Author: PebbleAdmin

Delivers immediate cost savings and simplifies graphics workflows for thematic channels by reducing dependencies on discrete graphics platforms
Weybridge, UK, September 3rd, 2019 – At IBC 2019, on stand 8.B68, Pebble Beach Systems, a leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, will demonstrate a new Adobe^® After Effects^® integration, incorporating a plugin and pre-render workflow, which is designed to simplify graphics and promo production. Working in conjunction with Pebble Beach Systems’ Dolphin integrated channel device under Marina automation control, this new integration manages the process of automatically rendering After Effects templates and delivering them straight to playout. By removing the need to convert Adobe graphics into vendor-specific formats, the plugin gives graphics designers the creative freedom to use any feature supported in After Effects for on-air graphics, and eliminates the sometimes laborious task of individually rendering many different versions of a promo or graphic.
Many broadcasters deploy discrete graphics platforms for playout of their high value channels. These systems offer complex real time graphics overlaid onto live and recorded sources, handling last minute schedule changes on the fly with advanced manual control. But they come at a high price point and may require extensive training. However, this is often the best approach, and with its wide range of broadcast graphics drivers, Pebble’s Marina automation can control the majority of market-leading broadcast graphics devices available today. Some thematic channels are a lot less dynamic and the cost of incorporating a full graphics engine in the playout chain cannot be justified. This new Adobe integration takes a different approach, rendering out a complex graphic template to a single media asset ahead of time so that the playout engine load is reduced without compromising the quality of graphics and branding for the channel.
Any After Effects project can be converted into a pre-render template via the new plugin. The designer simply selects which part(s) of their project will be ‘dynamic’. These dynamic elements will subsequently be populated by content from the Marina playlist at render time, allowing the relevant text, video, images, and / or audio to be inserted.
Once the template is prepared, they publish it to the Pebble Template Service (PTS) and the designer’s job is complete. The Marina automation system monitors the PTS and builds a list of available templates, which the playout operator can manually schedule or which can be automatically scheduled by a traffic system.
So, when an event in the playlist requires a graphic, a request is sent to render the relevant combination of template and dynamic content. Rendering in advance allows each graphic to be reviewed before going to air so any changes can be made if required. If there are changes to the dynamic content in the playlist, Marina will request a new version of the graphic. Renders are prioritised by their required on-air time, ensuring the timely delivery of graphics assets.

“The ability to pre-render graphics created in After Effects gives the designer full creative freedom by removing the need to compromise the look of the graphics during any format conversion process. Graphics designers want to concentrate on building stunning graphics and don’t want to be limited by the toolset. They also don’t want to be doing repetitive tasks such as rendering out an After Effects project 50 times for each version. With this integration, Pebble have automated that process, saving time and money,” said Stuart Wood, Product Owner at Pebble Beach Systems.
“Many networks, television stations and multichannel service providers are also looking for ways to deploy playout servers without the need to provision GPUs for real-time graphics processing power, especially when we talk about virtualised environments or the cloud as this is can be much more expensive,” he confirmed.

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About Pebble Beach Systems  
Pebble Beach Systems is a world leader in automation, channel in a box, integrated and virtualised playout technology, with scalable products designed for highly efficient multichannel transmission as well as complex news and sports television. Installed in more than 70 countries and with proven systems ranging from single up to over 150 channels in operation, Pebble Beach Systems offers open, flexible systems, which encompass ingest and playout automation, and complex file-based workflows. The company trades in the US as Pebble Broadcast Systems.
 

New Viz Engine software plug-in for Pebble’s Dolphin and Orca integrated channel devices enables broadcasters to improve best-of-breed real-time 3D graphics workflows.
Weybridge, UK, August 20^th, 2019– Pebble Beach Systems Ltd, a leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, today announced that it has partnered with graphics specialist Vizrt to integrate the Viz Engine into its Dolphin and Orca integrated playout solutions.
Integrated channel technology can hugely simplify the playout chain for broadcasters by delivering logistical, space and cost savings. Typically, these solutions incorporate video server, master control switcher, subtitling, captioning, channel branding and more within a software-defined environment. But for many broadcasters the on-board graphics capabilities are no match for the high end functionality their chosen graphics tools can deliver.
Alison Pavitt, Marketing Manager at Pebble, confirms:

“Ultimately it’s about choice and reducing the total cost of ownership. Broadcast graphics are fundamental to channel identity, so broadcasters naturally don’t want to compromise on their branding when reviewing their playout technology choices. That’s why Pebble has collaborated with the top graphics companies in the industry to ensure that our end users can have access to their preferred best-of-breed graphics tools and enhance their carefully crafted graphics workflows. We’re proud to be partnering with one of the biggest names in broadcast graphics, Vizrt, to offer the Viz Engine software plug-in for our Dolphin and Orca solutions.”

By offering this functionality through a shared memory interface as a software plug-in which utilizes a GPU, Pebble confirmed that it is no longer necessary to pass video signals between disparate devices, which in the IP world could mean high bandwidth demand. This not only simplifies the playout chain, but also greatly reduces network bandwidth within the cloud, since the video interconnect to and from the third party system has been eliminated. It also reduces the amount of hardware required to run a channel whilst providing a full graphics workflow.

Gerhard Lang, CTO, Vizrt, says; “Pebble Beach Systems did a fantastic job integrating our graphics into their software-defined integrated and IP channel solutions. Both companies strive for quality, performance and reliability and the outcome reflects this. Through previous partnerships and endeavors our two companies have built up a high level of trust and respect, making this integration an obvious success.”

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Company reports increases in gross margin and order book, improvements in cash generation and profitability, reduction in debt
Weybridge, UK, March 28^th, 2019 –  Pebble Beach Systems, a leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, released a highly positive set of results for 2018 today.
The company reported a material increase of 3% in gross margin compared to 2017’s figures, and succeeded in transforming an adjusted EBITDA of £500k in 2017 into a £2.5m profit in 2018, an increase of 400%.
Furthermore, the business improved cash generation by nearly £4.3m across the 12-month period.
In addition, Pebble reported an increase in orders received and a reduction in debt. Pebble confirms that updated terms to manage the further reduction of this debt were agreed this month, providing a stable capital base.
Pebble CEO Peter Mayhead said

“This is a truly inspirational set of results and I’m immensely proud of what everyone at Pebble has achieved. We’ve made some bold changes, drawn a line underneath legacy issues, and erased any lingering doubts that the market may have had about our corporate position. These results show that our hard work has paid off.”
He continues “I’m excited to go into this year’s NAB show with such a great set of results. In addition to getting the financials in good shape, 2018 saw the formation of a new leadership team, and the creation of a forward-looking strategy which keeps the needs of our customers at its heart. We look forward to sharing the details with new and existing customers at the show next month.”

John Varney, Non-Executive Chairman of Pebble Beach Systems Group plc, said:

“This is an exciting time for Pebble Beach Systems as the broadcast industry adapts to the opportunities presented by the expansion in audience and platforms, underpinned by strong continuing growth in advertising revenues. Pebble Beach Systems is now well-positioned to deliver solutions to the global broadcast market as it invests in channel and content delivery infrastructure and systems.”

Pebble Beach Systems will be exhibiting on Booth SL4528 at NAB, and also participating in the IP Showcase in the Central Hall on Booth C12634. Full details of the Annual Report can be found here.
 
 

Pebble Beach Systems Moves IP Control Forward at NAB 2019 with Focus on NMOS IS-07
Pebble CTO to present paper on AMWA IS-07: NMOS Event & Tally Specification as part of AIMS program at NAB IP Showcase
Weybridge, UK, March 25th, 2019 – At NAB 2019, on booth SL4528, Pebble Beach Systems, a leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, will demonstrate some of the emerging solutions for replacing – and surpassing – wired GPI capabilities in modern broadcast facilities as they migrate to IP. Pebble Beach Systems has been a key contributor to the IS-07: NMOS Event & Tally Specification (“IS-07”) which is under development by the Advanced Media Workflow Association as part of the Networked Media Open Specifications initiative. It defines a mechanism for emitting and consuming states and state changes in an IP environment, allowing equipment from multiple vendors to be connected using open standards – and for those connections to be easily and simply remapped.

“There are existing protocols that cover simple data transport over the network, but those tend to be proprietary protocols that are often implemented on a per project basis. IS-07 solves the problem in a standardized way that ensures interoperability between vendors. It’s a Swiss Army knife for system integration” said Miroslav Jeras, Pebble Beach Systems’ CTO.
He continues: “The IS-07 protocol replaces GPIs by transmitting logical data, timed with the PTP timestamps. But the true power of IS-07 lies in the transport of string and numeric values. And you can further describe the data being sent by adding metadata such as lists of acceptable values, ranges, or units of measurement. The flexible routing mechanism inherited from other NMOS specifications also enables an IS-07 based control panel – or even control room – to be remapped to another studio or channel by a single click.
We’re proud to be at the forefront of this initiative which has ramifications for all vendors and users who are architecting and maintaining IP infrastructures. On the Pebble booth, we will be presenting a targeted demo showing a powerful subset of the vast functionality this protocol will enable, featuring Pebble equipment alongside technology from Riedel and Atos, and the Riedel booth C6537 will also feature an IS-07 demo.”

Pebble Beach Systems will also be participating again in the annual IP Showcase in NAB’s Central Hall where Jeras will present a paper on IS-07. The Future Zone of the IP Showcase also features a dedicated IS-07 area, where attendees can see  devices from different vendors seamlessly integrated in an interactive demo workflow. Devices in the demo include hardware and software panels, playout systems, multiviewers and measurement equipment.
As the entire industry moves towards the adoption of open standards like IS-07, Pebble invites broadcasters to witness the clear benefits that these latest open IP control standards will bring.