The convergence of digital signage and IPTV on integrated platforms

The CEO of TmediaT, Antonio Duarte, analyzes the technology offered by Vitec's EZTV platform, company of which he is a partner in Spain, that combines broadcast quality for IPTV distribution with digital signage functionalities.

For some time now, platforms that allow the distribution of content for digital signage and IPTV for various applications and environments have become popular., which include corporations, government, institutions, sports, defense,… But what features are the most outstanding in these platforms??

Digital signage applications based exclusively on software pose some drawbacks when it comes to large installations, where the signal delay between the different monitors is quite noticeable and an image is given, the least strange, to the audience.

On the other hand, Using applications embedded in the displays themselves does not seem like a good idea, since manufacturers have different models that, when you want to extend the initial installation and even if they have the same references, They are totally different products in the firmware, which complicates both operation and maintenance.

It seems, therefore, a good idea to consider a system that avoids these drawbacks, completely uncoupling the monitoring device, to leave it only as a plug-in of the system. If the environment is also a sports stadium, the issue becomes complicated, both due to the size of the installation, as well as the different use cases that must be responded to “at the touch of a key”..

Integrated platform

In this sense, Vitec EZ TV combines fully broadcast quality for IPTV distribution with complete digital signage functionalities in an integrated platform; designed to integrate into any IT environment thanks to the available APIs and run over LAN networks, WAN or wireless.

EZ TV can be deployed quickly and is intuitive to operate and maintain for any size project, offering the most advanced IPTV experience with live streaming, video on demand, digital recording, tile generator and customizable appearance.

EZ TV content security and user access controls are certified by military units and TV stations for local and multi-site applications. Its digital signage module uses powerful hardware-based terminals to deliver eye-catching digital content, with dynamic data and full HD IPTV content, all managed from a centralized server.

Combined with EZ TV series of video wall processors, This platform allows its users to create and manage a complete digital video experience in any building or space for any application..

IP streaming and digital signage are now well-established methodologies for the delivery of live TV and video on demand content. (VOD), as well as corporate messages and marketing content. Thanks to its modular architecture, video equipment, Corporate IT and service providers can reduce investment expenses (capex) by implementing the right feature set for your project and increasing its capabilities over time.

Centralized, scalable platform design delivers cutting-edge video viewing experience, dynamic and attractive digital signs, IPTV archiving and mobile streaming capabilities on any device, all without user licenses and without annual usage fees, contrary to traditional digital signage systems that require an initial investment and a reappearance of costs that generate high operating expenses (opex).

Flexibility in all types of environments

This platform has proven to be the most flexible IPTV solution for simple or complex environments, installed in hundreds of sites around the world and with more than 450.000 users.

Applications include a variety of video-related use cases, as well as IP streams for a combination of providers and signal sources.

Designed to guarantee a 100% of uptime for an organization's critical signaling and IPTV services, EZ TV uses Vitec's video playback and security engines to deliver the lowest latency playback on any device.

Hardware-based IPTV set-top boxes and signaling endpoints are a fraction of the price of PC-based media players, while providing an uninterrupted and secure viewing experience for the most demanding graphics and video applications. These ASIC-based decoders ensure longer life and less time spent troubleshooting.

Powerful user management engine provides operators with a visual topology view of all local and trusted domains, organizational units (OR), groups and users that exist on the network.

Use an advanced drag and drop interface to assign live video, recorded content and app features to groups or individual users, eliminating the need for complex routing filters, Network access lists and firewall rules to regulate access to IPTV content.

Redundancy, grouping and synchronization

Besides, has advanced capabilities, designed to help organizations and IT teams achieve 99,999% availability of critical video services 365x24x7.

EZ TV Server also monitors all user-initiated actions and content consumption, providing administrators with valuable data on content consumption, user trends, network bandwidth utilization statistics and event logging for operator and/or user actions for traceability, billing or other needs.

Main modules

• EZ TV IPTV Portal: management interface to configure IPTV services, like live TV channels, programming guides, VOD content upload, user and permissions management, monitoring of all system components through real-time dashboards and tracking system usage. It is available as a rackmount server or as a virtual machine.
• EZ TV Browser Player: powerful and intuitive, The IPTV player device does not require any installation, providing a one stop shop for playback of all streaming formats. Advanced experience includes user-defined tile grids, programming guide (EPG), KLV metadata display, subtitle support 608/708, Personal and network DVR features, integration with Microsoft Active Directory, with single sign-on support and AES 128/decryption 256 bits.
• IPTV set-top-box/signaling endpoints: compact hardware devices that connect to screens and provide the TV experience for individual users or are used to display dynamic, content-rich digital signals, using a program defined by the administrator. Very robust, fanless and totally silent, Delivers end-to-end content security using Vitec AES encryption. Advanced features include remote management, TV control via serial connection, PoE, uncompromised playback performance, with up to two 1080p streams/files decoded simultaneously, for a stunning combination of signage and live video.
• EZ TV Mobile Player: Vitec IPTV player for iOS and Android devices integrates with EZ TV Portal server to receive channel lineups, programming information and user permissions. Offers the best mobile streaming experience, with an end-to-end delay less than 500 ms. for live video, support for content up to 1,080p, network-efficient multicast UDP TS decoding and support for Vitec/DRM AES content protection, for total security delivery of any content on any WiFi network.
• EZ TV Personal TV Middleware: Next generation TV middleware software that allows users equipped with Vitec IPTV decoders to interact with their televisions, tune in to live TV broadcasts, watch local broadcasts, watch videos on demand, browse updated scheduling information, record shows and manage content saved on the DVR.
• Servidor EZ TV VOD/NDVR: video-on-demand recording plugin that provides the ability to upload video assets or record streaming shows over the network. Administrators and users can activate recordings based on privileges and quotas configured in the EZ TV portal. It is available as a rackmount server or as a virtual machine.
• EZ TV Sign Creator: the digital signage creation app, simple and intuitive, supporting a wide range of assets, like videos, images, IPTV broadcasts, social elements, sports results, integration with food caterers and multiple layers of graphics, all this together with the dynamic signage content that will be displayed on Vitec terminal devices.
• EZ TV Signage Director: The management interface for digital signage services is a centralized web-based tool for managing digital content, create schedules for different types of events and locations, Integration with third-party data sources in real time, monitoring of all installed terminals and complete logging and analysis.
• THIS is TV Monitor IP: real-time monitoring and analysis of IPTV transmissions on the network. This additional capability provides deep analysis (365x24x7) of MPEG video streams to detect quality of service issues and service interruptions that could affect viewers. Allows you to identify and receive notifications about audio or video and network problems that compromise the user experience. It has real-time control panels, Unlimited number of players viewing and email alerts.
• EZ TV Video Wall Processors: professional series of hardware-based video processors, Modular and configurable frames with all input and output options for any video and audio source. Features powerful rendering and effects engines that ensure smooth and synchronized playback of IPTV and file-based content 365x24x7.

Antonio Duarte

CEO of TmediaT (TransversalMediaThinking). Partner the Vitec in Spain