Orad is the latest vendor to develop a channel-in-a-box playout automation solution. The new device, Blend, will be unveiled at IBC in September.
Blend draws on Orad’s 3D graphics prowess to incorporate very effective branding alongside playout for SD or HD. It is being proposed as a disaster recovery system as well as providing playout for secondary channels in large automated facilities.
According to Ofir Benovici of Orad, “One of the strongest values of CiaB solutions is cost-efficiency. Broadcasters can put a channel on air with less capital investment and fewer operational expenses.
“Broadcasters will not achieve some of the things that can be done with a best of breed approach,” he conceded, adding, “But in many cases the CiaB capabilities are sufficient where resources and cost-effectiveness are a factor in getting on air.”
At IBC it will be shown alongside TD Control, Orad’s studio automation system and iFind, the scalable, browser-based asset management system. The latest versions incorporate a simple graphical user interface, allowing operators to pick content by thumbnails for ease of selection and playlist management. TD Control is also useful for the control of video walls and other in-vision devices.
