Imagine Communications Introduces New, Business-Driving Capabilities in Versio Platform at IBC2018

Imagine Communications is unveiling a range of business-driving enhancements to Versio Platform, the latest evolution of the company’s groundbreaking and industry-proven playout software solutions

Amsterdam(13 Sep 2018)

At IBC2018 (14-18 September 2018, Amsterdam), Imagine Communications is unveiling a range of business-driving enhancements to Versio™ Platform, the latest evolution of the company’s groundbreaking and industry-proven playout software solutions, on their stand at the Amtrium, #4.A01.

Versio Platform offers a complete playout and media workflow solution from ingest, prep and playout to automation, graphics, master control and branding. The market’s first cloud-native, microservices-based playout solution, Versio Platform supports baseband, IP, and hybrid IP/SDI scenarios and can be deployed on-premises or in a private or public cloud environment

“The evolution of Versio is a prime example of the practical approach Imagine takes to innovation,” said Steve Reynolds, president of Playout and Networking at Imagine Communications. “As the industry continues to evolve, we continue to add practical enhancements to Versio that deliver business value to every customer, no matter where they are in the IP transition. All of the new Versio Platform features we will demo at IBC address media companies’ real-world challenges.”

Reynolds continued, “Imagine continues to lead the industry with innovative features that enhance our customers’ operations — adding more automation, simplifying workflows, powering new distribution channels, and making it easier than ever to move to scalable, flexible, next-generation architectures at a pace that works for their business.”

Support of industry-standard format for streaming of proxies (MPEG-DASH)
Imagine has added MPEG-DASH support to Versio Platform, enabling extremely high-quality and low-latency proxies for quick turnaround review of media that simply is not possible using other systems. Ubiquitous across browsers and player plugins, this industry-standard streaming format simplifies implementation by significantly reducing the need for custom code or licensed codecs for any customer-specific UI or API. The use of MPEG-DASH was pioneered for OTT delivery, but has now been proven as a scalable, cost-optimized solution for a wide range of high-quality video applications. The MPEG-DASH format also easily carries multiple audio programs and caption/subtitle tracks in industry-standardized formats. Other available solutions require either additional proprietary equipment to perform this function, or vendor-specific proprietary implementations.

Simultaneous support of ADC and Versio with Versio Redundancy
Media companies using Imagine’s widely adopted ADC™ automation can now continue on their platform of choice, while layering in new features and capabilities that the Versio playout engine offers. At IBC2018, Imagine will demonstrate how customers can use Versio Redundancy to synchronize ADC and Versio playlists and integrate content metadata to existing environments. This unique capability enables media organizations to operate hybrid environments of legacy and next-gen systems, as well as enabling a seamless and staged migration to Versio Automation for operations transitioning to full next-generation architectures.

Adobe After Effects graphics in Versio Master Control
Versio Master Control offers a complete software-based solution with innovative, user-friendly tools that enable media companies to maximize operational efficiency. At IBC2018, Imagine will demonstrate tight integration of Adobe® After Effects® (AE) with Versio Master Control, enabling export from AE to Versio with sophisticated, embedded metadata and triggers for interactive, real-time playback. Direct operator control of customizable graphics assets, as defined by the broadcaster’s graphics design team, ensures a consistent look and feel beyond simple text-based templates. Other competing solutions use a proprietary graphics environment, which requires specialized, trained designers and operators. The integration of industry-standard Adobe AE creation tools within Versio Master Control enables media companies to open the door to a broad pool of graphic designers and advanced capabilities from Adobe.

Containers in Versio Automation
At IBC2018, Imagine is introducing “Container” functionality in Versio Automation. Containers are high-level packages of primary and secondary events, which can be treated as a single object. These objects can be created manually or generated from a Traffic system and are easily expanded, collapsed and re-ordered. This innovative approach to schedule management streamlines media workflows and significantly improves operational efficiency compared to traditional, cluttered systems.

Pooling and Redundancy in Versio Ingest
In Versio Ingest, Imagine will demonstrate new pooling and redundancy functionality. Rather than “fixed channels,” Versio Ingest will distribute record bookings across available channels of all chassis to ensure that main and redundant records are never on the same server. Pools can reserve channels for scheduled records, secondary events, crash records or “unassigned.” This industry-first capability offers media organizations an intelligent way of leveraging fewer hardware devices, simultaneously supporting contemporary and legacy hardware such as Imagine Nexio® media servers, and reducing overall cost.

Visit Imagine Communications at IBC2018 at the Amtrium, Stand #4.A01. For more information about Imagine Communications’ products and solutions, please visit www.imaginecommunications.com. 

About Imagine Communications
Imagine Communications empowers the media and entertainment industry through transformative innovation. Broadcasters, networks, video service providers and enterprises around the world rely on our optimized, futureproof, multiscreen video and revenue enablement solutions every day to support their mission-critical operations. Today, nearly half of the world’s video channels traverse our products, and our software solutions drive close to a third of global ad revenue. Through continuous innovation, we are delivering the most advanced IP, cloud-enabled, software-defined network and workflow solutions in the industry. Visit www.imaginecommunications.com for more information, and follow us on Twitter @imagine_comms.