking Cable Viewers To Join Its Family
Remember Leave It to Beaver? Bewitched? Dragnet? When cable ratings were rising?...
27/04/2024
Catchy Comedy Features Gomer Pyle, USMC' Weekend Marathon
Next up for the weekend binge at Catchy Comedy is Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Every weekend, Catchy Comedy features The Catchy Binge, a marathon of a classic sitcom....
26/04/2024
Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 kicks off today at Cinpolis
Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 kicks-off today with screenings in 5 theaters in Mexico City and the opening-night film, FRIDA, directed by Carla Guti rrez...
26/04/2024
Interview: Lourdes Portillo, Director of Las madres de la Plaza de Mayo, La Ofrenda
[Editor's Note: This interview is part of a larger feature about the women d...
26/04/2024
Career insights instead of everyday school life
Once again this year, SGL Carbon opened its doors to interested children and young people. On the occasion of the German Girls and Boys Day, which took place on...
26/04/2024
L3Harris Technologies Reports Strong First Quarter 2024 Results, Increases 2024 Profitability Guidance
Orders1 of $5.5 billion; book-to-bill of 1.06x Revenue of $5.2 billion, up 17%,...
26/04/2024
What Makes A Network Resilient?
Five Considerations For Communications Modernization In The 21st Century In the digital-enabled battlespace, the Joint Force needs to shoot, move and communica...
26/04/2024
CBS Sports Launches New Free Streaming Channel
CBS Sports has launched Champions League as a new, 24-hour streaming channel that will serve as the year-round destination for nonstop highlights of the UEFA ...