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Arris has added ad-splicing capability to the EGT VIPr Transcoder product line, and the vendor said unlike other broadcast ad-insertion systems the feature preserves the best possible video quality of the program and ads.
The VIPr now has the capability to dynamically insert advertisements into broadcast programming in accordance with the SCTE 30 and 35 specifications. Arris acquired Atlanta-based EGT last month.
According to Arris, the ad-splicing capability includes an "intelligent recode," which provides a full decode and re-encode process that maintains the original encoding parameters of the program and ad content. In addition, there's no limit to the number of concurrent splices that can be performed -- ads can be inserted into all SD and HD services simultaneously.
"Arris' VIPr ad-splicing feature ups the ante over previous generations of ad-splicing technologies currently on the market," said Bruce McClelland, president of Arris' Broadband Communications Group. The intelligent recode feature can provide "noticeably superior video quality during ad transitions, which is a significant benefit for cable operators, advertisers and viewers at home."
In a separate advertising-related announcement, Arris said Comcast Spotlight, the operator's advertising sales division, has launched an advertising platform using Arris's ConvergeMedia Virtual Interconnect advertising solution. Using the Arris VIC, Spotlight can process ad schedules, verifications and ad copy from multiple providers, markets and time zones for network programming feeds.
The Virtual Interconnect automatically merges schedules from multiple traffic and billing systems, using pre-defined business rules to resolve and manage schedule conflicts. The solution, according to Arris, creates the industry's first automated SCTE-130 Web-services advertising platform, allowing interaction among different service providers, campaign services, markets and ad-buying processes.
In addition, Arris is demonstrating the "Ad Widgets" EBIF applications from FourthWall Media (formerly BIAP), showing integration with advertising inventory management capabilities of the Arris ConvergeMedia Advertising Platform.
