PlayBox Neo announces the completion of an expanded playout system at the Bangkok headquarters of Thai broadcaster TV Direct. The installation doubles the network's capacity from three to six channels, transmitted in high definition via direct-to-home satellite and online.

"PlayBox Neo's Channel-in-a-Box system has the fourfold advantage of being installer-friendly, efficient to operate, easy to expand and highly reliable," says TV Direct's MCR Manager Akarachai Tobsin. "This new investment comprises three additional AirBox Neo-19 servers, each configured with the resources we need to schedule programs, commercials and promos as far in advance as the production team chooses to work. AirBox Neo-19 also allows us to make near-to-air changes in playout running order or to transmit live whenever we choose. In operational terms, the control GUIs go beyond intuitive by being relaxing on the eyes rather than imposing a lot of glare. Content can be accessed quickly, trimmed and finessed, all within the Neo-19 environment. That saves staff time and ensures maximum confidence. The servers are located at our satellite uplink service provider, PSI Broadcasting, here in the same city, and operated via secure IP links which carry complete program files as well as control data."

Pebble Beach Systems, the leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, today announced a strong set of results for the year ended 31 December 2019, with all key financial metrics ahead of 2018’s impressive figures.

The company increased its gross margin, and the net cash inflow from its operating activities. At £3.8m, the adjusted EBITDA figure was 52% higher than that for 2018. Revenues were also significantly up, at £11.2m compared to £9.2m in 2018, an increase of 22%.

Minacord Media, founded and owned by composer, songwriter, singer and instrumentalist Zeljko Joksimovic, has chosen PlayBox Neo Version 19 Channel-in-a-Box systems to power three new television channels: Kazbuka, K1 and TV Doctor. All three will be transmitted via cable and IPTV in Serbia, and on the Go4TV mobile-TV platform across Croatia, Slovenia, Austria plus the wider European Union, Switzerland, Canada and the USA. The project was negotiated and completed by PlayBox Neo distribution partner PBT Adria, from initial design and cabling through to on-site integration, configuration and testing.

"PlayBox Neo was the obvious choice for channel branding and playout as it gives us full control over the entire process from scheduling, titling and interstitials management right through to delivery," Zeljko Joksimovic comments. "A key requirement was the ability to automate as much as possible while keeping our production options open to accommodate live inserts or last-minute changes in running order. Efficient expandability and easy third-party device integration were also important so that we are free to add extra channels easily at any time in the future. PlayBox Neo answers at every level."

Georgian free-to-air television channel Rustavi 2 has chosen PlayBox Neo Channel-in-a-Box servers as the core of a new high-definition broadcast playout system at its headquarters in Tbilisi. The project includes two systems, configured for operation in main and backup roles. It was completed in co-operation with systems integrator Broadcast Technologies Ltd which is itself based in Tbilisi.

"We recently decided to modernise our playout facilities to increase the channel's operational efficiency," comments George Gocha Kumsiashvili, Director of Production & Technical Support at Rustavi 2. "PlayBox Neo Channel-in-a-Box meets our requirements exactly in terms of technical performance, ease of use, interconnectivity and reliability. It is also very compact which both simplifies installation and conserves space in our central apparatus room."

"Rustavi2 purchased a separate ListBox Neo playlist preparation and scheduling license for each server," adds Sergei Kazaryants, Director of Operations at Broadcast Technologies Ltd. "Both servers are used in conjunction with a Guramex vision mixer, interfaced via an automation module. Part of our role was to ensure the automation was programmed to achieve the closest possible integration. This was achieved quickly and easily and the complete system is now fully on air."

PlayBox Neo announces a key addition to its executive team with the appointment of Shobit Chauhan as Head of Pre-Sales and Post-Sales Support for India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

"A broadcast industry professional with 20 years of experience, Shobit Chauhan graduated with a BA degree from the University of Delhi before joining our New Delhi office in 2000," comments PlayBox Neo CEO Pavlin Rahnev. "There he rose through the ranks to become CTO before moving on to gain experience in the wider computing world. He has an excellent understanding of the broadcast TV media business at its widest and of the technology we have pioneered over the past 20 years. We are delighted to have him back to supervise the support resources we offer our many customers and sales partners across Bangladesh, Nepal and the Indian subcontinent."

"I am very pleased to be returning to the PlayBox mainstream," Shobit Chauhan adds. "PlayBox Neo has sustained the talent for product development which drove the company right from its inception. Our server-based Channel-in-a-Box platform continues to be a market leader with over 18,500 playout and channel-branding systems installed around the world. PlayBox Neo has also proved its industry leadership with the software-centric Cloud2TV virtual channel playout system offering TV channel operators the ideal combination of efficiency, agility and operational simplicity."

PlayBox Neo will demonstrate its full range of broadcast playout and channel branding solutions to CABSAT 2020 attendees at the Dubai World Trade Centre, March 31st - April 2nd. Highlights of the exhibit on stand E4-20 in hall 4 will be the PlayBox Neo Channel-in-a-Box system and the software-as-a-service-based Cloud2TV.

"Our products are built on 20 years of solid experience working with customers ranging in size from globally active broadcast networks to independent channel owners and playout service providers," says PlayBox Neo CEO Pavlin Rahnev. "They include major players in the MENA market such as BHS, EutelSat, Gulsat, Nilesat and ViewMedia, to mention just a few."

"We continue to lead the way in terms of product robustness, refinement, scalability and versatility. Central to our success is modularity, giving operators the ability to perform any or every function involved in television content preparation, from ingest, QC, transcoding, graphic branding and scheduling right through to transmission."

"MENA broadcasters, like their colleagues around the world, are looking for maximum reliability and creative efficiency. Our CABSAT demonstration will show how easy PlayBox Neo systems are to deploy and, thanks to the intuitive PlayBox Neo graphic interface, very easy operate."

PlayBox Neo announces the completion of a new AirBox Channel-in-a-Box playout system for Plovdiv Orthodox TV (PPTV), commissioned by the Metropolis of Plovdiv. It includes a server running Neo-19 ingest, transcoding, titling, scheduling and transmission modules. The new installation augments and upgrades existing AirBox CIAB infrastructure commissioned when PPTV commenced broadcasting 10 years ago.

"This investment provides us with latest-generation software running on new dedicated hardware," says PPTV Technical Director Yuriy Todorov. "It includes many refinements which make our day to day channel management operations more efficient than ever. Particularly appreciated is the low-glare graphic user interface which our presentation colleagues find eye-friendly throughout the duration of a working shift."

"Also appreciated is Neo-19's very logical display structure which provides the information essential to each phase of the content sourcing, finessing and scheduling process without peripheral distractions. Supplementary information, if or when needed, is easily accessible from the main GUI.

"A great strength of Neo-19 is that it alerts the operator if any aspect of a prescheduled playout process still needs attention. The PlayBox Neo system also gives our staff the option of working with full automation while retaining the ability to insert live content whenever required."

SoundView Broadcasting, a global broadcast service provider, has invested in a PlayBox Neo multichannel playout system for its headquarters in the heart of New York City's TV and motion picture district.

"The new installation comprises latest-generation AirBox Channel-in-a-Box servers in content ingest, master playout and backup configurations," comments SoundView Broadcasting Director of Operations Sarmad Zafar. "They are straightforward to install, configure well and perform very reliably. We also have fast access to support from PlayBox Neo USA if needed. The PlayBox Neo user interface is very operator-friendly, easy to learn and displays exactly the information needed at each stage of the operation from ingest right through to transmission."

"We have provided three of our full size 3U servers for this project," adds PlayBox Neo US Director of Operations Van Duke. "Each is configured with AirBox Neo-19 playout software and TitleBox Neo-19 channel branding software. Servers 1 and 2 include ANSI/SCTE 35 insertion cue messaging. Servers 2 and 3 are additionally loaded with PlayBox Neo Multi-Backup Manager. Server 3 has been installed in an offsite disaster recovery facility."

Olympusat CEO Tom Mohler applauds PlayBox Neo’s completion of a large-scale playout system upgrade for Olympusat, a leading provider of broadcast media services. The project includes the enhancement of 26 servers to the latest-generation Version 19 Channel-in-a-Box Neo, TitleBoxNeo and SafeBox Neo.

"We invested in PlayBox Neo Channel-in-a-Box two years ago with an installation at our engineering center in Culver City, California, and we are very pleased with it," said Olympusat Operations Manager Michael Kohl. "Van Duke and his colleagues at PlayBox Neo worked closely with us during the original install to integrate our existing ad sales management tools. Upgrading to Neo-19 software makes our workflow even more efficient. The PlayBox Neo team has added extra engineering features including support for SCTE commands and N+M redundancy."

Olympusat CEO Tom Mohler congratulated both the Olympusat and Playbox teams for the seamless upgrade process: “I want to thank both sides for their teamwork and professionalism as we continue to deliver high quality content to our network audiences."

PlayBox Neo Ltd reports a buoyant 2019 with strong demand for its Channel-in-a-Box and software-based TV channel branding and playout systems. Total unit deliveries reached and surpassed 18,500, supported by product demonstrations at NAB Las Vegas, Broadcast Asia, IBC, NAB New York and regional events in various countries.

"Our Channel-in-Box series, refined over 20 years, continues to sustain us as one of the strongest performing companies in the global playout solutions market," says PlayBox Neo CEO Pavlin Rahnev. "Success in the media playout sector stems from paying close attention to the industry's needs. The primary demand in the playout sector is for operational flexibility. PlayBox Neo Channel-in-a-Box can be configured from a wide range of software modules to match practically any workflow and any required level of backup security. With our SaaS-based Cloud2TV offering, we also offer great flexibility in the way channel managers can handle supplementary aspects such as intelligent archiving, event-specific channels and emergency recovery.

Mongolian broadcaster TV8 Television has expanded the PlayBox Neo playout system at its headquarters in the national capital, Ulaanbaatar. This latest project includes upgrading the existing system to latest-generation Neo-19 software.

"PlayBox Neo provides highly reliable solutions which our staff have used for many years and find very easy to work with," comments TV8 Technical Consultant, Buriad Ganbat. "Especially important is the ability to insert live content or newly-created interstitials between prescheduled programs when an important news story breaks while we are on air. The user interface provides the information needed for each step of the creative process and alerts the operator ahead of transmission if a significant element still requires attention. PlayBox Neo also gives us the ability to advance into UHD transmission if required at any time in the future."

"Our Neo-19 series software includes all the refinements needed to allow full integration with the operating procedure at TV8 Television," details Iulian Ionescu, Regional Sales Director, PlayBox Neo Asia Pacific. "Every step of the workflow from ingest, playlist preparation and graphics creation right through to transmission can be handled quickly and easily with any desired level of automation."

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PlayBox Neo reports a well-supported and highly successful Broadcast Technology Event, held in Lagos, Nigeria, November 4th-6th. Organised by UK-based Medialogy, it attracted representatives from many of Nigeria's broadcast channels.

Rajamangala University of Technology (RMUT) in Thailand has chosen a Neo-19 series Channel-in-a-Box playout system as the heart of a new online TV channel. Operated by staff and students of the university's Mass Communication Technology faculty, the channel will form a basis for training in the techniques of broadcast television content production and distribution.

Rajamangala University of Technology (RMUT) in Thailand has chosen a Neo-19 series Channel-in-a-Box playout system as the heart of a new online TV channel. Operated by staff and students of the university's Mass Communication Technology faculty, the channel will form a basis for training in the techniques of broadcast television content production and distribution.

"RMUT chose PlayBox Neo for its operational versatility, its proven robustness and as the clear brand of choice among broadcasters in the Asia Pacific region and around the world," comments Sathiti Silayaeng, Sales Engineer at O'Connor's (Thailand) Company Limited which coordinated the project. "We were able to specify a solution exactly meeting the Mass Communication Technology faculty's requirements by selecting relevant modules such as TitleBox Neo from the Neo19 range of software. Installed at the university's Thanyaburi campus, these are running on a PlayBox Neo high-definition server with an integral IP streaming output. It is a highly compact solution which interfaced easily with the faculty's archive server. Installation, configuration and staff training were all completed on schedule and to the MCT's full satisfaction."