MediaCorp Selects Dalet Media Life for Project ICE

Dalet MAM integrates with multiple systems to build an end-to-end file-based operation

Dalet Digital Media Systems, a leading developer of Media Asset Management (MAM) solutions for content producers, announced that Singapore national broadcaster MediaCorp has chosen Dalet Media Life as the enterprise MAM platform for the migration of its entire operation to a fully file-based workflow, including the digitization of its archive. Dalet Media Life will provide end-to-end, integrated management for program preparation, production, and the distribution workflow. Dalet Media Life is the central hub of the best-of-breed solution prepared by TSL, the premier system integrator, which was awarded the MediaCorp contract for the Integrated Content-centric file-based Exchange System (ICE) after an extensive tender process.

Dalet Media Life offers sophisticated content lifecycle and workflow management within a fully integrated, SOA-based architecture that will unify the many different IT and broadcast systems at MediaCorp’s Caldecott Broadcast Centre. The result will be a more fluid and efficient workflow with increased output. At the same time, MediaCorp will be able to leverage the investments already made in its existing systems, including the IBS traffic and playout system, Harris automation, EVS production and studio servers, and many others.

“Dalet is very pleased to have been selected by MediaCorp for this important project. Our experience with MAM best practices in program preparation, promo production, compliance editing, news library, and archiving environments melds perfectly with the stringent requirements for MediaCorp’s broadcast and multiplatform production and distribution needs,” says Arnaud Elnecave, director of Asia Pacific, Dalet. “With its centralized, highly structured database and totally customizable metadata schemes, Dalet Media Life manages media, metadata, and multiple workflows across systems. It is an enterprise-wide, highly flexible solution that replaces the isolated islands of production with a transparency that optimizes human and technical resources. And the openness of the system ensures adaptability to emerging technologies and future enhancements.”

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“We evaluated all the key players during our evaluation process and we were very impressed with Dalet’s expertise and with the flexibility of the Dalet offering. Even during the pilot, we saw how easy it was to configure workflows and create metadata sets on the fly that exactly met our operational and data model requirements,” says Kelvin Ma, vice president, Media Technology, Architecture and Support at Media Corp Technologies. “Dalet’s open architecture with SOA-based integration was particularly important, as it allows us to maximize our expenditures in existing systems while moving to this more flexible file-based workflow. With all the content, metadata, and processes managed by the Dalet MAM, we expect to increase output and realize dramatic workflow improvements. We especially look forward to the second phase of the plan, when we will upgrade to the new Dalet Galaxy MAM platform with its powerful Business Process Management capabilities, which will add even greater efficiencies to our operations.”

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In addition to its MAM capabilities, Dalet Media Life provides a wide range of Dalet tools that will be used in conjunction with existing systems at MediaCorp. Dalet ingest tools will be used for live feed scheduled ingest, Flexicart ingest, VTR crash recoding, dedicated P2 and XDCam imports, watch folder-based imports, and web-client file uploads. Metadata exchanges and updates will be provided between several systems including the traffic planning and playout systems and Over-the-Top (OTT) systems.

In the program prep workflow, quality control results from Interra Systems Baton will be viewable in the Dalet Media Logger where users can see timecode-based locators and add the manual locators and comments needed for compliance review and approvals. Dalet Media Cutter enables proxy editing with the ability to add voiceovers, graphics, and effects onto the timeline. Content is prepared in multiple languages with 5.1 audio tracks and different languages for subtitles. Storyboarding and shared shotlists can also be prepared in Dalet. Integrations via Dalet Xtend for craft editors like Apple Final Cut Pro and Avid Media Composer provide Edit Decision List (EDL) and non-destructive metadata exchanges. Sound is finished using Fairlight and Avid Pro Tools. The integrations at MediaCorp include IBS traffic and playout, Harris automation, Omneon Spectrum and Omneon Mediagrid servers, EVS production and studio servers, the FrontPorch DIVA archive system, Telestream transcoding, the Grass Valley Aurora News Production Suite, Swift subtitling, Softel subtitling converters, and an in-house rights management system. At any point in the workflow, users can execute fast, drill-down metadata queries in multiple languages (English, Mandarin, Tamil, and Malay) using the powerful Dalet search engine to search and browse content. Content is literally at their fingertips.

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The first phase of the project will integrate the file-based systems with existing studios, video and audio post, and transmission systems. It will also involve digitizing MediaCorp’s 60,000-hour archive. The company expects to transmit all free-to-air-channels in HD digital format by December 2013 under the DVB-T2 television standard.

About MediaCorpMediaCorp is Singapore’s leading media company, with the most complete range of platforms, spanning television, radio, newspapers, magazines, movies, digital, and out-of-home media. It pioneered the development of Singapore’s broadcasting industry, with the broadcast of Radio in 1936 and Television in 1963. Today, MediaCorp has over fifty products and brands in four languages (English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil), reaching out to all adults in Singapore every week. Initiatives in the new digital space include Internet TV-on-demand, High Definition TV broadcast, and OTT interactive services.
Beyond Singapore, MediaCorp is an active regional player through co-productions in TV dramas and movies and magazines publishing, as well as Channel NewsAsia International, one of the first Asian-owned English news channels.
Winner of numerous international awards and accolades including Asian Television Awards’ Terrestrial Broadcaster of the Year, MediaCorp’s vision is to become Asia’s top media company, delivering valued content to the world.

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About TSL
Founded in 1986,TSL is the UK's leading creator of integrated broadcast systems. In an industry characterized by rapid growth and intense competition, the company is a consistent high achiever offering truly independent advice allied to nearly 20 years’ experience in the field. During this time, TSL has grown not only in size but, more importantly, in the scope and depth of its services. With major customers across five continents, TSK has become a genuinely international operation working with some of the biggest names in broadcasting.

About Dalet
Dalet solutions enable broadcasters and media professionals to create, manage, and distribute content to traditional and new media channels, including interactive TV, the Web, and mobile networks. Dalet combines into a single system a robust and proven Media Asset Management platform with advanced metadata capabilities, a configurable workflow engine, and a comprehensive set of purpose-built creative and production tools. This integrated and open environment enables end-to-end management of the entire news, sports, and program content chain, and allows users to significantly improve efficiency and to maximize the use and value of their assets. Dalet’s solutions are delivered through a dedicated Professional and Integration Services Department to ensure the highest possible standards.
Dalet systems are used around the world by thousands of individual users at hundreds of TV and Radio content producers, including public broadcasters (ABS-CBN, BBC, CBC, DR, France TV, RTBF, RFI, Russia Today, RSR & TSR, RT Malaysia, VOA, and WDR), commercial networks and operators (Antena 3, Canal+, FOX, eTV, Mediaset, Orange, Time Warner Cable, Warner Bros., and Sirius XM Radio), and government organizations (Queensland JAG, Canadian House of Commons, and The European Commission).

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