Globosat Employs Pebble Beach Systems Automation to Expand Coverage of Rio Games

Pebble Beach Systems, a leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, today announced that Globosat, a leader in the Brazilian Pay TV market, is using Pebble Beach System’s Marina automation to expand playout capacity during the Rio games. This new expansion represents the largest and most comprehensive games coverage ever delivered to the Brazilian public.

Eight new 24-hour linear channels, consisting of 8 main and 8 backup for a total of 16, are controlled with Marina in addition to providing OTT feeds of these same channels. On demand content is also available for viewers to catch up on record-breaking moments they may have missed. With this increase of capacity, Globosat expects to achieve 92% coverage of all live TV Olympic events and 100% of OTT covered events representing a milestone for the company.

"Our partnership with Pebble Beach Systems has provided us with an essential confidence in our playout solution given the size and complexity of additional infrastructure we are carrying for the Olympic games in Rio,” said Fabrício Faria Santana, Project Analyst for Globosat. “Thanks to our partners, we have innovated a lot, effectively doubling our capacity to produce live events simultaneously."

Globosat uses the Pebble Marina system for automated control of ingest and playout as well as content handling workflow management. Reseller Videodata supplied the Pebble Beach Systems solutions to Globosat along with ChannelPort video servers from Harmonic and Opus graphics systems from Vizrt. Videodata was engaged in the development, implementation, and support for the channel expansion as well as all system upgrades.

Pebble Beach Systems’ products are in charge of two distinct functions:

  1. Sequencing and control of 8 linear channels – the Pebble Marina automation system controls the 8 channel sets (backup and main) from the Harmonic ChannelPort Servers.  These systems are working most of the day receiving live content of events via a Vizrt Opus system including channel logo insertion.

During the night, the Marina automation completely commands the display of reruns, sequencing the previously transferred material to the ChannelPort Storage, and also adding a channel logo.

  1. Fun Fest OBs – Globosat is using main and backup channels via Pebble Beach Systems Dolphin integrated playout (CiaB) system to generate signals from the Rio Fun Fest stage OB truck. A “beauty cam” signal feed is inserted into the Globosat linear channel via the Dolphin playout system.

"Controlling the Channel Ports with Marina simplifies the playout chains, replacing them with one single device without giving up on the advantages of our current automation system interface,” said Luiz Cláudio Costa, Technology Development Specialist at Globosat. “Equally important, Marina makes the change 'transparent' from an operational point of view."

Pebble’s Marina systems are controlling all of Globosat’s 16 Sport TV channels of which 8 channels are from a previous project.

About Pebble Beach Systems 

Pebble Beach Systems is a world leader in automation, channel in a box and integrated channel technology, with scalable products designed for multichannel transmission, news, sports and interactive television as well as content management, workflow and direct archive control. Installed in more than 60 countries and with proven systems ranging from single up to over 100 channels in operation, Pebble Beach Systems offers open, flexible systems which encompass ingest and playout automation, and complex file-based workflows. The company trades in the US as Pebble Broadcast Systems.

Web: http://www.pebble.tv

Pebble Beach Systems is a Vislink company.

About Globosat

Globosat is a leader in the Brazilian Pay TV market, offering information, journalism, culture, education, entertainment, sports and the best of the Brazilian and world and Brazilian cinematographic and audiovisual production.

Globosat channels reach about 53 million viewers throughout the whole national territory, distributed in more than 17 million subscriber residences (1). More than 18 million viewers watch the Globosat channels daily (2).

The portfolio includes 33 channels, namely: 22 with transmission in HD (high definition) as well, 8 in PPV (pay-per-view), 1 international for soccer fans, who live abroad, in addition to 8 services with content on demand for their viewers to watch their favorite programs on computers, tablets and smartphones.

The company also offers Globosat Play, an exclusive TV Everywhere service that allows its subscribers’ access to the best TV channels that can be viewed anywhere. Thousands of series, movies, shows and varied programs available 24 hours a day through computers, tablets, smartphones, video game systems and smart TVs.

Web:www.globosat.com.br

About Vislink plc

Vislink plc is a leading global software and technology business specialising in solutions for the live collection, delivery and playout automation of high quality video 'from scene to screen'.

For the broadcast markets, Vislink provides wireless communication solutions for the collection of live news, sport and entertainment, as well as software solutions for channel playout automation, channel-in-a-box and video content management. Vislink also provides secure video communications for surveillance and public safety applications such as law enforcement and homeland security.

Vislink employs over 250 people worldwide with offices in the UK, USA, UAE, and Singapore and manufacturing operations in the UK and the USA. Vislink has net assets of over £52 million and continuously invests in innovation. The Company is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (AIM: VLK). For further information, visit http://www.vislinkplc.com