Automating the digital broadcast process: control, complexity and cost

Ten years of technical, commercial and organisational change have impacted profoundly on the traditional broadcast model. Key developments in data compression, storage and transmission technologies over this period have rendered legacy operational methodologies and manual practices of control of broadcast devices outmoded, unreliable and financially untenable. This paper discusses why the migration towards sophisticated, fully-automated multichannel broadcast environments is inevitable if staffing efficiency, revenue generation and consumer satisfaction are to be maximised and maintained, and details the many facets of the design process that must be considered if successful implementation is to result. The issues of video servers, and automation and control are discussed in particular.