Advanced Television

Digital Alert Systems partners with Ateme

October 3, 2024

Digital Alert Systems, a specialist in emergency communications solutions for video services providers, and Ateme, a player in video compression technology, have announced a technology partnership that will make Emergency Alert System (EAS) integration more efficient and cost-effective for broadcasters and cable operators. The partnership adds Digital Alert Systems’ EAS-Net device networking protocol to Ateme’s TITAN SD, HD, and UHD encoder line. This new integration allows Digital Alert Systems’ DASDEC flexible emergency messaging platforms to connect directly to Ateme solutions via a simple network connection, eliminating the need for additional hardware or software to provide full EAS text crawl and audio capabilities across all streams coming from the Ateme units.

“We are pleased to offer EAS-Net within the TITAN encoders to streamline airchains, reduce potential points of failure, increase redundancy, and reduce costs,” said Fred Ramsey, director of ATSC sales at Ateme. “Digital Alert Systems and its EAS-Net interface are the gold standard for emergency alerting. We have the highest regard for the system and are eager to enable our customers to benefit from this advancement.”

This partnership is particularly significant for the broadcast and low-power television markets. Previously, linking DASDEC and the Ateme solutions required a combination of the legacy protocol SCTE-18 with an MPEG-2 transport stream for audio, resulting in a more rigid equipment configuration. The addition of EAS-Net introduces a new mode that supports hybrid virtualisation at a significantly lower cost than previous methods.

“Teaming up with Ateme to bring this innovative solution to market is a real boon for our shared customers,” said Bill Robertson, vice president of business development at Digital Alert Systems. “EAS-Net has become the de facto standard for linking equipment together for EAS information exchange, and the integration with Ateme shows how this protocol works around the facility and across multiple platforms for playout, automation, and direct transcoder support. This level of flexibility allows broadcasters to select and implement newer, higher-performance equipment while maintaining seamless emergency alert capabilities. By integrating EAS-Net into Ateme’s encoder solution, broadcasters can ensure that critical emergency alerts reach viewers more efficiently and reliably.”

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