End of Life Notification on BroadStream Hardware & Software Products

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The purpose of this notice is to inform BroadStream/Screen customers that certain hardware, components, and software are at end-of-life (EOL) and can no longer be supported for various reasons, including, but not limited to:

  • Replacement parts that are no longer available.
  • Hardware platforms and configurations that have been discontinued by the original manufacturer in lieu of new, improved products.
  • Software that is no longer backward compatible to older hardware.
  • Newer technology that is not compatible.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU

If you currently have any of the platforms, components or software listed in this notice, please be aware that support for these products will end April 30, 2024.

Renewal notices will continue to be sent out 90 days in advance of your renewal anniversary, but as the months progress, renewal contracts for EOL items will not include 12-month support but be prorated with coverage ending April 2024.

This support plan should provide you with adequate time to plan, budget, and prepare for replacement and avoid any potential on-air problems that may occur due to the age of these items.

Please keep in mind that the global supply chain for technology is still uncertain and lead times are much longer, so we encourage you to act now to avoid any potential problems as these items age out.

RECOMMENDED ACTION ITEMS

Please take the following steps to avoid product or on-air failures:

  1. Determine if any items, from this list, are operational in your facility.
  2. Contact BroadStream Support ([email protected]) or your Sales Director ([email protected]) to request a budgetary proposal to upgrade your facility as soon as possible, and avoid any potential downtime.

Thank you for choosing BroadStream/Screen as your playout and subtitling provider. We value your trust and look forward to supporting your needs into the future and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause as our industry continues to migrate to newer, better solutions.

The complete list of EOL items is listed below:

 

Item Description
 
Software
Poliscript 3000 Authoring and QC software for PAC subtitle files
Poliscript 3000 SV3 As above with Software Video Caching capability
MediaMate Enterprise MediaMate within Polistream
Hardware Description
P5000 Server Platform for running Configuration
P4000 Platform for running software modules and Interfaces
A1001 Single ASI Input Unit
A1002 Dual ASI Input Unit
A1004 Four ASI Input Unit
A4001 ASI Single Input and Twin Output Unit
A4002 ASI Dual Input and Twin Output Unit
CC-P4000 Content Control Edit Station
G3000 Digital Graphics Subtitle Inserter
T3000 SDI VBI Inserter
G5000-2U HD-SDI Graphics Generator.
U4000 Polistream Server
CC-U4000 Content Control Edit Station
Cards
GPIO Card General Purpose Inputs (8) and Outputs (8) card.
Dazzle/GFX USB Composite Video Input device
Ge Force 210 Graphics Card
HDTC-1 Card Single Channel HD-SDI timecode Card
LTC-1 Card Single Channel LTC Timecode Card
ASI-2 Card Two Input, Two Output ASI Card
UHD-2 Card Dual channel SDI capture card
VANC-1 Card Single Channel HD-SDI Input Card
VANC-2 Card Dual Channel HD-SDI Input Card
VBI-2 Two Channel VBI Input Card
VBI-ASI -1 Single Channel VBI Input Card

About BroadStream Solutions

BroadStream Solutions (www.broadstream.com) acquired Screen Subtitling Systems in 2018 and specializes in the playout of linear television channels, Live Automated Captioning, automated File-based captioning and Subtitling tools for broadcasters, networks, cable, and satellite operations, as well as non-broadcast applications, around the globe. Our expertise is focused on developing solutions that are software-based and consistently deliver flexibility, dependability, improved workflows, operational efficiency and reliability for our clients and customers.

Meet with us at Broadcast India – 2022

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Our team is heading to Broadcast India 2022 and we would love to see you there!

This year, we’ll be partnering with Cineom to showcase our products and new updates. Stop by and see us at booth E3, or schedule a meeting with our VP of sales, Shelinder Sachdeva, using the form below.

We look forward to seeing you in Mumbai!

Broadcast India - 2022

Appointment Request

Please advise the topic for our meeting and indicate a few times you are available. Our team will contact you to firm up the details.

Meet with us at IBC 2022!

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Come and meet with our team at IBC 2022!

Our team is excited to be a part of IBC 2022. If you would like to schedule a meeting with us, please fill out the following form and let us know a few days and times that you are available. 

IBC 2022

Appointment Request

Please advise the topic for our meeting and indicate a few times you are available. Our team will contact you to firm up the details.

NEW English-to-Spanish Subtitle Translation Services

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We’re excited to introduce our new English-to-Spanish translation service to provide Spanish subtitle translations for your video content.

Our Spanish captioning service translates English captions to Spanish with high-accuracy and fast turnaround times, starting at just $1.67 per minute. Get a free quote today to get started!

Our English to Spanish Subtitling Services:

Using the most advanced ASR technology combined with professional translators, our team creates highly accurate Spanish subtitles for English videos. Our solution uses both ASR technology and professional translator/editors to improve efficiency, maintain high accuracy and keep prices low.

For just $1.67 per minute of video content, you’ll receive a Spanish caption file AND a Spanish transcript file. Other companies charge extra for a translated transcript file, but we don’t. We give you the transcription file and the caption file for only $1.67 per minute.

To get Spanish subtitles for your English video content:

Complete the form below. Indicate how much content you have and we’ll provide an accurate quote and turnaround estimate.

FILL OUT THE FORM HERE

Once you receive your quote, you’ll be prompted to make a payment and upload your files. Our team will begin translating your files right away and send them back to you along with a translated transcription file for each video.

Learn more about our English-Spanish subtitle translation services, as well as our other captioning and subtitling services here:

Interested in our other captioning solutions?

Captioning Solutions for Broadcasters:

For over 60 years, we’ve been providing captioning and subtitling solutions for broadcasters to help improve their workflow. Check out our VoCaption Live software to add live captions to your live broadcasts. Our WinCaps software is another great captioning solution for broadcasters to help them edit and create captions for their programs as well add live captions when combined with respeakers.

Captioning Solutions for Freelancers:

Freelance captioners all of the world use our WinCaps software to easily create and edit captions. We’ve developed multiple versions of WinCaps, such as WinCaps Q4, Poliscript, and WinCaps for Academic Institutions to provide the perfect solution for each industry.

Contact our team directly to learn more about our captioning and subtitling solutions.

How VoCaption Cut WVIA’s Live Program Workflow from Aggravation to a Single Mouse Click

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WVIA, a PBS station operating 3 channels in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Central Susquehanna Valley, has been using BroadStream’s OASYS Integrated Playout solution and recently added VoCaption, our Automated Speech Recognition solution for live, automated captioning.

Joe Glynn and his staff at WVIA have been providing live captions on a limited basis, but getting live captions on-air took too many steps and had multiple points of failure which increased both stress and anxiety levels beyond what the team needed.

The workflow necessary to launch live captioning each week included having someone call the captioning company to schedule the captioner, provide all the details including date and time of the show, length of the broadcast and arrange for testing prior to the show airing.

On the day of the show an engineer needed to be available at least 15 minutes before the show’s scheduled start to connect the call to the audio bridge and test the outbound audio, which often took a back-seat to microphone checks from the studio. The captioner was required to call-in prior to air to confirm they were available, which didn’t always happen, and connect to the caption encoder so the station could verify that captions would actually appear. If there were issues, those had to be resolved quickly. If the captioner was late, it made things much more difficult and stressful and on several occasions shows aired without captions. WVIA felt the live captioning process was too complicated with too many steps and points of failure and felt there must be a better solution.

Looking to resolve the issues associated with live captioning Joe decided to look at VoCaption to see if automation would help smooth things out. Accuracy was, of course, a concern, but if VoCaption was anywhere close to their current accuracy level it would be worth it to make the switch.

The installation and commissioning hit a few bumps along the way but they were resolved and after a few tests WVIA formally selected BroadStream’s VoCaption, Automated Live Caption Solution.

Joe Glynn, Chief Technology Officer at WVIA commented, “All of the problems and multiple extra steps necessary to put closed captions on-air for a live show were reduced to one single mouse click with VoCaption.” Glynn continued, “While VoCaption did offer us some cost savings, by far the biggest benefit was we now had full control of the process and no longer depended on an outside, 3rd party provider. This change reduced a previously frustrating and complex workflow to a single mouse click.”

With VoCaption, WVIA is saving time, reducing frustration, and improving their workflow by fully controlling their entire live captioning process. Follow Joe Glynn’s lead and install VoCaption to reduce your live captioning frustrations and simplify the process to a single mouse click.

For more information please visit our website to learn more about VoCaption or our Contact Us page to arrange a call or demo.

 

BroadStream’s Response to Log4j Vulnerability

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BroadStream’s Response to Log4j Vulnerability

Duluth, GA, USA – December 15, 2021: BroadStream is keenly aware of the Log4j vulnerability and the concern that our customers may have. We are committed to ensuring the security and reliability of your BroadStream systems.

When news of this vulnerability surfaced our Team of Engineers and Developers immediately reviewed the code base for all of our products and solutions and we can confirm that this piece of code is not used anywhere in the products or solutions we have developed.

However, it has been detected in the EMS local license creation software provided by Thales and they have confirmed that a patch has already been created and installed on the servers that monitor and control the local EMS license network to eliminate the threat posed by the vulnerability.

If you any further questions regarding this, please contact our Support Team via email at this address: [email protected].

Reference article: Non-technical overview of Log4j 

 

About BroadStream Solutions

BroadStream Solutions (www.broadstream.com) acquired Screen Subtitling Systems in 2018 and specializes in the playout of linear television channels, Live Automated Captioning, automated File-based captioning and Subtitling tools for broadcasters, networks, cable, and satellite operations, as well as non-broadcast applications, around the globe. Our expertise is focused on developing solutions that are software-based and consistently deliver flexibility, dependability, improved workflows, operational efficiency and reliability for our clients and customers.

BroadStream Word Cloud

Do Values Matter for Broadcast Solution Providers?

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As a broadcast engineer, you focus on solving technical and operational problems. However, the reality is you probably spend a great deal of time talking with sales people and researching equipment.

Features, Benefits or Values

Most interactions are feature and benefit discussions followed by a transactional exchange of currency for products, solutions or services. I’m sure being on the receiving side of a constant barrage of feature-speak and buzz words can make you a bit jaded. Deep down, you want products and solutions that solve your problems, are reliable so you never worry about them and, if a problem pops up is supported by a company you can trust. What’s important to you is a level of understanding about the company behind the products and services. Of course, you are interested in some of the features and benefits because you don’t want to make a mistake. You want a valuable relationship with a Company you can trust and work with for many years, and this ranks much higher than a few features you may never use.

How do you discover the soul of the companies you work with? Simple, ask what their values are? Do they even know? Knowing their values describes who’s behind the company and why do they do what they do?

We think values speak louder than features and benefits. A company’s values speak to their mindset, mission and culture. In an industry where most competitors offer similar solutions, core values help separate one company from another and provide clues to help you understand what to expect after the sale.

BroadStream’s Core Values

As an organization, BroadStream strongly believes our culture and values play a key role in our success and how customers view us. We live by three core values: Integrity, Respect and Be Your Best.

Integrity, Respect and Be Your Best are our Values

  • Integrity is about being transparent, honest and consistent.
  • Respect for each other, our co-workers, customers and vendors.
  • Be Your Best is always making an effort to do your best every day. This does not mean be “perfect”, because no one is perfect. It simply means striving to do our best everyday.

These core values guide our decision-making and day-to-day operations. We have a “no-blame” culture to ensure that everyone in the organization has a voice at the table and contributes to the discussion while feeling safe and valued. This same “no-blame” culture extends to Support as well. Often, when problems pop-up, there are several companies involved. At BroadStream we don’t point fingers but rather focus on finding a solution to the problem, whether it’s ours or not.

BroadStream’s Operational Guidance

Operationally, we follow the Lean Six Sigma principles of continuous improvement and work to improve every facet of our organization and operations. Every process and every department is evaluated periodically to ensure we are operating as efficiently as possible and that we regularly implement new processes to reduce waste and improve our internal workflows.

Reliability is Most Important

Our products and solutions are designed to provide the functionality you need but with a high degree of reliability including multiple redundancy options along with service and support to keep your system running smoothly and with minimal effort.

Others Value Values as Well

We’re not the only one’s that think core values matter. Check out these articles for more insight: Values Matter: Understanding Why Core Values are Important and What are Company Values and Why They are Important.

In a world where all of the providers deliver most of the same features, benefits and operational functionality, look beyond the shiny, new objects and dig deep to learn about the core of your future business partners. Want to learn more? Click here to reach out to us.

 

 

 

supply chain processcc: Chen, Paulraj (2004)

BroadStream: Working to Improve Supply Chain Shortages

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As I am sure you are aware, global supply chain shortages of certain key components are being seen around the world that impact the auto industry, consumer electronics and other markets. This uncertainty is now beginning to impact the broadcast industry and we are experiencing much longer lead times than normal from our supply chain.

BroadStream Solutions is making a conscious effort to do everything we can to counter this trend and ensure our lead times remain competitive and protect your project timetables as much as possible.  Not only are we expanding our supply chain to multi-source components from around the world, but we are also pre-ordering components we know are most scarce to maintain an inventory of these key items to ship against future sales.

A member of our sales team will contact you to discuss the lead times we are currently experiencing and give you the chance to order from our hardware inventory to reduce delays as much as possible.  If you have any specific questions regarding timescales and need answers now please visit our Contact Us page. By planning and working together we will strive to meet all of your project timetables. 

Best regards,

David Bowes, CEO
BroadStream Solutions, Inc.

WVIA Large Logo

WVIA Selects VoCaption-Live for Real-Time Automated Captioning

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VoCaption 1RU Hardware

 

Integrated playout and captioning specialist, BroadStream Solutions, is pleased to announce that PBS station WVIA in Pittston, PA went live recently with BroadStream’s VoCaption Live solution for live automated captioning.

WVIA operates 3 channels including PBS, Create and Kids, successfully serving Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Central Susquehanna Valley area. Broadcasting since 1966, WVIA has a long history of service to the community and surrounding area with local programming, educational programming, outreach and services.

WVIA selected BroadStream’s OASYS Integrated Playout and Graphics solution back in 2018 and OASYS automates the playout of their three channels that include PBS, Create and Kids. Adding VoCaption provides the station with an automated solution to generate real-time captions for live shows and emergencies.

VoCaption is a cost-effective solution that uses ASR or Automated Speech Recognition to provide real-time captions at a fraction of the cost of human captioners.

Speech-to-text technology used for ASR has improved dramatically over the last few years and delivers accuracy comparable to a live human captioner depending on audio quality. With the decline of available professional captioners and corresponding improvements in automated speech recognition, broadcasters can confidently leverage this technology to deliver captions that are accurate, professional and provide much needed cost-savings.

With VoCaption Live, broadcasters get:

  • Automatic conversion of audio to text in real time.
  • Custom vocabulary tools to enhance localization and improve accuracy.
  • Available 24/7 for emergencies, breaking news or whenever needed.
  • Significant cost savings versus live human captioning.
  • Improved and streamlined workflows.

VoCaption Simple Workflow

 

You can reach us on our website to learn more about VoCaption Live and how it will save you money while delivering highly accurate live captions.

KLRU Control Room

What’s the Impact of AI on Subtitling?

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Captioning and Subtitling are similar but different and rather than dive into the differences we’ll use the word subtitling generically for this article to reference both subtitles and captions.

The beginnings of a wave of change with subtitling are happening in television. You may not have felt the tremors yet, but you will.

Subtitles on television began in the early 1970’s. Live subtitling, however, did not begin until 1982 when it was developed by the National Captioning Institute using court reporters trained to write 225 words per minute using a Stenograph machine. This provided viewers with on-screen subtitles within two to three seconds of the word being spoken and it’s been that way ever since. But…

Stenography, as a profession, has been in decline since 2013. As senior professionals retire they are not being replaced by younger candidates who are passing on this field as a career in favor of other professions. One reason for this is the demanding requirements of the job. Candidates must be able to type at lease 225 – 250 words per minute with limited mistakes. This requires discipline and focus for many hours at a time. Schools that taught stenography typically had a graduation rate around 4% due to the high standards and have seen a gradual decline in enrollment that ultimately forced many schools to close. In the US alone, there are over 5,000 open stenography positions with limited candidates to fill those positions.

At the same time the Stenography profession began trending downward, the demands for live subtitling were rising. This increase was driven by new government mandates in multiple countries, the exponential growth of live and breaking news, 24-hour cable news cycles, and more live sports broadcasts. Additional competition for live captioners is also coming from corporate events, government briefings, meetings and increased usage from the legal system for depositions and trials that are creating resource issues and rising prices for human captioning.

So how do we fill the gap between a decline in human subtitling also facing an increase in market demand? Technology. Specifically, Artificial Intelligence (AI). The technology has been around for many years. In fact, voice recognition dates back to the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The technology began to show significant improvement beginning in 1971 and continued to evolve into 2014 when it became commercially available. Early efforts suffered from accuracy problems and limitations.

With the acquisition of Screen Subtitling Systems, BroadStream began working to incorporate AI speech engines to create an automated solution we call VoCaption. VoCaption delivers live subtitling for your live broadcast that is more accurate than previous AI implementations and in many cases equal to or better than humans.

VoCaption can be used in multiple applications including:

  1. Emergency Subtitling – for those occasions when subtitles are expected to be in a program but for some technical reason they are not. VoCaption can help reduce those angry viewer calls because it can be activated in just a matter of seconds.
  2. Supplemental Subtitling – your news may provide subtitles using a script and teleprompter but for weather, sports, traffic and un-scripted field reports, rather than use a human who must be available and “on the clock” for the entire time, VoCaption can be turned on and off as needed.

The two biggest benefits you can expect are:

  1. Improvements in accuracy – A frequent comment we hear is “we tried AI several years ago and it wasn’t very accurate.” That was true then, but the technology has made excellent progress and accuracy is up significantly depending on the program genre and the audio quality. In addition, it’s easy to regionalize or localize the technology by using custom dictionaries to import regional or local names, geography, schools, sports teams and more. Utilization of these dictionaries will substantially increase accuracy and improve pronunciations and we can help you with that process during commissioning.
  2. Substantial savings – Human subtitlers are expensive and as the shortage of qualified subtitlers continues to decline you will likely see an increase in rates. Current estimates range from a low of $60 per hour to a high of $900 per hour depending on your needs. VoCaption is available when you need it and it sleeps when you don’t. You only pay for the times you need it so you will experience a significant cost savings versus human captioners.

VoCaption 1RU Hardware

 

VoCaption is available in both hardware and software versions for 3rd party caption inserters or as part of OASYS Integrated Playout and Polistream our leading, subtitle inserter. For more information you can contact us here and a representative will be happy to answer any questions, arrange a demonstration or provide a quotation.