PlayBox Neo has announced that CalaWeather, weather broadcaster of CalaTelevision, will launch a new cloud-based playout system, Cloud2TV from PlayBox Neo. The company will exhibit in NAB Booth C2427.

The virtual channel playout system joins six channels of AirBox Neo-20 playout servers and TitleBox Neo-20 graphics that are used by the other CalaTelevision channels CalaAction, CalaWesterns, and CalaClassics.

Cloud2TV provides broadcasters with a secure system through which to access their playout from practically any location via an easy-to-use interface. A private data center will handle all CDN responsibilities for CalaWeather.

The new system provides operators with the freedom to make schedule alterations or insert live content between prescheduled content. Offers numerous advantages such as fast and on-demand channel launch, endless scalability, 24/7 reliability, web-based access and IP workflow. Cloud2TV is fully compatible with existing PlayBox Neo solutions and can be used to extend their capabilities and functionality.

Incorporates an intuitive web-based control interface with administrator-adjustable rights assignment, TV channel management, action-logging and notifications. Cloud2TV applications are its main components. Each application functions individually but in close co-ordination with the others to provide a full set of broadcast services supporting the workflow of an entire TV channel. Specific Cloud2TV applications are assigned to content ingest, graphic editing, media browsing with metadata handling and clip trimming, quality control and verification, transcoding, playlist management and audit logging.

“This is our first foray into cloud servers from PlayBox Neo,” said Tony Marchand, President, CalaTelevision, a division of Lorac Communications Inc. “AirBox and TitleBox have been great for our other channels, but our weather channel has expanded to the point where we needed more functionality without incurring a steep increase in price. Given the prevalence of hurricanes in the regions, viewers rely on us to deliver timely information without fail, regardless of any extreme weather we’re facing.”

Marchand points to the flexibility of the Cloud2TV graphics engine as a very important point of consideration for the 24/7 weather channel: “A weather channel is incredibly complex. It’s far more complicated than an entertainment-only channel. There are multiple inputs, live feeds, and constantly changing graphics. Cloud2TV has a great graphics package, which is a must for CalaWeather. We can make graphic changes on the fly. The L bar on the system is very flexible. This is essential for us. When hurricanes come through, the look of our whole screen completely changes.”

The Cloud2TV launch at CalaWeather is scheduled for mid-April this year.