Forward TA - Broadcast Automation

Forward TA - multifunctional system of broadcast automation successfully combining the best of both worlds: on-air broadcast control and automatically broadcasting by the schedule.

As a hardware base the FD322/FD422/FD842 I/O board is used.

The system includes the "Forward T" product and the broadcast automation software FDOnAir, which supports:

• Displaying external video and captions
• Playing animation and audio files
• Overlaying logotype, crawl line, clock, and other multilayer animated titles (includes the "Forward TT" product functionality with the ability of playing audio from files)

The professional performance at a moderate price opens a wide range of possible applications in medium-sized studios as well as in large TV companies.

The main characteristic features of the system which are the basis of its multifunctionality and universality:

• Broadcasting from the same schedule:
  - live video,
  - video files,
  - overlaying CG with alpha channel (logotypes, titles, clips).
• Multiformatness (compatibility with the formats/boards):
  - DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50 (Canopus, Matrox, .),
  - MPEG2 I-frame (Matrox),
  - MPEG2 (video or video+audio),
  - M-JPEG (Forward, including with a transparency channel),
  - Microsoft JPEG (Matrox),
  - Audio to video from a separate file (.AVI + .WAV).
• Supporting two schedules («programme dummy» - «commercial dummy», «broadcast» - «preparation», «working schedule» - «reserve schedule»).
• Interactively changing the schedule «at the last minute».
• Flexibly starting blocks in the schedule (by the operator's command, by time, by GPI).
• Hierarchical structure of the schedule.
• Locally and/or remotely preparing the broadcast schedule.
• Logging the on-air video data and overlays.

The Auto Detect plugin for automatically inserting commercials by the cue tone (DTMF, jingles), video fragments or using "23 line" technology is offered as an additional program option. All available plugins are shown in "Forward plugins" Section.

System Requirements

Documentation