Channel 2 Israel deploys Masstech’s TOPAZ+XT MAM system to support digital workflow
August 4, 2011
Masstech has announced that Channel 2 in Neve Ilan (near Jerusalem), Israel has installed its TOPAZ MAM v7.5 and companion product XT-Ingest to digitally preserve news content that was stored on aging videotapes, automate the ingest process and manage the archive library.
Channel 2 broadcasts up to 24 hours of news and educational content every day. The news station was running on a purely tape-based operation before deciding to digitize their news operations. TOPAZ and XT-Ingest (TOPAZ +XT) will preserve all the media content recorded on tapes, providing significant cost savings and efficient file based workflows.
Daniel Dagan, Project Manager & Acting CTO for Channel 2 said: “We chose to work with Masstech to save our archives. We have Betacam SP tapes that are 17 years old and we want to save the media content from being destroyed. Selecting Masstech for this project was the most cost-effective choice, and we’d have a broadcast system that will integrate with any tapeless workflow we install in the future.”
The broadcast solution incorporates Masstech’s TOPAZ+XT MAM and a Spectra LTO-4 T50e library. TOPAZ provides a common interface for moving content to and from the external systems. The TOPAZ system manages and maintains the near-line storage capacity within defined set point limits. Channel 2 chose to install four ingest stations to speed up the digitization process. Another advantage of TOPAZ+XT is when they complete the ingesting of their entire news catalogue, the servers may be redeployed as data movers or transcoders should Channel 2 no longer require four ingest stations. This flexible feature is unique to Masstech’s TOPAZ + XT system as the ingest stations can be easily repurposed for different functions after the digitization process is finished. Channel 2 can maximize workflow efficiency within its broadcast infrastructure as TOPAZ+XT distribute activities for efficiently storing, managing and transferring data load in an archive.
TOPAZ+XT optimize Channel 2 workflow operations with the following capabilities:
– Provides an active picture of the location of all instances of news assets in real time.
– Continuously tracks all digital media assets and makes them available for playout automatically as needed.
– Dynamic definition of the metadata associated with each asset (including Hebrew and other languages)
– Solves interoperability issues with high quality ingest powered by Masstech’s own CUB-2000 board.
– Import from storage disks and memory cartridges.
– Free limitless online spinning disk and data tape storage expansion
– Data structure can be expanded at any point with no negative impact on the system
– Access to asset Database via XML interface and native support for automation interface and control through the industry standard VACP protocol.
– With a digital news archive set-up, journalists can quickly search archives and capture only the desired footage at their desk.
Brad Redwood, Vice President of International Sales & Marketing at Masstech Group said: “Our products are empowering producers and reporters to enhance and deliver enriched news reports. No longer restricted to the ‘privileged’, our systems shatter all conventions by making advanced digital archiving affordable and available to the mainstream broadcast market on one common platform.”