Imagine Communications has introduced a new feature in its Imagine Aviator platform called the Essentials channel origination option. This addition to the Make TV cloud playout solution is designed for channels that do not require extensive interactivity or live workflows. The Essentials offering aims to simplify and make more cost-effective the operation and monitoring of straightforward linear channels.
Essentials Channel Origination
The Essentials option complements the existing Standard and Premium channel offerings in Make TV, which cater to high-end features and complex workflows. Despite its simplicity, Essentials maintains premium-quality video, audio, and graphics standards, ensuring consistent viewing experiences.
Integration with Aviator Platform
As part of the Aviator platform, Essentials channels integrate seamlessly with the platform’s full suite of capabilities, including scheduling, rights management, VOD, ad sales, and campaign management. This integration is done within a cloud-native implementation that helps media companies adapt to changing consumer viewing habits.
User Interface and Technology
The Essentials channel shares the same user interface as its more sophisticated counterparts, ensuring consistency across all channel types in the system. Underneath this simplicity lies advanced container-based management and deployment, along with a full suite of monitoring and analytics tools. The playout engine operates on a Linux OS, reducing costs associated with launching new channels.
Use Cases and Flexibility
The Essentials option is suitable for 24/7 scheduled channels like movies and episodic content, FAST channels, local and regional broadcasts, popup channels, occasional use cases, business continuity/disaster recovery scenarios, and evergreen applications. It supports HTML5 overlay graphics with real-time dynamic data insertion and integrates with Imagine’s SureFire broadcast-quality video ad server.
Cloud-Native Operation
Essentials channels operate entirely in the public cloud, requiring only a web browser and internet connection for secure access. This setup provides flexibility in running channels within a media company’s own cloud account or Imagine Communications’ SaaS environment. In the latter case, Imagine handles monitoring, management, and maintenance.
Customer Benefits
Rob Malcolm, chief product officer at Imagine Communications, emphasizes that Essentials allows customers to deploy new channels efficiently while leveraging Aviator’s capabilities. This option provides cost-effective solutions for thematic-style channels and supports media companies in addressing evolving consumer preferences and advertising opportunities.