New Zealand-based Sky adopts Grass Valley's AMPP technology for playout enhancement project
Sky Network Television Upgrades to Grass Valley's AMPP Playout Solution
Sky Network Television, New Zealand's largest pay-TV provider, has chosen Grass Valley's AMPP to overhaul its playout operations, marking a significant step forward in the company's efforts to adapt to the changing demands of the media industry.
The deployment of AMPP OS by Sky Network Television brings several key benefits and features to the company's operations, fundamentally transforming and modernizing their playout workflows.
Centralised Orchestration
Sky's team can now control all their diverse channel deployments from a single HTML5-based interface called GV.UI. This offers flexibility and scalability and allows operators to create multi-monitor dashboards for real-time monitoring, event management, and schedule manipulation, all accessible securely via a browser.
Customisable Control Layouts
Operators can configure control interfaces tailored to their specific workflows, improving operational efficiency.
Integrated Asset Management
AMPP's support for Framelight X enables straightforward and efficient content preparation and playback. Operators can organize and access media assets at all times and drag-and-drop assets directly into Playout X channels without leaving the platform, reducing operational friction.
Support for Diverse Inputs and Outputs
The system accepts multiple formats including SDI, SMPTE ST 2110, and IP streams, with output capabilities spanning SD, HD, UHD, and HDR. This ensures Sky can handle a wide range of broadcast standards and quality requirements.
Advanced Audio and Subtitle Management
Features include multi-language audio support, built-in loudness correction, and closed captioning capabilities, enhancing accessibility and compliance.
Integrated Graphics and Overlays
HTML5 graphics rendering, DVE support, and live tickers are built into the solution, adding dynamic on-screen content abilities.
Software-Defined Infrastructure and Scalability
AMPP's software-centric architecture allows Sky to scale operations confidently and maintain leadership in the rapidly evolving media landscape of the Asia-Pacific region.
End-to-End Workflow Integration
While initially focused on playout, AMPP aims to address entire workflows with a control layer supporting synchronization across services. This enables broadcasters like Sky to assemble best-of-breed integrations tailored to their needs.
Sky is upgrading from Grass Valley Morpheus ICE to a system with full UHD support. The company plans to implement Playout X across 10 HD channels and retain tight control over monetization through seamless ad insertion.
The partnership between Sky and Grass Valley underscores the growing trend of broadcasters adopting software-defined infrastructure for their operations. Evan Boyd, Senior Vice President of Sales, APAC at Grass Valley, stated that the successful transition of Sky to AMPP OS highlights the strategic importance and agility of software-defined infrastructure. Grass Valley is proud to deliver a solution that empowers Sky to scale confidently and maintain its leadership in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
The platform's ability to automatically scale resources in response to viewer demand is particularly beneficial for handling major sporting events. Sky values the platform's hybrid deployment options and flexible commercial model, which align with their goal of rapid channel expansion and event-driven operations. Justin Loza, Platform Owner - Broadcast & Network at Sky Network Television, stated that AMPP delivers the needed agility and extensibility for today's broadcast requirements and future growth. The deployment of AMPP OS by Sky Network Television is a testament to the robustness and flexibility of the platform.
- Sky Network Television's workflows, driven by Grass Valley's AMPP, will be revamped significantly, aiding the company in adapting to the media industry's shifting demands.
- The GV.UI interface, a part of the AMPP OS deployed by Sky, will allow Sky's team to manage their diverse channel deployments in a unified manner.
- AMPP's integration of Framelight X will offer operators the capability to easily organize, access, and prepare media assets for playout.
- Sky's new playout solution, Grass Valley's AMPP, supports a wide array of formats, including SDI, SMPTE ST 2110, IP streams, and various broadcast standards like SD, HD, UHD, and HDR.
- The advanced audio and subtitle management features of AMPP include multi-language audio support, built-in loudness correction, and closed captioning capabilities.
- AMPP's HTML5 graphics rendering, DVE support, and live tickers will enable Sky to add dynamic on-screen content to its broadcasts.
- Sky's collaboration with Grass Valley demonstrates a growing trend among broadcasters to embrace software-defined infrastructure for their operations.
- The deployment of AMPP OS by Sky Network Television signifies the platform's robustness and flexibility, as evidenced by its ability to scale resources, accommodate event-driven operations, and facilitate rapid channel expansion.
