Pebble Beach readies virtual IP channel platform


Details

Michelle Clancy

| 20 March 2016




Pebble Beach Systems is prepping the launch of Orca, a software-defined virtualised IP channel solution.



Aimed at central-cast hubs, service providers, pay-TV operators, sports broadcasters and corporates such as publishing companies, Orca offers a software-only virtual implementation of the company’s Dolphin platform.

As with Dolphin, Orca software-defined channels can be configured to meet the exact requirements of each service. Because both Dolphin and Orca share the same underlying architecture and control, it is easy to mirror channel templates for simultaneous playout to traditional SDI as well as IP video distribution.

Orca channels run in a virtual machine (VM) in a private cloud with IP inputs and outputs. Orca delivers functionalities previously handled by discrete hardware video servers, graphics and captioning systems, within a pure software environment. Also, unmanned operation is now possible for channels with remote administration available through secure, but standard browser interfaces.

"While systems offering integrated software components running on off-the-shelf IT hardware have been gaining in popularity, pushing the infrastructure to the cloud is truly the next step, as broadcast businesses seek to evolve IP-based services alongside more traditional channel delivery methods,” said Ian Cockett, technical director of Pebble Beach.

“The flexibility to provision and tear down channels dynamically in an instant is a revolutionary concept for companies used to the old way of doing things. However, with today’s budgets and schedules, Orca has arrived at exactly the right time for organisations seeking a pure IP video solution.”

Orca can create new IP channels from a series of templates at the touch of a button, and to deploy them quickly into a running system without having to restart or make configuration changes. Channels can be launched and integrated into a running Marina automation system as well, and the solution can deploy grid-based GPU power for encoding and graphics, freeing up CPU power to enable Orca to increase channel counts more cost effectively for the end user.