The cloud architecture of iTX Flex provides faster service launches, moreagile business models and a lower total cost of ownership. Combining the experience and evolution of automation workflow and playout from Grass Valley,with the flexibility of cloud computing technology and the commercial advantages of Software as a Service (SaaS).
iTX Flex provides broadcasters and media companies a simplified solution and efficient user experience for channel playout and control, offering new business models with more streamlined operations, with the ability to rapidly address evolving business needs.
Key Features
True cloud-based computing service based on the Microsoft Azure platform, resulting in on-demand scalability of computing resources
Playout channels can be hosted on premise or in any other data center
iTX Flex is provided as SaaS, resulting in lower up-front costs, greater flexibility and lower total cost of ownership
iTX Flex uses best practice security standards for user authentication
All interaction with iTX Flex is via a standard web-based client, ensuring new users can connect to the system with ease
Locations of operational positions and controlled devices are completely flexible, resulting in lower operational costs and the possibility of new operational models
Additional channels can be added within minutes and the amount of computing resources allocated to existing channels is scaled automatically depending on load
All metadata used by iTX Flex is replicated within the local data center and automatically synchronized to a geo-redundant data center to ensure high availability
Customer retains control of broadcast media storage; on-site or at a remotely-controlled location, private data center or public cloud
Integrates to traffic systems using BXF or iTXML interfaces
Supports hierarchical schedule management to allow multiple levels of regional schedule variations and master-slave configurations
Provides powerful schedule editing tools
Can be used to control channel playout, regional insertion operations or a combinations of both
Provides media and playout status monitoring together with live thumbnails for playout engines in any number of locations
Architecture is optimized to provide low latency operations over remote links
Works equally well with regionally deployed or network center-based playout engines and systems
Full integration with iTX Flex platform using secure, open-standard web services protocols to provide playlist input, status updates, thumbnails and alerts to the end user
Supports manual or playlist control of all display functions
SCTE 104 splice trigger support to facilitate local channel variations
Pulls broadcast media from a number of configured locations for maximum resilience and flexibility
Will robustly continue to operate during temporary loss of connection to iTX Flex using previously downloaded playlists or “evergreen” material
Provides frame accurate playback of clip media including video, multichannel audio and ancillary data
Supports live events including transitions and pass-through of video, audio and ancillary data
Supports on-screen graphics layers with configurable z-order
Display of still and animated logos with full key channel
Display of full-screen, pre-rendered graphics sequences with near-zero load time and unlimited file size
Built-in voiceover playback support
Supports file-based media in multiple broadcast standard formats (see ‘Video File Format Support’ below)
Full support for ancillary data with SMPTE ST 436 including subtitling, closed captioning and AFD
All inputs and outputs support SD, HD and 4K UHD (625, 525, 1080i, 720p and 1080p at 50 and 59.94 frame rates)
The cloud architecture of iTX Flex provides faster service launches, more agile business models and a lower total cost of ownership.
iTX Flex is the next generation of cloud orchestrated automation and playout from Grass Valley, a Belden Brand, combining the experience and evolution of automation workflow and playout from Grass Valley, with the flexibility of cloud computing technology and the commercial advantages of Software as a Service (SaaS).
