April 11, 2016 — TORONTO, Ontario: Masstech – the trusted provider of innovative, advanced workflow and media asset management solutions – has enhanced the company’s advertising and syndicated program aggregation system with support for the latest advances in Vigor Systems' PitchBlue content distribution service.
Streamlining television station operations, Masstech’s Spot and Program Aggregation solution automates the ingesting, transcoding and movement of syndicated programming received from content distributors. The most cost-effective such system on the market, Masstech delivers unmatched ROI by combining exceptional price-performance value with ongoing operational savings. Formerly known as CatchBlue, Masstech's aggregation solution tightly integrates all of the critical functionality for transforming incoming media and metadata to local technical requirements, and for integrating that content with the station's traffic system. Interfacing seamlessly with third-party traffic, automation and playout systems, Masstech's efficient workflow automation reduces turnaround time and costs while eliminating manual errors.
The new software release adds support for recent technology upgrades in PitchBlue, North America's largest syndicated program delivery service. PitchBlue currently has a footprint of 1,500 television stations and distributes media from leading content owners including CBS, WB, Sony and 20th Television (the syndication arm of 20th Century Fox Television).
The Masstech update addresses PitchBlue enhancements including support for 720p video, AAC-LC audio compression, and Active Format Description (AFD) metadata for aspect ratio management. Of particular interest to stations with standard definition (SD) channels, Masstech aggregation solutions respect and utilize content-embedded AFD codes when down-converting PitchBlue-delivered media from HD to SD.
"We are pleased to be working with Masstech to address the evolving needs of our stations with the enhanced PitchBlue platform, including AFD-optimized down-conversion," said Ira Goldstone, Executive Engineer at Fox Networks Engineering & Operations.
"Stations looking for a new content aggregation and transcoding system to support the latest evolution of PitchBlue need look no further than Masstech," said Mike Palmer, Vice President of Business Strategy at Masstech. "Our spot and program aggregation solution offers the features they need along with efficient automation, all at an attractive price point. Broadcasters everywhere trust our solutions to manage critical on-air content, and we're thrilled to extend their capabilities with these enhancements."
Masstech's industry-leading solutions will be showcased in booth number SU5405 at the 2016 NAB Show, April 18-21 in Las Vegas. For more information about Masstech, please visit www.masstech.com.
About Masstech – Masstech provides innovative software solutions and expertise that media organizations trust to manage their valuable digital media content and related information throughout its lifecycle. Masstech delivers superior user experiences, unmatched ROI and frictionless media asset management workflows that enable our customers to maximize their efficiency, monetize their content across multiple platforms, create better productions, enhance their competitive position, and save time and money. Masstech is headquartered in Toronto, Canada with international offices serving a marquee customer base that spans the globe. For complete information, visit www.masstech.com.
