TBN Selects Playbox Technology AirBox Neo For African Facility

Religious television network Trinity Broadcast Network has selected PlayBox Technology AirBox Neo channel branding and playout for one of its African services.

The solutions were supplied and integrated in primary-plus-backup configuration by PlayBox Technology's Johannesburg-based distribution partner Pro Sales Broadcast

The new systems are providing programmes to viewers via Africa's second largest digital satellite television service, Kwesé TV, on channel 810. Kwesé TV's Premium Subscription Service reaches subscribers in more than 12 countries across Africa and additional launches are already planned.

"TBN broadcasts a variety of content produced at its Johannesburg studios plus selected content from TBN's headquarters in California and around the world," said Pro Sales Broadcast founder and chief executive Arne Sack. "AirBox Neo provides the facilities needed to pre-schedule programmes for automated playout. The Neo graphic interface system is very easy to work with as it displays all the parameters needed for the task in hand. Neo also allows stories to be added as soon as the current scheduled file completes transmission, which makes the playout process able to accommodate late-breaking news."

"Each AirBox Neo is furnished with DataBox Neo, TitleBox Neo and ListBox Neo modules," added Pro Sales Broadcast product manager Jonathan Sack. "These source from the various incoming TBN feeds and from the in-house production suite."

"Pro Sales Broadcast provides a vital link with potential and existing customers throughout Sub-Saharan Africa," added PlayBox Technology UK's chief commercial officer Ben Gunkel. "It is ideally located and equipped to help everyone from the smallest broadcast channel right up to globally active networks like TBN. Arne, Jonathan and their colleagues are a dedicated team with exactly the mix of technical competence, market experience and personal commitment which makes a top grade distribution partner. We are especially gratified by the ongoing trust placed over the years by TBN in our products and services."

AirBox Neo adds UHD capabilities to the core PlayBox Technology content playout system which now supports UHD, HD and SD in a single server. Designed for 24/7 unattended operation, AirBox Neo can also be operated manually, including the ability to handle live-to-air throughput.

DataBox Neo is a highly integrated SQL-based database for media and content management, allowing instant access to more than 20,000 records simultaneously. Content is classified by many aspects such as type, category, genre, keywords, credits and media. All PlayBox Technology modules obtain information about visual content from DataBox Neo. This enables many tasks such as logo overlay, archiving/retrieving data and building/conforming on-air playlists, to be simplified or completely automated. Content can be easily searched through by dedicated multi-profile search, as well as by an intuitive multi-criteria filtering system.

TitleBox Neo provides total control during on-air sessions, including text selection, running speed and transitions. Among its additional creative facilities are pre-constructed graphic components, video resizing (from live source or file), window-style display and website content ingest.

ListBox Neo enables programme editors to create and edit schedules days or weeks in advance of transmission. No special server or hardware is required as ListBox Neo runs flawlessly even on a notebook, including software-based trimming and previewing.

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