Latin America. GatesAir partnered with StreamGuys to automate server-side applications in the cloud for broadcasters that stream live AM/FM audio over IP networks.
Technical innovation translates GPIO contact closures into in-stream metadata, enabling server-side ad interruptions, program recordings, and other functions without physical intervention.
StreamGuys will receive and interconnect server-side cloud services as program streams move between send and receive sites. GatesAir Intraplex IP Link codecs will provide robust connectivity and audio transport between locations, with the additional flow redundancy and network resiliency protection of Intraplex Dynamic Stream Splicing software.
"We don't know of other transmission codecs that can translate physical GPIO triggers into transmission metadata. This opens up a variety of new revenue models and production workflows, such as customers who want to support ad triggers or automate content publishing. It establishes a path to improve traditional satellite- and STL-based workflows in the digital domain. These solutions also provide a simpler but more secure architecture for broadcast networks that receive live streams directly from a sports team, a remote content producer or a home broadcaster," said Eduardo Martinez, Chief Technology Officer of StreamGuys.
IP Link users can flexibly configure up to eight GPIOs for triggered events within the codec firmware at the sending location. Each built-in contact closure can be mapped with a unique, custom metadata string, and sent in-band with the stream encoded. The codec supports Icecast and RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) streaming formats with Dynamic Stream Splicing and works in conjunction with GatesAir's cloud-based Intraplex Ascent server for reliability. On the server side, StreamGuys receives the stream of translated audio and metadata that identifies an ad cut within the live stream, triggering midrolls as part of a dynamic ad insertion strategy. As metadata is used for digital signage and switching, users can also trigger server-side program recordings and aerial checks.
In addition, a delimiter feature supports sending multiple contact closures to more receive locations, including streaming servers that replicate live AM/FM streams online. According to Keyur Parikh, vice president of engineering at GatesAir, this provides a foundation for terrestrial broadcasters to launch a new simulcast, podcast or side channel service when using StreamGuys' cloud-based SGrecast platform for advanced content reuse. A new auto-publish feature within SGrecast's Audio Logger can also reuse live ad triggers to dynamically monetize podcasts, without requiring post-production work.
"Intraplex customers now have the unique ability to leverage cloud-based revenue enhancement services," said Parikh. "The built-in transcoding and transmuxing capabilities will allow our customers to use the same encoding device to generate multiple streams of the same content with different encoding and streaming formats."
One example, according to GatesAir CEO Bruce D. Swail, would allow radio stations to support IP STL connections and webcast from the same platform. "Working with StreamGuys, GatesAir has jointly developed a highly configurable and extensible standards-based solution that brings traditional trigger-based services and events to the cloud," said Swail.
"Our customers can now take advantage of advanced and dynamic server-side ad insertion and recording without additional latency, and with the secure and reliable transport of Icecast streaming or redundant Dynamic Stream Splicing software."
