Technology for hybrid/converged Playout and Streaming · –Broadcast (MPEG-2, MPEG-4, HEVC) and...

©2017 Harmonic Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Technology for

hybrid/converged

Playout and Streaming

Pierre Baumgartner

2 ©2017 Harmonic Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Agenda

Converging playout and encoding

Delivering ready-to-air channels

Hybrid playout architectures

Case study: channel OTT encoding

Case study #2 : channel manipulation

Questions & Answers


Converging playout and encoding


• The number of channels drastically increases

– Secondary channels (barker, music, occasional…)

– Regional channels

– OTT variants of Premium channels

• Channel regionalization is growing

• The need of scalable and future-proof technologies becomes critical

– IT security needs

• Need for a cost effective solution, which collapses channel playout, compression and

delivery, on a future-proof, secure and scalable infrastructure

Why converging playout and encoding?


Automated playout traditional infrastructure

IRDs

SERVERs

STUDIOs

MASTER CONTROL SYSTEM

AUTOMATION SYSTEM

TRAFFIC SYSTEM

PRG OUT

PROGRAMING

SOURCES (SDI)

SCHEDULE AS-RUN

MPEG ENCODING

SWITCHING / BRANDING / EFFECTS

SDI ROUTER

HD/SD ENCODER

MULTI-SCREEN

ENCODER

MULTIPLEXER

ORIGIN SERVER

BROADCAST

DELIVERY

OTT

DELIVERY

PLAYOUT COMPRESSION


Collapsing together playout and premium encoding

IRDs

SERVERs

STUDIOs


AUTOMATION SYSTEM

TRAFFIC SYSTEM

PRG OUT

PROGRAMING

SOURCES (SDI)

SCHEDULE AS-RUN

MPEG ENCODING


SDI ROUTER

HD/SD ENCODER

MULTI-SCREEN

ENCODER

MULTIPLEXER

ORIGIN SERVER

BROADCAST

DELIVERY

OTT

DELIVERY

PLAYOUT COMPRESSION


For HD, SD and multi-screen. For broadcast and OTT

IRDs

SERVERs

STUDIOs


AUTOMATION SYSTEM

TRAFFIC SYSTEM

PRG OUT

PROGRAMING

SOURCES (SDI)

SCHEDULE AS-RUN

MPEG ENCODING


SDI ROUTER

HD/SD ENCODER

MULTI-SCREEN

ENCODER

MULTIPLEXER

ORIGIN SERVER

BROADCAST

DELIVERY

OTT

DELIVERY

PLAYOUT COMPRESSION


Delivering ready-to-air channels


• GOP or Frame-accurate splicing between TS live and/or file sources

– Frame-accurate splicing requires to dynamically re-encode the frames at the transition

• The pro’s

– Preserve the audio/video quality of the sources

– Optimize the resources better channel density

– Optimize the in-to-out latency

• The con’s

– The sources to play-back shall have the same format (A/V codec, resolution,…)

– Audio and video processing is not possible

Remaining in the compressed domain


Spectrum XE splicing playout workflow

TS Media

Library

TS

Live feeds

Compressed

Splicer

Multiplexing

Streaming

Monitoring

Automation Asset

Manager

Graphical

interface

Traffic

& Billing

External

Automation

External

Storage

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• Dynamically decode the compressed source, perform the A/V processing and switching in the non-compressed domain, do the channel branding and re-encode

• The pro’s

– Use heterogeneous input formats: compressed / non-compressed, MPEG-2 / H.264 / HEVC, SD/HD

– Perform A/V video processing, such as

• Video up / down scaling

• Audio loudness control

– Perform advanced channel branding

– Generate a statistical multiplexing pool at the output

– Perform ABR encoding for OTT delivery

• The con’s

– Re-encoding is not transparent in terms of video quality : need for a Premium VQ encoder

Re-encoding the sources to play


Spectrum XE re-encoding playout workflow

MPEG-2/4

HEVC

SD/HD

OTT ABR

encoding

SDI

Live feeds

Multiplexing

Statmux

Packaging

Streaming

Monitoring

Automation

MPEG-

2/4

SD/HD

Decoding

A/V

Processing (Resizing/

De-interlacing/

Loudness/…)

Switcher Graphics

and DVE

TS

Live feeds

Asset

Manager

Graphical

interface

Traffic

& Billing

External

Automation

External

Storage

TS Media

Library





• Hybrid audio / video

– The video component is re-encoded, the audio components remain compressed.

• Application: channel branding, up/down scaling

– The audio components are re-encoded, the video remains compressed

• Application: audio loudness control (ad-insertion)

• Primary and secondary sources

– One primary compressed source is passing through

• The audio/video quality of this live feed is preserved

– Whenever the system switches to a secondary source, the re-encoding mode applies

• The re-encoding sources may different formats

• Non-compressed secondary source (SDI) is possible

Hybrid playout


Spectrum XE hybrid playout workflow

MPEG-2

MPEG-4

HEVC

SD/HD

encoding

SDI live

feeds

Multiplexing

Streaming

Monitoring

Automation

MPEG-

2/4

SD/HD

Decoding

A/V

Processing (Resizing/

De-interlacing/

Loudness/…)

Switcher Graphics

and DVE

TS

Primary

live feed

Asset

Manager

TS Media

Library

TS

live feeds

Splicer

Graphical

interface Traffic

& Billing

External

Automation

External

Storage





• An encoding system may need playout capabilities

• SCTE-35 insertion controlled from schedules

• Basic channel branding or black-out

• A playout system may need encoding capabilities

– Delivering channels ready-to-air

– Tier 2/3 channels, disaster recovery, channel regionalization

Playout and encoding convergence


Hybrid playout architectures


• Discrete appliances are replaced by software defined customizable workflows

• A workflow is a logical view of the processing modules involved in playout and encoding

• A workflow can be instantiated once or multiple times, with a different set of parameters

• The library of processing modules can be enriched : new A/V codecs, new streaming

protocols, new video effects…

The workflow plane


• A unique video framework: Maltese

– Maltese offers a unique library of elementary software processing modules dedicated to audio & video (decoding, processing, encoding…)

– Maltese allows assembling these elementary modules in workflows and instantiating the workflows into multiple jobs.

– Maltese provides a native Web Services API

• A video operating system

– Clustering: Maltese can manage multiple servers as a single system

– Load balancing: Maltese automatically estimates the CPU cost of a job and is in charge of allocating the appropriate HW resources to make it run.

– Resiliency: Maltese continuously monitors the jobs health and is able to restart or re-deploy a faulty job automatically and instantly.

software framework


• Software based playout/encoding workflows can run on COTS high-end servers.

– CPUs are enough powerful to run encoding and playout applications

– IP networks can be used to convey non-compressed or compressed audio/video streams.

• Multiple deployment models are applicable

– A standard IT based server (appliance)

• One graphical user interface, a local storage system

– A cluster of multiple IT servers

• One single graphical user interface, an external shared storage

• Native load-balancing and redundancy mechanisms

– A Virtual Machine

• A virtual edition, which makes the application hardware agnostic

– A cluster of Virtual Machines

• To take benefit of elastic hardware resources

The infrastructure plane

Hardware

Hypervisor

VM

CiaB

Hardware

Hypervisor

VM

CiaB

Hardware

Hypervisor

VM

CiaB

Hardware

Hypervisor


• The standalone hardware appliance

– Internal media storage (RAID5)

– 1+1 redundancy

• The cluster of Spectrum XE nodes

– A unique interface to command & control all nodes

– A unique external storage (MediaGrid) shared by all the nodes

– An internal load-balancing mechanism (+ simulator)

– A native N+P resiliency

• The Virtualized edition

– Makes Spectrum XE agnostic of hardware

– VMWARE virtualization technology

Infrastructure


• A Channel-in-a-Box (CiaB) solution runs its own built-in automation

– It is connected to an external traffic & billing system, which provides the schedules

• Different types of channel playlists exist:

– 24/7 time-based playlists channel origination

– Trigger-based playlists : (SCTE-104 over SDI, SCTE-35) regionalization, ad-insertion

– Manual control playlist : live events control, EAS

• These channel types may not be exclusive

– One channel could be driven by multiple playlists. As an example:

The control plane

TRAFFIC SYSTEM

24/7 schedule

TRAFFIC SYSTEM

Commercial breaks

EMS

Call


Channel B Ad2

• Spectrum XE allows defining multiple video layers for one channel

– Each video layer is driven from an independent playlist (playlist levels)

– The video layers (playlist levels) are ordered by priority.

• Let’s take an example

control plane

Channel A Channel B Channel A

Ad1

EMS

3

Channel A EMS Channel A 3

Video Layer #1

Video Layer #2

Video Layer #3

Playlist level 1

(national automation)

Playlist level 2

(local traffic, triggers) Ad2

Playlist level 3

(manual or trigger control)

Ad1 Final programming


The 3 planes of the Spectrum XE architecture


• A full-blown Channel-In-A-Box solution

– Playout and graphics overlay

– Automation and asset management

– User selectable video processing: compressed and/or baseband domain

• A premium quality software encoder

– Broadcast (MPEG-2, MPEG-4, HEVC) and OTT formats

• Designed for HD / SD / Multi-screen channels manipulation and origination

– Production of emission-ready formats

• A fully software and standard IT based solution

– Designed to run on standalone servers or on virtualized environments

– Based on VOSTM FLEX

Spectrum XE V02.50 in a nutshell


Case Study #1 Channel OTT encoding


Customer Needs

• What is the application:

- Use the cloud to distribute the customer affiliates (190 stations across 43 station groups) to MVPD OTT

platforms (multichannel video programming distributors).

- Send MPVDs the linear content together with streaming restrictions that control how viewers can

access the content

- Aggregate all local schedules in a cloud database and provide a web portal to add OTT restrictions

• What is the challenge:

- Dealing with un-managed affiliates and adapt to various types of environment (automation, traffic,

IT, breaking news,…)

• Who is the customer:

- The customer is an American commercial broadcast television network, who operates many

entertainment channels in international markets


Customer Private Cloud (AWS)

Affiliate Stations and Station Groups

OTT system — 10,000-Foot View

Customer NOC

Affiliate #1

Affiliate #2

Affiliate #3

Affiliate #190

Schedule

Management (incl. web portal)

OTT Restrictions

and Delivery (TS and HLS)

MVPDs

OTT Platform (w/ Cloud Links)

SCTE 224 Policies

Initial deployment:

• 7 x MVPD w/ OTT platforms (AT&T)

• 4 x MVPDs OTT-native (Hulu)

Network

Feeds


• Aggregate 190 local schedules into a central

cloud database and provide a web portal for

station personnel to augment schedules with

OTT restrictions (embargo, target devices,

start-over)

• Export 2 weeks of augmented schedules to

the customer NOC system in charge of

creating/distributing out-of-band SCTE 224

policies (ESNI) to MVPDs

• Transcode at the affiliate HD from MPEG-2

to H.264 and uplink to VOS

• Insert SCTE 35 markers to signal every

piece of content that makes the channel

(including unique IDs and web restrictions)

• Distribute 190 decorated channels to 10

MVPDs over the Internet

Our Solution

Schedule Management Stream Processing

A hybrid on-prem / cloud solution with Spectrum XE + VOS Cloud


Proposed Solution

WEB PORTAL

OPERATOR

TS

Processing

ESNI SYSTEM

OTT

Platform

TV NetworkBROADCAST

AffiliateCLOUD

TS

HLS

SCTE-224

TS w/ HD MP4

+ SCTE-35

TS/ASI w/ HD MP2

TS/IP w/ Network

Time SCTE-35

GPI

Play

Commands

Augmentation

Play

Commands

MVPDs

CLTS

OTT

PlatformCLTS

OTT

PlatformCLTS

Schedules

CL = CloudLink

HSP = Harmonic Streaming Protocol

= HARMONIC Solution

CLOUD DB

(Aggregate

Schedules)

CDN

TRIBUNE MEDIA

SERVICES

AUTOMATION

TS/IP mirrored

output

Schedule Mgt

System Schedule

Files

HSP w/ HD MP4

Schedule

Files

Network

Schedules

Local

Schedules

ZIXI/UDP w/ HD MP4


Cloud+Appliance synergy!

Good understanding of the customer & affiliates architecture and workflows

Strong Harmonic cloud infrastructure and deployment expertise

Compelling demonstration of Spectrum XE doing all processing on-prem

Spectrum XE will enable the customer migration to next-generation splicing at affiliates

Account team relationship with customer

Why Did the Customer Chose our Solution?


Case Study #2 Channel Manipulation

32 ©2018 Harmonic Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. 32 ©2018 Harmonic Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

• Who is the Customer?

– The Customer is an american satellite television network.

– The service broadcasts general news, weather, stock market updates, entertainment and travel content to airports across North America.

• What is the application?

– Allow contracted airports to play live national broadcast stream (News) for display on screens in the gate hold rooms and other public areas.

– On schedule, play out and insert local advertising, public service announcements, squeeze back messages, emergency announcements and banner ads.

• What is the challenge?

– Replace seamlessly the existing system.

– Offer more flexibility and simplicity in the scheduling and monitoring operations.

– Ensure protection mechanisms against errors.

– Provide a premium video quality (clean transitions and DVEs).

Customer needs


Proposed solution

CONTROL PC

SAM APPLICATION

SPECTRUM XE

CENTRAL PLAYOUT

EMS SERVER

• Playlist editing & export • Clip editing and QC • Clip repository

On-demand generation of emergency messages

Control & Monitoring

NATIONAL CENTER

Emergency

announcement

Airport schedules

SPECTRUM XE

LOCAL PLAYOUT

Airport #N schedule &

emergency messages

Automatic clips provisioning

(ads, promos)

IRD QAM MODULATOR

• Ad-insertion (SCTE-35) • EM insertion (immediate)

AIRPORT#N AIRPORT#1

AIRPORT#2

AIRPORT#3

Electra VS

• Clip transcoding

News

channel


• Local advertising

– Each schedule is prepared in Atlanta in the form of a 1hr periodic programming

• The network program has up to 6 commercial breaks per hour

• A break is ~4min30s long

• The last minute of the break is available for airport local insertion

• The breaks are signaled with SCTE-35 triggers

– Each airport schedule is exported from the central Spectrum XE into an XML file.

– All the schedule files are distributed by the SAM to the local Airport Spectrum XE’s.

– Key benefits :

• Schedule manipulation is easy and simple (in comparison with flat schedule files)

• SAM centralizes the schedules distribution and monitoring

• Emergency Messages

– On demand messages are converted into BXF files

– SAM distributes and monitors the BXF Emergency messages

• Last minute changes are always possible locally

Focus on scheduling


• A typical use case of cascaded playlists

– A first playlist level schedules the local commercial breaks (level #1)

– A second playlist layer schedules the Emergency Announcements (level #2)

• An alert is inserted over the local program, whatever the on-air content (national feed or local advertising)

• The advertising 1Hr schedule does not need to be modified when a new emergency announcement is submitted

Focus on scheduling

Ads

EMS

Ads Ads

EMS

Commercial breaks

Emergency messages

Level #1

Level #2

News Ads News Ads News Ads News EMS EMS Switch output

News national channel Live event Level #0

Airport channel


• Premium Quality

– Clean transitions between the network program and the local ads

– Clean squeeze-back effects

– Premium HD video encoding

• Scheduling flexibility

– Ability to create 1Hr periodic schedules

• Easier to handle than flat linear schedules (which need to be continuously updated)

– Simple interface with EMS system

– Automated clip and bitmaps provisioning

– Centralized control and monitoring

• Robustness

– High level of reliability

– ASI by-pass mechanism

Why the Customer chose Spectrum XE?

Key takeaways

Number of units 48

On-air date Jan’16


Thank You

Technology for hybrid/converged Playout and Streaming · –Broadcast (MPEG-2, MPEG-4, HEVC) and...

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