Thursday, December 12, 2013
By Ben Gunkel*
They didnt tell me this in the job interview but one of the great features of being Sales Director of PlayBox Technology UK is that you get to see inside more racks rooms than almost anyone else on the planet. The first thing you notice is the profusion of kit and the vast amount of cable required to tie it all together. Secondly, the slightly wild-eyed visage of the technicians charged with keeping it all running and meeting the demand for new or expanded facilities.
Space
Whether located in a city centre, in a suburb or out in the countryside, these all have one thing in common: space is at a premium from the moment a racks room has been built. TV-Bay readers will know more than most people why this is. The broadcast industry is in a state of continuous expansion, trying to accommodate new channels or augment existing output with extra services such as high definition, IP-based catchup, additional languages or second screen.
Pressure on space is just one of several reasons why broadcast systems integrators worldwide are adopting channel-in-a-box (CiaB) solutions. Founded by experienced broadcasters who recognised the advancing capabilities of IT-based processors and platforms, PlayBox Technology pioneered the CiaB approach. This has now reached the point where an entire standard-definition or high-definition channel can be accommodated in just one rack unit including graphics, character generation and branding.
It is normal procedure in broadcasting to run primary and secondary systems with automatic switchover as a safeguard against on-air failure. On that basis, CiaB with full redundancy becomes synonymous with 2 rack units per channel. A single backup can of course be implemented across several channels.
Reliability
Reliability is another key advantage CiaB solutions have compared with systems based on devices from multiple vendors. PlayBox Technology has developed its CiaB product range as a single entity over many years, guided by a highly experienced team with full control over every aspect of the design. This approach differs from the bespoke systems where each customer received a combination of hardware and software from many companies. Each link of a multi-vendor system had to be tested to ensure full compatibility between its various elements before they could be trusted to perform efficiently under all operating conditions. Hardware and software integration is an inherent part of CiaB system design rather than a challenge which emerges in the closing stages of a project.
A modern CiaB system should incorporate practically everything required for a channel to function locally, remotely or if necessary completely unattended. That includes all the hardware and software required to allow ingest, scheduling, playout, graphics, logging, subtitling and billing. Plus the system control GUIs, multiple terabytes of fast-access hard-disc storage. In a typical installation, almost the only third-party device we have to provide is a router.
Standard hardware
Our CiaB systems run on carefully tested but otherwise standard off-the-shelf IT hardware. They are all based on commercial off-the-shelf hardware meaning that spare parts are easy to obtain and very low in cost. PlayBox Technology software is Windows-based and can be supported quickly and easily via the Internet. All systems are essentially identical in configuration and structure.
Thousands of PlayBox Technology systems are currently being used remotely at around the world. All of these are scheduled and monitored either from a separate control room within the same building as the CiaB server or over a long-distance IP-based link. Each CIAB installation is designed to run in accordance with an operator-defined schedule while retaining the option of manual over-ride at any time to handle a live insert.
Examples of recent installations
PlayBox Technology system operators who have recently invested in PlayBox Technology CiaB systems include ViewSat which has nearly 200 servers and Vision 247 with some 50 servers. EbonyLife TV recently started a new high-definition channel transmitting by direct satellite to subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa. The network is using a system including ingest, storage, content management, channel branding and playout automation running on PlayBox Technology's flagship AirBox and TitleBox servers. A total of 15 systems have been installed in an ongoing project, each configured for remote operation by STNs clients. In China, TVB Hong Kong has taken delivery of 26 servers to handle nine new 24/7 high-definition channels. In Turkey, TTNET has chosen a broadcast playout system from PlayBox Technology for four high-definition live sports channels at its Esentepe transmission centre in Istanbul.
CiaB is the ultra-compact future of broadcast systems design. Tried, tested, trusted and available now.
*Ben Gunkel is Sales Director of PlayBox Technology UK Limited
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
30/08/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has adopted its FY 2025 Regulatory Fees Order that establishes the regulatory fee rates for the broadcast stati...
29/08/2025
Australian Red Cross and SBS launch training to help workplaces in the fight aga...
29/08/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
29/08/2025
L3Harris Technologies has concentrated decades of expertise across the entire enterprise to develop affordable and reliable best-of-breed solutions to rapidly c...
29/08/2025
BURBANK, Calif. The CW Network and the Pac-12 Conference have announced a new media rights deal that will extend their broadcast partnership beginning with the ...
29/08/2025
NEW YORK Gracenote has released a new analysis of its global video dataset showing that the number of FAST channels grew nearly 14% from Q1 2025 and 76% since 2...
29/08/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Harmonic has announced a series of improvements to its live sports streaming solution that the company said will improve fan engagement, protec...
29/08/2025
NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES Fox Corp. and YouTube TV last night announced a renewal of the full portfolio of Fox networks, including Fox News Channel, Fox Business...
29/08/2025
Budapest, Hungary, August 2025 - The integration of Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR) with Lightware's Taurus universal matrix switchers delivers a new level of f...
29/08/2025
Frequency, the engine behind many of the world's best-known streaming television channels, today announced it will launch Studio Live, a next-generation uni...
29/08/2025
In an era when AI and cyber resilience are essential, Scality will mark the 10th anniversary of Scality Day on October 16, 2025 in Paris. This flagship global e...
29/08/2025
Disguise's In-House Creative and Technical Teams Pre-Visualised, Programmed and Delivered Content for the Experience, All Powered by EX 3+
Technology solu...
29/08/2025
Disguise will be demonstrating the latest workflows for TV, film and live events on a number of partner booths at the show
Disguise, the industry-leading tech...
29/08/2025
STOCKHOLM, Sweden Accedo will showcase Accedo Compose, its AI agent-powered modular orchestration layer that assists streaming providers in transitioning client...
29/08/2025
LOS ANGELES Cineverse has announced that it is working with Xperi to bring four of its streaming channels to automobiles for the first time as part of the DTS A...
29/08/2025
DALLAS & ATLANTA Gray Media has announced an agreement with the sports streaming service Victory+ to simulcast 17 Dallas Stars NHL games in 15 television market...
29/08/2025
NEW YORK AND CULVER CITY Comcast NBCUniversal and Amazon have announced new and extended distribution agreements that will expand the content available on their...
29/08/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. RED Digital Cinema will feature its Cine-Broadcast Module supporting live broadcast workflows during IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, at the RAI Ams...
29/08/2025
29 Aug 2025
Kyivstar Rings Opening Bell at Nasdaq Marking Landmark Listing and ...
29/08/2025
More than half of all NFL games live on Sky for the first timeFriday 29 August 2025
Sky Sports has announced a new three-year deal with the NFL, extending its ...
29/08/2025
Back to All News
RIV4LRIES: The Trailer of the New Series With Samuele Carrino ...
29/08/2025
Get ready for an inspiring and emotional insight into the world of competitive Irish dancing with My Story: Tomi Champion of the World airing on RT 2 this monda...
29/08/2025
RT has today announced that David McCullagh is to be the new presenter of RT Radio 1's flagship Today programme, which airs every weekday at 10am, replaci...
28/08/2025
By Kristin Feeley, Director, Documentary Film & Artist Programs
If you want to tell untold stories, if you want to give voice to the voiceless, you've got ...
28/08/2025
Directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, Sundance Institute-supported Amer...
28/08/2025
Corridos have been a cornerstone of M sica Mexicana for generations, telling stories rooted in everyday life. Now, a new chapter is taking shape: motivational c...
28/08/2025
Los corridos han sido un pilar de la M sica Mexicana durante generaciones, contando historias enraizadas en la vida cotidiana. Ahora, un nuevo cap tulo est tom...
28/08/2025
Earlier this month, we promised our Verano Forever party would bring the heat, a...
28/08/2025
L3Harris will provide the Polish F-16V fleet with the Viper Shield electronic warfare system as part of an upgrade program....
28/08/2025
Bilbao, August 26, 2025 - AgileTV, an international television and video technol...
28/08/2025
Ken Wilkinson is an Emmy Awards nominated New York audio engineer who specialises in production sound mixing for film, commercial, episodic and documentary work...
28/08/2025
NEW YORK FuboTV today announced that it will launch Fubo Sports, a skinny bundle that focuses on sports with a subscription price of $56 monthly....
28/08/2025
NEVADA City, Calif. At IBC2025, Sept. 12-15 at the RAI Amsterdam, Telestream will debut its new Global Ingest strategy, introducing a next-generation ingest arc...
28/08/2025
Dr. Rhoda Bernard Releases Groundbreaking Debut Book on Accessible Arts Educatio...
28/08/2025
TAG Video Systems, the leader in software-based IP end-to-end workflow monitoring, deep probing, and real-time visualization, has named Oliver Gappa as Sales Di...
28/08/2025
AI-based voice enhancement will be among a series of innovations making their IBC 2025 debut on the DHD stand B46 in Hall 8 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Cent...
28/08/2025
Telef nica Servicios Audiovisuales (TSA), the leading system integrator and service provider in the media sector in Spain, with the support of Appear, the globa...
28/08/2025
To fully immerse sailing fans in the world's biggest offshore yacht race, production company, Optical Media turned to LiveU's On-site Production solutio...
28/08/2025
Working with Calrec on its most recent overhaul, radio and television broadcaster, WNED has migrated to a fully IP infrastructure with multiple Type R consoles,...
28/08/2025
Cleeng, the Subscriber Retention Management (SRM ) inventor, has unveiled Cleeng Pro, the first-ever direct-to-consumer (D2C) subscription management platform t...
28/08/2025
Zixi, the industry leader in live broadcast-quality video over IP, today announced that French media distribution platform OKAST has selected Zixi to enable rel...
28/08/2025
Solution offers a streamlined, speaker-free architecture to optimize integration with premium external loudspeakers and advanced loudness metering
Nixer Pro Au...
28/08/2025
Cinegy, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, has announced a strategic partnership with Vision One Touch Film Production Services L.L...
28/08/2025
Telestream, a global leader in media workflow technologies, will debut its new Global Ingest strategy at IBC2025, introducing a next-generation ingest architect...
28/08/2025
Tier 1 operator selects Broadpeak to power high-performance, unified CDN solution across Norway, Sweden and Finland
Broadpeak, a leader in streaming and moneti...
28/08/2025
Leading video software provider, Synamedia, today announced that 24 Frames Digital, one of India's leading live event streaming service providers, has chose...
28/08/2025
Meet VisualOn at IBC2025: See What's Next in AI-Powered Video Streaming Join VisualOn at IBC2025 and discover how our AI-driven Optimizer and advanced media...
Thursday, December 12, 2013
