SAMMA to Demonstrate New Capabilities at IBC2008
SAMMA Systems will be demonstrating three new capabilities at the IBC2008. This is good news for anyone with a need to migrate videotapes to digital files for archiving and for reuse in multiple revenue-producing formats.
The SAMMA Robot and SAMMA Solo have both been updated to version 2.0 and can now deliver streamlined workflow by offering additional simultaneous file outputs. Additionally, easy preset settings of common file types are now standard on both the Robot and the Solo, insuring instant setup of encoding. Separately, SAMMA Systems has also developed new capabilities to archive high definition (HD) video content and upconvert standard definition (SD) video to HD when migrating videotapes to digital files.
SME – powerful new encoder
The enabling breakthrough for the version 2.0 Robot and Solo is the SME – SAMMA Multicoder a powerful new encoder. The SME enables additional formats, including MPEG-1/2/4, AVC, Flash, IMX D10, Uncompressed and Windows Media, and can encode multiple streams simultaneously per videotape channel, with metadata included. The SME also has MXF, AVI and QuickTime file wrapping capabilities.
“The SME enables eight more formats with which to generate simultaneous files, at a 35% lower cost than the previous encoder,” said Mark Gray, CEO of SAMMA Systems. “Broadcasters will agree that this is a dramatic improvement in value.”
To simplify and speed up what could be a complex archiving process, SAMMA has incorporated six NTSC and six PAL presets into its encoders. By using a preset, an operator can select a “bundle” of formats and set up parameters to accomplish a given archiving task. Each preset will pick up the designated formats and relevant configurations, producing multiple output files in a single operation. The operator only has to press START to begin the migration.
Preset lineup
The NTSC presets are as follows (with a variety of working and proxy formats included with each preset), Lossless J2K Archive for lossless archiving, Uncompressed 4:2:2 AVI Archive for broadcast (Avid), Uncompressed 4:2:2 MOV Archive for broadcast (Final Cut Pro), IMX Archive for broadcast (Sony, MPEG 4:2:2 50 Mbps Archive for broadcast and MPEG 4:2:2 15 Mbps for storage applications.
Upgraded audio, watermarking and more
Other improvements in version 2.0 Robot and Solo include 7 band audio EQ and compression; watermarking and animated logo capability on any of the encoded files; image cropping and motion adaptive de-interlacing; and source time capability for better editing and searching capability of the digitized files after conversion.
Better manageability, continued reliability and access
The new version 2.0 Robot has greatly improved manageability. Its server and database is centralized for continued reliability and access from any number of robots or solos in the event of an interruption or failure. The database also facilitates easy importation of CSV files and is now sort-and-search capable. A new user-friendly context menu allows easy additions or edits to imported tape records.
Interactive improvements to version 2.0 Robot include substantially reduced setup time, a shorter calibration cycle and a manual channel select capability that performs calibration cycles on non-fatal errors. If included in a Robot, SAMMA Clean now has a “non-fatal” override that ejects damaged “failed” tapes so that “passed” tape migrations continue. The result is a more efficient and improved workflow, with less downtime and greater overall throughput. Additionally, library status data can now be sorted and printed.
HD archiving and upconverting capability
In addition to presenting the new version 2.0 Robot and Solo at IBC2008, SAMMA will also be demonstrating its new HD archiving and upconverting capability. This capability is designed both to meet Europe’s new push to HD and to serve Hollywood and other content production centers who want to be able to archive their material in HD.
Source: BroadcastBuyer
