It is the truly integrated approach to video media distribution, combining the superior channel capacity and real time video capabilities of an "Off-LAN" overlay system, with the convergent benefits of streamed IP delivery that makes MediaStar unique. Cabletime's MediaStar is now deployed in most of the major banking and trading institutions around the world. MediaStar is also used by leading Publishers and Media companies, Sporting and Leisure and in Government, Education and the Medical sector.
MediaStar can deliver a uniform corporate message from the CEO and distribute breaking news to multiple large screen displays and PC workstations simultaneously. Larger organisations can add to their system simply by looping together MediaStar Pro hubs and adding users. The addition of users has no impact on the LAN.
Since its launch, MediaStar Evolution has grown in popularity, providing an IP alternative to traditional TV distribution across CAT-5/6 cabling. MediaStar Evolution is part of a range of products that include MediaStar Compact for distributing and managing TV/AV over Cat-5/UTP within a small office environment, and MediaStar Pro for larger organisations.
The MediaStar system offers both off-LAN and IP delivery mechanisms and supports a variety of endpoints while delivering versatility and scalability in a comprehensive hardware and software solution.
Corporate TV distribution with MediaStar
In a corporate IT environment, Cabletime's MediaStar Evolution is being used by international legal practitioners Allen and Overy LLP at their Bishops Square building in London, the largest of its 25 facilities around the world. The system comprises 20 MediaStar Evolution Encoder units delivering 20 channels, including BBC 24, CNN, Bloomberg, a variety of sports and Freeview stations and internal Allen & Overy channels. Broadcasts occur in the reception area of the building, and in the state-of-the-art bars, restaurants and training rooms. The system is also used by the building's security teams to monitor news channels in case of security alerts.
Networking a large number of displays through the MediaStar system, a sports stadium is able to select and control delivery of information to different areas depending on the audience. So, during a match, coverage can be displayed throughout the stadium, but at a seminar, the screens can be used to display archived footage on VHS or DVD.
Score with real-time sports action
Cabletime's innovative TV distribution system is installed in St. Mary's stadium, the home of Southampton Football Club. MediaStar Pro, an interactive video delivery system, forms part of the state-of-the-art audio and visual array at St Mary's, which was designed to allow the club to offer a range of facilities to enhance its business in addition to being a Premiership Football Club. These include the ability to stage conferences, exhibitions, product launches, seminars, lunches, etc.
Universities, colleges and schools use MediaStar to deliver lectures and educational material, live or from tape or server to any number of screens in different classrooms throughout the building.
Delivering education with MediaStar
The American School of Doha in Qatar is reaping the benefits of its recent expansion that has enabled it to deliver state-of-the-art audio video facilities to more than 1300 students. Key to the installation is a distribution system based on Cabletime's MediaStar Pro.
With MediaStar, retail stores can synchronise their messages. EvoNet units can be set so that the playout of MPEG-2/4 files or HTML content can be synchronised across screens. The units can automatically detect new content entered via a USB key or can be set to retrieve MPEG-2/4 and HTML files at convenient times. A retail chain may choose to update its entire store network by placing new content to a location on a server. The EvoNet units would be set to check for new content in the middle of the night when network traffic would be low and automatically download the new files ready to be played out the next day. The EvoNet units are set so that if they are part of a group in a store, they will automatically redistribute the new content to others in the group.
Digital signage to the power of 3
The MediaStar Evolution Digital Signage Player was originally developed to meet the requirements of 3, which uses the technology in more than a hundred of its new own-stores. In store, rich mobile media content is played on a series of five displays of different sizes placed on each side of the stores.
Keeping in touch with the latest financial news and world events is vital in today's modern financial trading room. Satellite and CATV channels such as CNN, CNBC and Sky News are broadcast through the Cat-5/6 cabling. Timed delivery of individual channels allows Analysts' broadcasts to be delivered to selected TVs or PCs.
MediaStar video distribution solutions can provide off-LAN, real-time video with no impact on the network that can deliver a huge number of realtime TV channels for any betting exchange, using existing Cat-5e/6 cabling infrastructure.
Winning bets with real-time video
Cabletime's MediaStar system is installed at Betfair's Stevenage office, as well as two successful installations at the company's London and Tasmanian offices. The original specification was dual MediaStar Compact solutions, which were able to deliver 32 channels made up of 16 channels on one and 16 on the other. This has been expanded using MediaStar Pro, which can provide up to 180 channels of live TV across Cat-5e/6 cabling. Compact systems have been installed into the racks, so that Betfair can remotely control the satellite receivers, without the need to leave their desks and lose market management time.
Presentations, product promotions or messages can be delivered to a wide variety of display devices. Hotels may welcome guests with messages on a Plasma screen in the foyer, whilst the hospitality suite at a racecourse may prefer to combine live race coverage on the TV screen with a promotional presentation.
MediaStar can be used to deliver programming throughout a building to a network of plasma screens. The management software within MediaStar allows for control of the feeds to specific screens, so that important announcements can be made on one screen without interrupting programs in another location.
MediaStar Evolution is ideal for a wide range of broadcast situations, such as taking a live feed from camera, digitising it and playing it live over the internet and onto big screen installations. The MediaStar hardware is extremely reliable and has proved itself in some very high profile place.
Falcons on an epic scale
Cabletime's MediaStar Evolution Encoder was the failsafe solution when the BBC chose to broadcast the live, day-by-day progress of a family of nesting peregrine falcons, using their Big Screen technology. The nest was in a particularly inaccessible spot, with no LAN from which to take video feed, so a Unicast network link was installed, allowing Evolution to encode the imagery in real time and display it, instantly on the Big Screen. The solution provided essential viewing as the chicks hatched and grew!
