RENNES, France — March 4, 2014 — Ginx TV, the world's first 24/7 international television network dedicated to video games and gamers, has chosen the Sapphire MPEG stream server and "channel-in-a-box" solution from Thomson Video Networks for insertion of targeted advertising. Sapphire offers a single-box solution for frame-accurate ad insertion in a compressed video stream, with an automated interface to Ginx TV's ad agency and local storage of ads. This has provided a cost-effective means for Ginx TV to perform localized ad insertions for programs distributed in multiple countries.
"When we initially evaluated Thomson Video Networks' Sapphire for launching targeted advertising for our channel on Virgin Media, it was the ideal solution for us in terms of price and performance," said Michiel Bakker, CEO at Ginx TV. "With Sapphire, we now have a cost-effective and streamlined means of inserting regionalized advertisements in the compressed domain. Plus, the system interfaces with ad agencies in an automated way to create new business opportunities and increased revenue. The support from Thomson Video Networks' team was of immense value in helping us to design our system and get it operational."
Operating frame-accurately with MPEG-2- and H.264-compressed content, Sapphire provides all of the functions needed to ingest, process, brand, and generate TV channels ready to air. This includes advanced capture, playout, and regionalization capabilities for up to 20 channels in a single unit. Sapphire combines the functions of a video router, a baseband video server, a logo inserter, and a splicer. All functions operate seamlessly and frame-accurately in the compressed domain under the control of internal playlists or integrated with traditional automation systems.
"Ginx TV is demonstrating to U.K. customers the value of our Sapphire solution for ad insertion and for playing out content to a broad range of geographies and localized audiences," said Christophe Delahousse, president, Thomson Video Networks. "As Ginx TV shows, Sapphire is much more than a channel-in-a-box system — it's a true 'Swiss army knife' for broadcasters that need to perform local production and insertions on MPEG streams without going back to baseband video."
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