Brazil. The Brazilian regional television network and Globo subsidiary, TV TEM, has updated its playout workflow with the installation of Pebble Automation software and Pebble Integrated Channel devices. The system was supplied and installed by Videodata, Pebble's reseller in Brazil.
TV TEM, based in Sorocaba, Sao Paulo, broadcasts the Signal of the Globo Network and regional news and sports, covering 49% of the territory of Sao Paulo. Considering a significant improvement of its playout capabilities, TV TEM's goals were to introduce the latest in technology and functionality, while leveraging legacy equipment and preserving previous investments, as well as paving the way for evolution towards IP.
The new system of integrated automation and playout solutions, based on Pebble, eliminates dedicated equipment and external hardware, replacing them with software-based solutions. The flexibility of Pebble Automation's architecture has allowed TV TEM to retain part of its old system with full compatibility, allowing it to concentrate its investment on advanced modules for system modernization and evolution. With the high import costs to Brazil, the local sourcing of DELL servers for the project also represented considerable cost savings.
Ewerton Maciel, Chief Technology Officer of TV TEM, said: "Pebble's solution did everything we needed it to do: reduce hardware, retain viable parts of our old system to protect our investment, and give us an optimized workflow with a much more sophisticated set of tools. Pebble's extensive experience in its field, coupled with its large installed base of leading broadcasters in Brazil and around the world, gave us confidence in the company and its solutions."
Maciel explains that the operational scenario of TV TEM is complex. Tv TEM's Pebble Automation system works as Centralcasting with four redundant channels and one backup channel, plus four baseband intakes. The system has DELL servers, including 2 servers with the Device Controllers function, 2 Databases, 2 Housekeepers servers, 4 Integrated Channel devices and a Witness. The system controls external devices including five IconMaster MCS switchers, four VTRs, and Imagine's Platinum Router.
"The Centralcasting environment requires multiple lists and a large volume of material moving across multiple sites," he says. "Also part of the challenge is that Pebble has to control and transport media for third-party systems in three very different environments in addition to Pebble's own, including a legacy system with outdated software, and a collection in the public cloud."
Pebble's web-based user interface, Lighthouse, will be used to monitor over-the-air playlists throughout the station, and can be used for remote control if needed. The system also has a database bridge to synchronize Pebble Automation metadata with backup systems in a way that is completely transparent to the user.
"Pebble was chosen for having a modern solution that was consistent with what we were looking for," says Marciel. "The product has a solid line of development and this provides security in decision making, especially when facing the current hybrid playout environments. It is important to be able to count on partners. Pebble and the Videodata team were constantly present and worked to find the best solution for us. We had great success together."
David Kicks, Vice President of Sales for North America and LATAM, at Pebble, said, "The TEM TV facility combines Pebble's leading functionality with the flexibility to integrate legacy systems, thereby reducing deployment costs and transforming this automation workflow into a future-proof system."
"TV TEM is a long-standing partner, and we are honored to be part of this technological revamp, providing the station and its affiliates with the automated Playout solution that will make their operations' workflows much more flexible," said Cicero Assis, Director of Sales for Videodata.
Here's a video of the implementation:
