Blue Lucy Media launches new asset management browser interface

Blue Lucy Media (BLM), a UK-based provider of advanced video processing modules and asset management, has announced the launch of an all-new, browser-based user interface to Blue Lucy Asset Manager (BLAM) and the other BLM Service components.

Blue Lucy Media’s new browser offers global accessibility to its media management tool set, which means that all workflow management operations – from ingest, through sub-clipping to fulfilment – can be managed through its highly customisable interface from anywhere in the world.

Julian Wright, BLM CEO, says: “The new interface really comes into its own when enriching essence catalogue metadata and syndicating content. BLAM’s built-in web server allows private and public clouds to be created, which decentralises content cataloguing operations and greatly extends the reach of syndication – and therefore monetisation – of digitised content.”

BLM has also continued to reduce the cost and complexity of automated tape archive digitisation and will feature its new VTR Status Monitoring software at Broadcast Asia. The BLM VTR Status Monitoring plug-in is designed for use with BLM’s Ingest Service to ensure video tape (VT) issues, such as dust/debris on a tape or low RF, are minimised. Utilising Sony’s Interactive Status Reporting (ISR) protocol, the plug-in monitors VTR channel status during ingest operations and records any VT ‘amber’ or ‘red’ conditions against time-code. The output from the plug-in can be used to stop and restart, or stop and abort, ingest to ensure VT errors are not retained the written file. Alternatively the plug-in can create a quality control report during ingest, which is saved to the BLAM and flagged for visual inspection using BLM’s Baseband Video Player Service, also new this year.

The BLM Baseband Video Player Service provides a simple way to play back media files on a broadcast monitor by decoding to baseband. Operationally, the desktop player application provides frame accurate random seek access to a media file, which can be stored anywhere on a network. In workflows that utilise BLM VTR Status Monitor plug-in the baseband player timeline is populated with visual markers that highlight reported errors for rapid assessment.