Dalet Digital Media Systems has unveiled a new media asset management program that covers the complete programming chain: from ingest, QC, compliance, and content enrichment to playout, distribution, and archiving, writes David Fox.
Dalet Media Life is designed to manage the complex media management requirements of high-volume, multi-platform programme producers, such as broadcast networks and thematic channels.
It “provides broadcasters a complete set of features and capabilities integrated within an open, enterprise Dalet MAM platform. Natively integrated task-specific tools address specialized areas of program preparation, while Dalet’s advanced workflow engine orchestrates resources, assets, and tasks to efficiently manage programme and promo preparation across the entire production chain,” said Dalet’s Director of Marketing, Raoul Cospen.
“The Dalet MAM core provides a precise control layer across systems and sub-systems, including the management of multiple adaptations and uses of a title. Media Life’s flexible data model associates the technical aspects of language dubbing, subtitling, and closed captioning with the media essence, ensuring accurate distribution of assets.”
It is designed to unify content in a centralized, highly structured database with interconnections to other systems and subsystems. There are integral tools for ingest, quality control, compliance, content enrichment, and other functions to fast-track the production workflow. Over all this there is a MAM layer to collate all the various versions, resolutions, and business uses of media and metadata.
It uses open standards and a service-oriented architecture to “create a cohesive, industrialized workflow that unifies traffic, production, industry-standard NLEs, broadcast, automation, and business systems”.
There are built-in data exchange tools and multiple integration paths, including web services APIs, to ensure compatibility with other software. It can also control third-party devices.
There are multiple ways to input content, including massive SDI ingest. It is claimed to have easy to use shot selection and rough-cut tools, and seamless integrations with craft editors (such as Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid and Adobe After Effects). It “intelligently manages the complicated technical aspects of language translations, subtitling, and captioning, with an enhanced data model that properly associates those elements with the media essence of each asset.”
The business-driven workflow engine “orchestrates many human tasks, such as reviews and approvals, and automates background processes including transcoding, rendering, and media movement tasks according to precise rules.”