[SatNews] ...a new mobile data service enables broadcasters to transmit emergency messages in their Mobile DTV broadcast signal, that delivers rich media alerts anywhere, anytime on portable electronics.
Triveni Digital today announced that Mobile Emergency Alert System (M-EAS) functionality is now available for its GuideBuilder® 5 metadata generation system via a software interface developed in conjunction with Digital Alert Systems. Connected by this new interface option, the Triveni Digital GuideBuilder and Digital Alert Systems DASDEC™ emergency messaging platform serve as the first integrated solution for the reception, generation, and subsequent distribution of messages over the M-EAS platform.
"With the addition of M-EAS functionality to its existing ATSC PSIP and ATSC Mobile ESG support, GuideBuilder continues to be the most complete metadata management system on the market, with uniquely robust capabilities that reduce costs for DTV providers," said Ralph Bachofen, vice president of sales and head of marketing at Triveni Digital. "Integration of GuideBuilder with the industry-leading DASDEC emergency messaging platform allows broadcasters to easily incorporate this powerful tool into their existing workflows. The solution also offers cost savings by allowing our customers to realize a significant enhancement to their current EAS messaging service through an easy software upgrade path."
Designed to enhance traditional EAS messaging, M-EAS is a new mobile data service that enables broadcasters to transmit emergency messages in their Mobile DTV broadcast signal, allowing for the delivery of rich media alerts anywhere, anytime on portable electronics.
GuideBuilder produces program guides and metadata for hundreds of TV stations and cable operators, allowing them to comply with FCC PSIP requirements, generate consistent DTV metadata, and prevent errors to ensure a superior quality of experience (QoE) for viewers. Through seamless integration with the DASDEC emergency messaging platform, GuideBuilder brings support for M-EAS and associated rich media into the existing workflows of DTV distribution plants.
"Emergency communications continues to be an important part of the broadcast environment and M-EAS is a substantial step up in the quality and type of information we can make available," said Bill Robertson, vice president business development for Digital Alert Systems. "Being able to provide this GuideBuilder and DASDEC integration really raises the standard for stations wanting to enable mobile viewers with far more information and a richer experience over any other broadcast platform."
GuideBuilder's new M-EAS functionality allows for the delivery of multimedia emergency alerts to Mobile DTV-equipped devices such as cell phones, tablets, handheld receivers, and in-car navigation systems. The DASDEC system gathers local EAS content, IPAWS-based EAS content, and internally originated content and passes this data, including any associated rich media, along to GuideBuilder. Acting as an M-EAS content manager within the station, GuideBuilder then interleaves this content into the DTV transmission. Information in the broadcast may include evacuation maps, weather maps, HTML pages, audio announcements, video files, and more.
As an increasing number of mobile devices are equipped with DTV tuners, broadcasters are becoming better positioned to offer emergency messages with much greater detail, complemented by valuable audio and visual resources. Triveni Digital and Digital Alert Systems showcased this emergency messaging model at the recently concluded 2013 NAB Futures summit, where the companies demonstrated how the GuideBuilder and DASDEC units already installed in many broadcast facilities can be integrated to deliver richer emergency communications to a growing number of mobile device users.
GuideBuilder 5 is available in a variety of configurations to support any DTV provider's preferred deployment approach, whether it's as an integrated server, software intended for use on customer-supplied servers or virtual machines, or as a cloud-based managed service. The platform offers easy integration with a wide range of broadcast ecosystem elements, including multiplexers, encoders, automation systems, traffic systems, and listing services.
More information about GuideBuilder and other Triveni Digital products is available at www.TriveniDigital.com. For information on Digital Alert Systems and its range of EAS/CAP products please visit.