Canal Alpha integrated the XOS processor into operations to efficiently, economically deliver channels to air, maintaining video quality across all networks to reach a broad audience.
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has modernised playout operations across its 24/7 channels delivered to cantons in French-speaking Switzerland. They undertook an upgrade project with several goals in mind – enhancing video quality, simplifying operations and the ability to add and update features in order to keep its services competitive.
The company deployed Harmonic’s software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor as part of the upgrade, working with Harmonic’s local partner IMC Technologies. Applying AI-assisted compression, the XOS media processor enables Canal Alpha to deliver channels with very high video quality.
Cloud-Native Software Foundation
“Having a flexible, robust all-in-one solution for playout to delivery makes a huge difference when supplying viewers with a high quality broadcast experience,” said Dany da Costa, IT infrastructure manager at Canal Alpha. “Using the open APIs that Harmonic’s XOS media processor is supplied with, we can integrate it within our complex broadcast environment and use it to efficiently deliver ready-to-air channels cost-effectively. We can maintain excellent video quality directly across DTT, IPTV, CTV and OTT networks, reaching a broad audience.”
The Harmonic XOS media processor is made up of a cloud-native software foundation and a complete set of features that combines playout, live recording and advanced branding, through to delivery. Because it is software-based, it can be used as a dedicated plug-and-play appliance or run as a Linux application on existing servers.
Providers like Canal Alpha can converge their broadcast and OTT headends, using the appliance for either broadcast or streaming applications, and adapt it to combine deployment environments – from conventional SDI, ASI and satellite RF interfaces to full-IP architectures, including SMPTE 2110 and SMPTE 2022-6.
Up-to-date microservices technology is built into the XOS Processor – through the containerised cloud architecture, users at Canal Alpha can continuously add features. To set up and implement hybrid systems with XOS, a RESTful API is available, shared with other Harmonic cloud and SaaS solutions. It is possible to configure, control and monitor from an external system.
The solution’s software-based design also helps the company save space, reduce equipment and lower energy consumption.
Bitrate Savings
XOS achieves measurable bitrate savings through Harmonic’s AI-supported EyeQ encoding and compression. EyeQ is aware of certain characteristics of the content it is encoding. It is trained to perceive detail, motion and contrast in the same way that human eyes do, adapting to content type and dynamically adjusting encoding parameters based on factors that are significant to viewers.
For instance, it will preserve texture and motion fidelity for a fast-paced sports program differently to the way it will handle cinematic dramas. In other words, by optimising video quality perceptually, it allocates bits only where they contribute most to perceived quality, which lowers bitrates overall.
Harmonic continues to address new developments in content delivery for EyeQ, and has enhanced it to handle HDR content (high dynamic range) as well, saving on bandwidth while preserving the benefits of standards including HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and others. www.harmonicinc.com
