Harmonic launches ProMedia Capture video ingest engine
Harmonic has rounded out the recently introduced ProMedia Suite with the release of its ProMedia Capture video ingest engine, which enables real-time ingest of live and tape-based HD/SD video for file-based production and multiscreen workflows.
ProMedia Capture is the newest member of Harmonic’s ProMedia suite of software solutions and appliances, introduced in August, which enables high-quality video creation and delivery to TV, PC, tablet, mobile phone, and other IP-connected devices through advanced video processing and streaming functionality. According to the company, ProMedia Capture’s efficient handling of content ingest optimises any file-based workflow by ensuring the file is in the required format at the critical moment that it enters the video ecosystem. Leveraging the widely deployed ProMedia Carbon transcoding software, which is powered by Harmonic’s Rhozet technology, ProMedia Capture offers the format flexibility to record directly upon ingest, without requiring an intermediate transcoding step.
“Building on the successful launch of the ProMedia Suite, Harmonic brings the ability to execute automated ingest with destination-format specificity, in an easy-to-deploy, interoperable solution to customers of all types,” said Moore Macauley, director of product management, multiscreen, at Harmonic. “Whether ingesting content that’s headed to a non-linear editor as part of a news workflow, footage that’s going directly to connected storage, or programming that needs to be distributed to a TV and a smartphone simultaneously, this system saves valuable time and resources.”
As a fully integrated solution designed to simplify operations, ProMedia Capture uses a Web-based GUI to control two independent ingest channels and VTRs. Desktop monitoring gives the user full visibility into the capture process and, with Web connectivity, enables the convenience of system monitoring from anywhere.
Metadata and ancillary data are also supported in a number of ways. The GUI provides a convenient application for handling CableLabs ADI package creation that can be automatically exported to VOD systems. An API provides a means for users to associate metadata with ingested files. For file formats that support ancillary data, ProMedia Capture preserves non-video or audio essence data such as VBI and VANC.
The ProMedia Capture system can be used as a standalone device utilizing its 1.3TB of on-board storage, or fast turnaround editing and automated workflows can be further optimized through seamless integration with Omneon MediaGrid shared storage and the Harmonic Workflow System (WFS).