SOFTLAB-NSK – 30 YEARS OF CREATING HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FOR TV BROADCAST AUTOMATION
M. Shadrin. Head of Multimedia Department, SoftLab-NSK LLC
Greetings! I am delighted to introduce our company to you!
SoftLab-NSK is a Russian manufacturer of systems for automating television broadcasting and television production. Our systems are used by more than 1500 companies in 65 countries: TV stations, TV studios, cable operators, sports arenas, and educational institutions (SoftLab-NSK product implementation map). In the professional community, our products are known as “Forward” systems.
All Forward systems are based on I/O boards and software, developed and manufactured by SoftLab-NSK. Full control over hardware and software enables us to offer products with excellent value for money.
SoftLab-NSK was founded in 1991. Having evolved with our users from analog TV to digital broadcasting, we are constantly developing and improving our products to meet the requirements of modern industry.
What else should I say about SoftLab-NSK?
PRODUCTS FOR COMPLETE AUTOMATION OF TV STATIONS, SPORT BROADCASTS, VIRTUAL STUDIOS
BROADCAST automation
These are products for organizing TV broadcasts in analog and digital formats. They can be integrated into systems where various channels of TV signal distribution are involved (terrestrial, satellite, cable, mobile TV, over Ethernet networks). The input-output signal types available are: analog, SDI, MPEG TS over IP or ASI, NDI, HDMI, VGA. They offer reliable, uninterrupted operation 24/7/365.
The products are used at TV stations of the central and regional level to complete a wide range of tasks: creating a TV channel; retransmitting a signal from the head-end station with insertion of additional programs, with a time shift, with overlaid graphics; retransmitting a signal with added advertising blocks. They are also suitable for managing advertising and informational material broadcasting in shopping centers, entertainment complexes, etc.
These products can work as part of a cloud set-up or an on-premises video server. Depending on the type of the signal processed, they will be software or hardware-software systems. If it is necessary to send/receive an analog, SDI, or ASI signal, the product system will include a corresponding I/O board of our own, SoftLab-NSK, production. They install onto a PC with a Windows operating system. One video server can broadcast several TV channels at the same time.
PLAYOUT AND STREAMING
FORWARD TA
Broadcast management
TV signal: live video and video files with title overlay.
TITLE OVERLAY
FORWARD TT
Managing title overlays on a passing TV signal. Contains tools for creating title projects.
TIME SHIFT
FORWARD TP
Managing the rebroadcast of a TV signal with a time shift.
Forward TP – with the ability to reschedule and insert your own programs. Forward TM – only time shift available.
removing ADVERTISments
SLADSREMOVER
Server for replacing ads. Removes advertisements in the relayed signal and replaces them with other content. Useful for removing advertisements on foreign channels.
live sPORTs BROADCASTing
Forward Goalkeeper and Forward Sports Titles are used for live broadcasts of sports events. As of 2023, more than 40 SoftLab-NSK systems for sports broadcasts are already operating in television companies and sports organizations in Russia and abroad.
All of the components of the Forward Goalkeeper complex – the video signal input-output boards and the software – are developed and manufactured by one company – SoftLab-NSK. The software and hardware systems are installed onto a Windows system.
SLOW MOTION REPLAys
FORWARD GOALKEEPER
Forward Goalkeeper is used for live multi-channel recording and playback of slow motion replays. Supports up to 24 recording channels. Input/output signal types available: SD/HD/3G/12G SDI, HDMI, NDI, analog. Mixed mode SDI + NDI. Supports Super Slow Motion cameras. Minimum delay between the actual event and the start of the replay. Instantaneous switching between cameras.
SPORTS GRAPHICS
FORWARD SPORTS TITLES
Graphical overlay of live sports broadcasts. Overlay graphics onto a passing signal using the server or, using the Fill + Key mode, on an external mixer.
Up-to-date graphical templates (made according to the requirements of the corresponding leagues), an interface for working with a database and for managing the output of titles, game board integration.
Sports available: hockey, football, basketball, volleyball, handball, MMA, boxing, and more.
VIDEO JUDGING
The Forward Referee system, also known as the SoftLab-NSK Video Goal system, is a software and hardware system designed to assist in the judging of sports competitions by referees at their workplace. The Forward Referee system provides multi-channel recording of the competition and allows judges to record and review contested events in real time as well as prepare video reports on those contested events.
The system is delivered in the form of a complete server within a professional case. Simply connect your camcorders to get started. The system is modified according to the customer’s requirements: from four to 25 input channels; SD/HD/Ultra HD; 3G/6G/12G-SDI, HDMI, NDI or analog signal. External consoles can be used to control video replays. The Forward Referee system reads the game time from the stadium refereeing system.
All of the components of the Forward Referee complex – the video signal input-output boards and the video refereeing software – are developed and manufactured by one company – SoftLab-NSK.
As of March 2023, more than 50 sports arenas in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic and China have installed video refereeing systems based on Forward Referee. The system meets the current requirements of the KHL, VHL, and MHL hockey leagues. Note that the functionality of the Forward Referee is not limited to hockey – it is successfully used for refereeing competitions in other sports.
FORWARD REFEREE
MPTS / SPTS
Splicing products are developed for the digital insertion of regional content (local advertisements and broadcasts) into a television broadcast in a MPEG-2 transport stream. They allow for a seamless insertion without transcoding based on SCTE 30, SCTE 35, SCTE 118 standards.
Products for organizing TV signal transcoding solutions. SoftLab-NSK encoders can receive and convert any standard television signal (analog, SD/HD/3G/UHD-SDI,HDMI, programs in a MPEG TS via ASI or IP) into an MPEG TS stream output via ASI or IP. Decoders can receive a transport stream and then convert and output it in any of the required standard TV formats.
ENCODERS / DECODERS
ENCODERS / DECODERS
Encoders receive and convert any standard television signal into a MPEG TS stream: analog, SD/HD/3G/UHD-SDI, HDMI, programs in a MPEG TS transport stream.
Decoders receive the TV broadcast transport stream then convert and output it in any of the required standard TV formats.
Forward Remuxer
Forward Remuxer
The remuxer provides encoding, decoding, and multiplexing of various television programs containing video, multilingual audio, and subtitles. The multiplexer creates all of the traditional DVB standard tables, including the program guide.
Input redundancy is implemented via manual or automatic switching to and from the backup. Supports switching to emergency alert signals.
Splicing
Seamless insertion of local content – advertisements, emergency broadcast signals, live broadcasts – into multiplex programs. Create a fully-functional solution to localizing digital content using SoftLab-NSK products.
We offer instruments for each of the key steps of inserting digital content into a TV broadcast transport stream:
- software for generating streams with SCTE 104 and SCTE 35 cues (the insertion of cues and encoding is performed on the broadcasting server, in the program generation center)
- an advertisement content server for collecting and preparing media content and generating insertion schedules using the SCTE 118 standard.
- splicers for seamless insertion of content during rebroadcasting.
Forward Splicer Portal
Forward Splicer portal
A necessary element of the splicer network infrastructure.
Facilitates interaction between clients – advertising agencies, regional television companies, emergency services – and splicers.
Solves multiple problems: ensures the collection and preparation of local media content, prepares insertion schedules in accordance with the SCTE 118 standard, loads videos and schedules into splicers, controls content delivery, exchanges insertion reports.
Splicers
Splicers
Splicers digitally insert regional content (local advertising and programs) into programs in the MPEG-2 television broadcast transport stream. Provide seamless insertion without reencoding based on SCTE 30, SCTE 35, SCTE 118 standards.
Ability to process up to 50 channels on one 1U server.
Insert regional blocks without any modification of the video and audio outside of the insertion. Frame-perfect insertion. Option to insert live broadcasts, such as local news. Supports switching to emergency alert signals.
MEDIA managing
Work with base of video materials and creation of broadcast schedule – the Forward Office product is designed for these purposes. The product allows user to automate receiving and supporting video clips with advertisement, to insert advertisement into TV broadcast schedule for a TV channel, to simplify and to increase efficiency between jointly organized work of the advertising and program departments of a TV company.
The Forward Office software provides with a set of tools for receiving, cataloging and storing video materials and other related to it metadata in a common database. The tools also ensures creating broadcast schedule for a TV channel, preparing daily schedules, receiving reports on broadcast video files, etc.
FORWARD OFFICE
multichannel recording
Multi-camera recording of game shows, concerts, TV shows. Allows for up to 12 input sources without strict requirements for the synchronization and unification of the signal type (analog, SDI, IP, NDI-SD/ HD/3G are allowed in one complex). The recorded content is frame-perfectly synchronized, which makes post-editing as easy as can be.
Forward ingest
LIVE TV
Live studio multi-camera production, recording and live broadcasting. These products are for organizing the filming of news programs and TV programs using virtual scenery, multi-camera recording of game shows and TV shows.
FORWARD4SKYPE
Forward4Skype
Converting up to four Skype video conferences into professional HD-SDI format.
Hardware
We have been designing and manufacturing TV signal I/O boards for almost 30 years, ever since the earliest days of our company. Boards of our own design are used as part of all SoftLab-NSK hardware and software systems for automating broadcasting and sports broadcasts, encoders, decoders and splicers. SoftLab-NSK boards are also supplied in the form of OEM kits: board, drivers, developer’s SDK.
We offer boards for all of the popular signal transmission standards: SMPTE ST 2110 IP, SDI (from SD to 12G), ASI, HDMI (1.4, 2.0), analog (YUV, CVBS, RGB). The boards can work in multi-channel mode. Up to eight I/O channels are available, depending on the board type. Mixed input and output modes are supported, such as HD SDI + SD SDI, ASI + SDI.
SoftLab-NSK boards are compatible with all modern PC motherboards. Install into a high-performance PCI-Express bus. Work on PCs running Windows and Linux operating systems. Several boards can be installed on one server.
