IBC 2022: Telstra Broadcast Services Unveiling Updates To Media Production Platform

Telstra Broadcast Services (TBS) is highlighting its Media Production Platform at IBC 2022, demonstrating the new cloud-based production and playout service’s full capabilities, and unveiling a range of new features to enhance remote production.

The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform features all the functionality and quality of traditional on-premise broadcast workflows in a fully virtual environment, giving users complete remote control and management through any web browser and the public internet. The platform supports live production, playout automation, asset management, signal processing and master switching, and allows technical teams to select – and pay – for these capabilities on an as-needed basis according to an event’s budget, resources, and production requirements.

New Features for New Workflows

With more broadcast organizations adopting remote and cloud-based production workflows, and the rapid rise of new content platforms and viewing options, Telstra’s updates to the Media Production Platform highlight the service’s ability to scale and expand as user needs evolve. New platform enhancements include improved replay capabilities for live production and the addition of full linear playout capability, including the ability to create Free Ad Supported TV (FAST) channels quickly and cost-efficiently.

At IBC, Telstra Broadcast Services will also preview its plans for the platform, for example adding frame rate conversion and further enhancing live replay to remain competitive with top-tier hardware production suites.

“Remote production workflows are constantly changing, and broadcasters need flexible solutions that can quickly adapt and scale with them,” said Mark Strachan, Head of Media Practice at Telstra Broadcast Services. “These new enhancements to our platform are the latest examples of how we are continually improving every aspect of the service to meet our customers’ increasingly complex requirements.”

The Media Production Platform helps deliver a diverse mix of events – from the most widely watched, global sporting events to emerging entertainment areas like esports – to the broadest audiences possible. Its flexibility presents additional potential revenue streams for advertisers and rights-holders by creating new customer experiences that previously would have been financially challenging.

Telestra says the Media Production Platform has already proven effective as a viable production option for high-profile sporting events, enabling cloud-based production and playout capability for an Australian streaming service’s premium, live and on-demand add-on sports package. In addition, Telestra says a single broadcast customer has logged more than 3,600 hours of HD and UHD productions in the first six months of 2022, and Telstra has produced and streamed over 20 simultaneous HD  and UHD channels through the Media Production Platform, according to the company.

The Media Production Platform services are supported by the operational and broadcast expertise of the Telstra Broadcast Services team, including a global network of master control rooms and 24/7 monitoring of services to meet any customer’s broadcast and media operational expectations. The combination of Telstra’s rapid deployment resources with a consumption-based approach delivers a flexible and economic model backed by premium-level broadcast managed services.

Media Production Platform – Key Features

• Scalable to as many instances as required without requiring upfront build-out
• Located on any combination of public and private cloud services
• Cloud-hosted replay with no compromises in responsiveness and accuracy
• User’s operational experience remains the same regardless of distance from the processing
• Frame-accurate for live production with low-latency cloud streaming and monitoring