How to maximise efficiency in TV scheduling By Kamen Ferdinandov, CTO, Profuz Digital

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How to maximise efficiency in TV scheduling
By Kamen Ferdinandov, CTO, Profuz Digital

“Anyone familiar with the broadcasting industry will appreciate how managing one single TV channel alone is a considerable achievement in itself, with everything the process involves, let alone managing multiple channels.

The majority of broadcastersalready face serious logistical challenges when managing a wide range of playlists and scheduling operations. In many broadcast and TV channel companies, playlists are manually created using drag-and-drop methods taking up an enormous amount of time.  Composing these extensive complex lists accurately, bearing in mind they are constantly open to change, is an arduous undertaking.


BRIDGING THE SKILLSET GAP BETWEEN KEY DEPARTMENTS IN MEDIA ORGANISATIONS

It is evident that all broadcasters, irrespective of size,appreciate the value of operational efficiency. Therefore, it is essential that the entire process is streamlined. The challenge for broadcasters is to constantly ensure that their processes are time-saving and cost-effective. They also need to be able to manage teams accordingly so that assigned personnel, including nontechnical staff can easily use the system and not require extensive training or vast broadcast engineering experience.

Often channels at major broadcasters, for example, are managed by outsourced external teams. Other media asset management systems on the market tend to be far too complex for staff that are not technically trained, as it requires a broad knowledge of broadcasting tech and engineering.  Consequently, many organisations are now seeing the advantage of having a system that allows both internal and external teams to oversee scheduling and content management with efficiency.

Profuz Digital is a specialist systems integration developer that was founded in 2014 andhas been equipping a number of broadcasters over the past decade with performance-leading customised services. As CTO and technology developer at Profuz Digital, my focus is on how we make life easier for broadcasters, and how we can create software that adapts to each customer’s unique way of working.

 

 

Our user-friendly media asset management system Profuz LAPIS is making headway, packed with every tool and feature required to manage multiple TV channels. I designed it to organise all the media assets within a media organisation,which includes movies, documentaries, series, clips, and promotions, to be categorised, searched, filtered, and sorted. Additionally, tools for importing and mass editing are provided to facilitate the most efficient asset managementprocess.


MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY THROUGH STREAMLINING AND CENTRALISING

LAPIS is capable of supporting an entire organisation’s workflow, as it centralises and streamlines broadcast operations. Broadcasters and TV stations stand to benefit long-term by investing in LAPIS because it is an open and versatile system that sits comfortably within existing infrastructure and facilitates. LAPIS is designed to adapt and evolve according to organisational changes and requirements.  Another huge advantage is that any broadcaster acquiring a LAPIS system does not require the team to be tied up in a lengthy training period, and on average, can be up and running on the system, with all training accomplished within a day. Using LAPIS makes work a dream job as it is so easy to use for all levels of employees.


CUSTOMISED TIMELINE FOR SCHEDULING PLAYLISTS FOR BROADCAST PLAYOUT

LAPIS helps broadcasters to prepare and schedule playlists for broadcast playout which includes animations, automated graphics, logos, custom data, CG control, operating on various time zones around the world. The LAPIS workflow integration provides broadcast operators with direct access to network content allowing them to focus on delivering promos and trailers much faster for digital signage and promo channels.

 

Above: Screenshot of a playlist in action using Profuz LAPIS

How Profuz LAPIS works is that once parameters and templates have been established, playlists are then generated automatically, and further populated, and can be changed by rules set up, or they can be manually amended regarding both existing and future content across genres such as movies, commercials, promos and so forth.

 

Above: Screenshot of Scheduling using Profuz LAPIS

The scheduling capabilities within Profuz LAPIS provides broadcasters with a customised timeline to prepare playliststhat are designed to promote TV shows for numerous channels.
It is important that the scheduling process makes it easy to include visuals such as graphics, animations and logos for nontechnical staff to be able lend a hand when required, ensuring maximum efficiency for the company.

LAPIS provides several pathways to automate program scheduling that spans over days or weeks ahead. These include daily templates, “per show” scheduling, weekly schemes, rule-based day or timed scheduling. The playlistscan be manually created or overwritten and can include anentire day that is set up effortlessly just with a simple press of a button in LAPIS. The seamless integration of LAPIS within all types of facilities has enabled TV Channels to automate scheduling, including for commercials.

MANAGING COMPLEX TIME ZONES DOESN’T NEED TO BE TIME-CONSUMING

Many channels have to go live across different time zones,and this is where the “time zone awareness” mode in LAPIScomes in handy for both scheduling and airing. In addition to TV show promotions such as the creation of trailers, promos, ads and screenings, the scheduling capabilities in LAPIS automates time zone oriented trailer graphics, logos and visual clips that inform viewers about upcoming programmes covering genres such as live sport events or show previews packed with information including broadcast dates and times.

Profuz LAPIS makes it possible to plan and schedule live events and promo clips that are coming in from any source,and then sets the logos, graphics, and switching commands related to the broadcasting automation process. LAPIS provides the capability to create the advertising playlist and automatically imports it into the daily playlist.

Above: Screenshot of a playlist in action using Profuz LAPIS

These processes have been made accessible for all staff to use and not just broadcast scheduling members of the team, owingto the extremely user-friendly interface in LAPIS.

Watch this 1-minute You Tube video on how to schedule graphic events in Profuz LAPIShttps://youtu.be/i64J0iP33mw?feature=shared

Operators can see a preview of the content in low resolution so that graphics can be edited if required. We have a vast number of additional tools within LAPIS that spans from programme rights, report generation, contract billing reports, legal compliance, running logs, automatic error checklistfunctions through to including deleted clips and much more.


FEEDBACK FROM BROADCASTERS

When it comes to real-world experience of working with Profuz LAPIS, we have received feedback from the most well-known global broadcasters that our system “fits the bill” perfectly. LAPIS has been lauded for being fully capable of resolving fairly complex requirements, combined with the ability to provide flexibility and simplify the process at the same time, to make it easier for users to navigate. LAPIS has recently been described by a prominent European broadcaster as “the perfect solution to streamline their scheduling complexities.” Profuz LAPIS receives a great deal of positive feedback from high profile customers.

Organisations using Profuz Digital’s technology include the likes of the Council of Europe, London’s Wilco Media, Euro Media Group Belgium,  Tarjama in the UAE, Polsat, Bulgarian National Television, Bulgarian National Radio, IT Pros Italy, Digitalmeister GmbH, Leinhäuser Language Services GmbH,  University of Warsaw, Ghent and KU Leuven University in Belgium and many others.

SECURE FUTURE-PROOF INVESTMENT

Our development team configures LAPIS to suit the specific requirements within a broadcast production team to make life easier for them to achieve time-sensitive complex tasks with assurance. Along with local technology partners navigating on site, we are perfectly positioned to help deliver next-generation unified broadcast playout to help all broadcasters across the world centralise their processes, as well as unifyoperations using our reliable and versatile LAPIS system.

The library in LAPIS provides a clear overview of items, categories, series, and all other assets allowing users of the system to organise these logically. The editor in LAPIS assigns metadata to items, allowing previewing of items with frame accuracy.

With added capability to upgrade, we’re on hand to support all our customers achieve their long-term ambitions of ongoing success and we continually keep customers up to date with advancements.

By adopting Profuz LAPIS, broadcasters immediately place themselves in the best position to capitalise on next-generation technologies and continue to evolve their business to stay ahead of the competition. We are passionate to help broadcasters work in the most efficient manner possible.”

 

See Profuz LAPIS in action by watching our series of mini tutorials via You Tube https://profuzlapis.com/video-tutorials/

 

Visit www.profuzdigital.com to find out more about us.

 

 

 

Profuz Digital reports successful 2024, with evolutionary innovation in store for 2025

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CEO of Profuz Digital, Ivanka Vassileva reflects on the past year, sharing her vision ahead

For immediate release – 8 January 2025, Sofia, Bulgaria – Profuz Digital has over 30 years of experience in the broadcast media industry. Throughout ongoing development of subtitling platform SubtitleNEXT and digital asset management system Profuz LAPIS, our innovative team combine their expertise and talent to create solutions that empower organisations to work at their very best.

Broadcasters are benefitting long-term by investing in our Profuz LAPIS system – its openness and flexibility sits comfortably within the infrastructure that most broadcasters and TV channels possess. LAPIS is designed to adapt and evolve. It’s capable of supporting entire workflows, as it centralises and streamlines broadcast operations. LAPIS also does not require lengthy training, and on average, teams can be up and running on the system, with all training accomplished within a day.

As members of TPN, Profuz Digital completed the self-assessment process in early 2024, demonstrating our commitment to constantly prioritise customer content security and consistently meet high industry standards.

Over the past year, we continued to support existing customers and welcomed new significant customers too. Companies that continue to rely on our software include the likes of the Council of Europe, CANAL+, Euro Media Group Belgium, IT Pros Italy, Universities of Ghent and KU Leuven in Belgium and many others. These steadfast relationships are the result of our proven technology, dedicated support and close ties with industry technology partners.

We were very proud to work with the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) last year, where we were called on to help integrate enormous data workflows by upgrading the organisation’s entire infrastructure. Profuz Digital’s customised scheduling module, based on Profuz LAPIS software, was implemented across all of BNR’s national and regional centres, including world service Radio Bulgaria.

Another crucial project that stood out for us in 2024, was collaborating with a major global broadcaster to upgrade their scheduling capabilities. Profuz LAPIS’ playlist scheduler has been developed to enable the creation and management of multi-channel daily playlist and advertising playlist for promotional channels and all broadcasting needs. Profuz LAPIS can provide customised timelines that prepare playlists for TV show promotions, trailers, ads or screenings, for example, across various channels that are scheduled to go live across different time zones. The “time zone awareness” mode in LAPIS for both scheduling and airing, is used to automate time zone oriented trailer graphics, logos and visual clips to inform viewers about upcoming programmes covering genres such as live sports events or show previews packed with information that includes broadcast times and dates.

We like to set our sights on being a beacon of corporate responsibility as a tech firm that regularly gives back to society. We recently sponsored the Bulgarian Fund for Women’s 20th Anniversary event, donating our SubtitleNEXT platform for free live subtitling support to help make it more inclusive and accessible for hard of hearing attendees. The prestigious Sofia International Literary Festival also called on us for a second year running, to provide live subtitling support using SubtitleNEXT allowing attendees easy access to selected events. Tech companies can set an example by helping to shape a decent society through ethical business values that include sustainability, equality, and promoting employee wellbeing.

SubtitleNEXT and Profuz LAPIS continue to make a mark in the live events sector, proving their worth as useful and affordable platforms that event organisers can rely on for live transcription. We feel privileged to help various events over the year to be more inclusive. We continue to raise awareness of our technology at important forums, seminars, and tradeshows such as NAB Show in Las Vegas, and IBC in Amsterdam.

We had an incredible IBC2024, receiving positive feedback regarding the latest versions of SubtitleNEXT and Profuz LAPIS, and overall, turnout was greater than previous years. Our IBC stand provided a front-row seat for industry professionals to explore how our AI-enabled Profuz LAPIS system bridges the gap in workflow infrastructures. Our CTO Kamen Ferdinandov attracted a lot of interest in how a flawless workflow should work. He is the genius behind the software and feels passionately that true innovation starts with listening to clients and understanding their goals, as well as being able to predict their needs. Innovation is not just about the latest technology, but the right technology for the client’s goals. If the technology doesn’t exist, our CTO’s attitude is that we should create it.

This coming year is a crucial and exciting time for all of us as the industry turns a rapid eye to AI. Profuz Digital has already developed many new features in Profuz LAPIS using advanced AI to speed up or replace manual processes and offers innovative tools to manage, search, edit and even create media content from any device, from desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile phone. Key technological breakthroughs include semantic search features, advanced speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities, and much more. The LAPIS system is designed with the unique capability to connect to multiple local or cloud AI engines in order to enhance content and data processing. These enhancements include automatic metadata extraction from audiovisual content such as face recognition within the client’s own database, object recognition, brand recognition, imaging and audio automatic annotation, description and classification. LAPIS can also extract text from video and images as well as refine audio transcription which includes speech to text processing in all languages; translation from audio and much more.

SubtitleNEXT’s latest version now integrates audio description capabilities into its existing subtitles preparation tool. Organisations that have invested in the SubtitleNEXT system include EMG, where SubtitleNEXT was used for the localisation of well-known TV series such as Big Little Lies, Dexter: New Blood, including other HBO productions such as Euphoria.

Broadcasters are having to look at new ways of tackling challenges, and it is essential our customers are well supported. We look forward to working with our brilliant team to provide cutting-edge solutions for freelancers and companies of all shapes and sizes, that help them navigate a dynamic mediascape, equipped with the best technology for them to achieve success. We will stay true to our user-focused approach in everything we do, reflected in the latest versions of LAPIS and SubtitleNEXT.

Sofia International Literary Festival calls on SubtitleNEXT again to deliver live subtitling

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For immediate release – 12 December 2024, Sofia, Bulgaria –The prestigious Sofia International Literary Festival has invited Profuz Digital, for a second year running, to providelive subtitling support using SubtitleNEXT. The festivalwhich takes place this week at the National Palace of Culture in Bulgaria’s capital city, runs until 15th December, offeringeasy access to selected events, owing to SubtitleNEXT’s platform.

Key speaker sessions feature contemporary poets and novelists representing Bulgaria’s high calibre of literary talent on the international stage, some of which include writer Paulina Georgieva and author Georgi Gospodinov illustrating the global face of Bulgarian literature. Georgi’s novel Time Shelter received the 2023 International Booker Prize, shared with translator Angela Rodel, including the Strega European Prize. The Physics of Sorrow received the Jan Michalski Prize and the Angelus Award. His works have been translated into 25 languages. During the event, screens placed in position show subtitles that are automatically generated in real time to reproduce the exact words spoken on stage using SubtitleNEXT’s technology.

Attaining its recognition as a reliable live events transcriptionand translation tool, SubtitleNEXT plays an important role inbringing audiences together. SubtitleNEXT is not only beneficial for hearing impaired people but is also helpful for everyone. When attending forums at live events, background noise and acoustics can muffle sound and what is being said. This is where SubtitleNEXT steps in to make things easier so that no one has to worry about missing a word.  

“SubtitleNEXT continues to make its mark in the live events sector, proving its worth as a useful and affordable tool thatevent organisers can rely on for live transcription,” remarks Profuz Digital CEO Ivanka Vassileva, “We feel privileged to once again be approached to help the Sofia International Literary Festival with the honour of making their high profile event even more inclusive. At Profuz Digital, we support projects that contribute positively to society, and we feel proud to have our software platforms associated with great organisations and events in our home city and abroad.”

Stating on social media sites in Bulgarian language, the Sofia International Literary Festival announced, “Profuz Digital has over 30 years of experience in the media industry. Through the development of SubtitleNEXT, the team combines their knowledge and skills to create the most powerful subtitling solutions. We thank the company’s CEO Mrs Ivanka Vassileva for her cooperation!”

The Sofia International Literary Festival launched in 2013 andis organised by the Bulgarian Book Association with the support of the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, where it plays a major role in the municipality’s cultural events calendar. Find out more about the Sofia International Literary Festival herehttps://literaryfest.org/.

Profuz Digital’s range of solutions manages subtitles, dubbing and localisation services for media content including coordination of teams of translators, subtitlers, AV professionals, creative freelancers, while providing users with powerful toolsets in a secure workspace environment.Companies using Profuz Digital’s technology include the likes of CANAL+, the Council of Europe, London’s Wilco Media, Euro Media Group Belgium,  Tarjama in the UAE, Polsat, Bulgarian National Television, Bulgarian National Radio, IT Pros Italy, Digitalmeister GmbH, Leinhäuser Language Services GmbH,  University of Warsaw, Ghent and KU Leuven University in Belgium and others.
Visit www.profuzdigital.com for further details. Find out more about SubtitleNEXT at www.SubtitleNEXT.com

www.profuzdigital.com

Bulgarian Fund for Women made accessible using SubtitleNEXT to transform spoken language into text in real time at 20th Anniversary conference in Sofia

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For immediate release – 26 November 2024, Sofia, Bulgaria – Profuz Digital recently sponsored the Bulgarian Fund for Women’s 20th Anniversary event by donating their SubtitleNEXT platform which provided free live subtitling support. The conference took place on 14 November 2024 at the Grand Astoria Hotel in Sofia, hosting 3 main panels with participants from various NGOs and experts from Bulgaria and abroad.

As a beacon of corporate responsibility in Bulgaria, Profuz Digital is a tech firm that regularly gives back to society and ensured the event was made more inclusive and accessible for hard of hearing attendees at the one-day conference by delivering pro bono real time captioning at all the speaker panels throughout the conference.

Discussions were focused primarily on various problems and initiatives organised by NGOs and activists in multiple domains such as women’s rights, equality and non-discrimination. Two of the panels were transcribed in real time in Bulgarian language using SubtitleNEXT software and Microsoft Cognitive Services for transforming spoken language into text. SubtitleNEXT was used to transform this text into timed subtitles, which were then sent to a dedicated monitor where people could read the speeches in real time.

“We were delighted to support the Bulgarian Fund for Women by donating our live subtitling technology to help with transcription and to make the event more inclusive,” noted Profuz Digital CEO Ivanka Vassileva, “Companies play an important role in helping to shape a better society through ethical business values, including aspects like sustainability, equality, and promoting wellbeing. At Profuz Digital, we ensure that noble philanthropic work impacts positively on communities, proving crucial to forming a fairer, kinder world.”

Established in 2004, Bulgarian Fund for Women raises funds and gives grants to local NGOs working to advance women’s rights. The inclusion of women as active stakeholders is essential to ensure that their needs and concerns are heard and factored into the development of future business strategies. (Find out more about Bulgarian Fund for Women at the website https://bgfundforwomen.org/en/)

Relevant to the topics of the event, November 25th marks the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Gender-based violence has a direct negative impact on economic empowerment and can limit a person’s ability to reach full potential and contribute to society. Bulgarian Fund for Women strives to improve the environment politically and legally to help protect women from discrimination and violence. #NoExcuse Campaign https://www.unwomen.org/

Find out more about SubtitleNEXT at www.SubtitleNEXT.com

Profuz Digital sets the Standard for AI Excellence in Localisation and Broadcast at IBC

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Profuz LAPIS at IBC2024 – Integrated AI evolution and collaboration securing the future

For immediate release – 26 September 2024, Sofia, Bulgaria – Profuz Digital reports a showstopping IBC in Amsterdam as visitors queued each day to see the latest editions of Profuz LAPIS and SubtitleNEXT. Profuz Digital brings to the industry a fresh approach offering unbeatable efficiency, maintainability, and support, and was the star of the conversation powering revolutionary features applauded by customers for its transformational workflow capabilities that help set the standard of AI-enabled digital media asset management workflows and subtitling localisation platforms.

The Profuz Digital team illustrated at IBC how its latest AI enhancements are shaping the future of media workflows by simplifying complex repetitive tasks to enhance productivity so media professionals can devote more time to creating compelling content. While AI was the catchphrase of the event, Profuz Digital is certainly no newcomer to AI and has been offering practical integrated AI for some time within Profuz LAPIS.

Profuz LAPIS is a comprehensive workflow solution, evolving constantly, streamlining workflows, boosting collaboration, and accelerating content creation. It is a one-stop shop for anything file-related. The digital asset management arena is an overcrowded zone, but no other platform has the “Profuz Digital formula,” that has been shaped from decades of experience, proven performance, and flexibility. With unparalleled quality, and ability to integrate with other workflows, Profuz LAPIS is the obvious choice for most Media and Entertainment organisations that are serious about future success.

The LAPIS system uses advanced AI to speed up or replace manual processes and provides users with innovative tools to search, edit, manage and create media content from any device such as desktop PC, laptop, tablet, mobile phone from any location. LAPIS allows effortless connection to multiple cloud and local AI engines to enhance content, data processing, including video and sound generation, enhancement, restoration and image scaling. LAPIS can also extract text from video and images, refine audio transcription which includes speech to text processing in all languages; translation from audio and much more. Driven by user feedback, dedication to empowering the M&E industry with the integration of AI in LAPIS, Profuz Digital continues to add innovative features, promising an exciting evolution that benefits live sports production, localization, broadcasters and other sectors. Within broadcasting alone, TV channels, radio stations, and streaming platforms rely on efficient intelligent systems like LAPIS to manage their extensive libraries of videos, audio clips, graphics, and other content. Production companies need to manage assets throughout the content creation process, from pre-production to post-production.

The newly released SubtitleNEXT version 5.13 at IBC offers a versatile solution for enhancing subtitling tasks with ease with the additional ability to create and edit audio descriptions. The module is packed full of exciting new enhancements such as a shiny new default screen layout and template for audio description, subtitle-free video preview, improved handling of reintroduced news in news rundowns, quicker application startups and loads more that makes work easier for localisation practitioners. Visitors to the show were enamoured with SubtitleNEXT live, its offline preparation and QC capabilities as well as the new audio description add-ons.

“We had an incredible IBC, meeting up with wonderful people in the industry, long-standing and potential new customers and partners. We received positive feedback regarding the latest versions of SubtitleNEXT and Profuz LAPIS, and overall, turnout this year was greater than what we experienced last IBC. Our stand provided a front-row seat to explore how the transformative power of the AI-enabled Profuz LAPIS system can bridge the gap in workflow infrastructure. Attendees could see that LAPIS appeals to all company shapes and sizes, from small studio localisation departments right through to major broadcasters.” Ivanka Vassileva, CEO of Profuz Digital commented, “Many clients who came to view our subtitling software were also captivated by the LAPIS UI print screen on the stand and wanted to know more about it. We had interesting conversations about future investments, innovation, integration, ROI, efficiency, future security, and other trends. The latest AI capabilities impressed many visitors to the stand with comments suggesting our CTO Kamen Ferdinandov must be an ingenious gift to the industry sent from above to show us the vital importance of how a flawless workflow should work! It was clear to all who came to see us that the possibilities are inexhaustible and inspiring.“

“Workflows can be unnecessarily complicated, and our aim is to make it simple by helping our customers automate the heavy lifting, giving them plenty of creative time. Any organisation dealing with large amounts of digital media content, irrespective of its size or industry sector, can benefit from LAPIS as it optimises content workflows, enhances collaboration, maintains brand consistency, complies with copyright and licensing requirements, and delivers compelling media experiences to target audiences.” noted CTO Kamen Ferdinandov at Profuz Digital, “We have spent the last year fine-tuning Profuz LAPIS to make it more efficient than ever to increase productivity and lower costs. The interoperability factor within LAPIS gives it an advantage to operate seamlessly, even with the other systems in a company that have completely different tools. LAPIS can exchange and use media assets such as video, audio, images, and metadata without compatibility concerns getting in the way. The scalable architecture, ability to tightly integrate our software with existing workflows on-premise, in the cloud, or both, and the fact we are able to respond quickly to our client’s changing needs, makes investing in Profuz LAPIS an obvious strategic move towards “future-proofing” media assets and releasing the organisation’s full potential.”

Valued customer Monica Paolillo from IT Pros localisation studio in Italy was filmed on the Profuz Digital stand on the IBC show floor and spoke about localisation workflows and the role of AI with CEO of Profuz Digital Ivanka Vassileva. Watch the video here via YouTube to catch a glimpse of what Profuz Digital’s customers are saying (courtesy of Kit Plus News).
https://youtu.be/Ak1iTF4pV14?feature=shared

Profuz Digital returns to IBC in 2025 from 12-15 September in Amsterdam with evermore groundbreaking advancements to share. Stay in the conversation here www.profuzdigital.com


Find out more about SubtitleNEXT at www.SubtitleNEXT.com;
Find out more about Profuz LAPIS here www.ProfuzLAPIS.com;
More about NEXT-TT here https://subtitlenext.com/product-line/platform/

Profuz Digital launches brand-new versions of Profuz LAPIS and SubtitleNEXT at IBC unveiling full-scale AI media management capabilities for Broadcast and Localisation

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Profuz Digital presents trailblazing expertise integrating existing and emerging AI proficiency

For immediate release – 29 August 2024, Sofia, Bulgaria – Leading European developer Profuz Digital unleashes the latest editions of its Profuz LAPIS and SubtitleNEXT systems at IBC this year on Stand 8.A88 from 13 – 16 September at The RAI in Amsterdam.

Profuz Digital has already developed many new AI features in Profuz LAPIS which visitors to the stand will be able to see firsthand. Demonstrations showcasing the latest version of the Profuz LAPIS platform will be available for show attendees to witness all of the platform’s stunning AI capabilities on display. The LAPIS system uses advanced AI to speed up or replace an organisation’s manual processes and offers innovative tools to manage, search, edit and even create media content from any device, from desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile phone.

Highlights include semantic search features, advanced speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities, and much more. The LAPIS system is designed with the unique capability to connect to multiple local or cloud AI engines in order to enhance content and data processing. These enhancements include automatic metadata extraction from audiovisual content such as face recognition within the client’s own database, object recognition, brand recognition, imaging and audio automatic annotation, description and classification. LAPIS can also extract text from video and images as well as refine audio transcription which includes speech to text processing in all languages; translation from audio and much more.

Profuz LAPIS also provides easy options to be able to effortlessly connect to other generative and transformative AI engines video and sound generation, enhancement, restoration and image scaling. Other exciting new features in LAPIS on show for the very first time at IBC include geo locations data and maps support, secure passkey login, work shifts management with optional clock-in functionality, CG objects support in the playlist creator and much more.

Profuz LAPIS comes power packed with all these compelling features to help simplify the most complex and time-consuming workflows that face industry professionals today. LAPIS plays a central role in project management, distribution and archiving, and allows projects and processes to be reshuffled between media management and various editing environments that creative teams need to use.

Profuz LAPIS can be deployed for every part of a company’s workflow, from content ingest, categorisation, editing, scheduling, delivery and publishing. It can conduct advanced media searches using traditional keywords or advanced semantic search features powered by AI. It provides businesses with central user role-dependant dashboards to focus on specific tasks and real time reports in order to review, interact and process media and data held across a wide range of local, remote and cloud-based storage systems.

Profuz LAPIS is a dynamic and open, cloud-native, all-encompassing digital media workflow asset management system. Being fully cloud-native, the new LAPIS solution addresses customers’ requirements for robust provisioning today, as well as their requirements for flexible and scalable platforms tomorrow.

SubtitleNEXT is the popular localisation platform used for offline and real-time captioning that supports all media formats. It is already being used by many broadcasters, studios and language service providers. The latest version now integrates audio description capabilities into its existing subtitles preparation tool. Organisations that have invested in the SubtitleNEXT system include EMG, where SubtitleNEXT was used for the localisation of well-known TV series such as Big Little Lies, Dexter: New Blood, including other HBO productions Euphoria.

Profuz LAPIS and SubtitleNEXT appeal to broadcasters, television studios, production companies and post production facilities. Their advanced technologies facilitate complex workflow efficiency by empowering media firms to be able to synchronise seamlessly with other departments and teams, while still adhering to cost-effective parameters and resourcefulness.

Profuz Digital sits at the forefront of technological change, with its products adopted by many global organisations such as the likes of CANAL Plus and the Council of Europe. With decades of experience in broadcast media innovation, Profuz Digital brings to IBC its unique brand of product, people and services to the table to invest in proven technologies that enhance how businesses operate. The recent product upgrades that can be seen this IBC provides increased flexibility, automation, scalability and security.

As the industry turns a rapid eye towards the world of Artificial Intelligence, there is no question that this is both a critical and exciting time at Profuz Digital, and the industry as a whole as M&E professionals enter a new era of opportunity.

“Broadcasters are having to look at new ways of tackling challenges, and it is vital that our customers are well supported,” notes CEO of Profuz Digital Ivanka Vassileva, “We are excited to once again be a part of IBC as an exhibitor of the broadcast media industry’s premier event. We look forward to connecting with customers, partners and peers from across the world again, and continue to work towards a more flexible and sustainable future by addressing the need for enhanced digital capability. Our team is passionate about providing leading-edge resources for both freelancers and companies that come in all shapes and sizes, and to help them navigate a dynamic mediascape, while armed with the best technology.”

CTO of Profuz Digital Kamen Ferdinandov adds, “We’ve always said that true innovation starts with listening to our clients and understanding their goals, and also being able to predict their needs. Innovation is not just about the latest technology, but the right technology for the client’s goals. If the right technology doesn’t exist, our attitude is that we should create it. Our goals are to continually refine AI capabilities in our media asset management system Profuz LAPIS by automatically classifying audiovisual content and texts to make searching ever more powerful. We continue to stay true to our user-focused approach in everything we do, and this is reflected in these latest versions of LAPIS and SubtitleNEXT that will feature at out stand this year. The latest developments further strengthen our services offering that we provide to the media localization industry.”

To book a meeting to see Profuz Digital at IBC2024, visit their dedicated stand bookings webpage here: https://lapis.pbteu.com/object-preview/66a91cf82988eb5cef60ef6f@1 and discover how to unlock new business value by tackling key commercial challenges faced by the broadcast media owners of today. Visitors to the stand can see firsthand how all the impressive capabilities in LAPIS and SubtitleNEXT make a fundamental difference to all companies, irrespective of size.

Profuz Digital unveils LAPIS Workflow Innovation Upgrades at NAB 2024

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Entire Media Lifecycle Management with AI workflows – from Planning to Archiving, from News Gathering to Social Media Publishing, from Pre-Production to Localization

For immediate release – 3 April 2024, Sofia, Bulgaria – Specialist systems integration developer Profuz Digital presents for the first time at NAB Show 2024 in Las Vegas from 13 – 17 April, the latest version of Profuz LAPIS – its powerful all-in-one digital media workflow asset management system.

Profuz LAPIS is a remarkable open, cloud-native, and versatile system that scales instantly to connect to other open technology and can be used as an advanced, dynamic content engine, providing archiving and database functionality within a company’s existing management business process infrastructure.

Adopted by many global organizations such as the likes of CANAL Plus and the Council of Europe, LAPIS provides businesses with a central, commanding console dashboard to search, review, interact and process media and data held across a wide range of local, remote and cloud-based storage systems. LAPIS users can organise and find content instantly, using the intuitive filter structure tailored to their specific requirements of this high-volume, high-pressure system. The open LAPIS software ensures companies can build future-proof workflow infrastructures that are capable of virtually unlimited expansion.

The Profuz LAPIS system can be used for every part of a company’s workflow, from content ingest and storage to advanced media searches and publishing. LAPIS uses advanced AI to further accelerate and streamline creative workflows by automatically updating and reassessing assets by integrating data into the content engine and avoiding manual processes.

At NAB2024, Profuz Digital’s senior software architect Boris Petrov will present the latest version of the Profuz LAPIS platform, which includes its stunning new AI capabilities such as semantic search features, advanced speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities, and much more. Profuz LAPIS is central to project management, distribution and archiving, and allows complex projects and processes to be reshuffled between media management and various editing environments that creative teams need to use. Boris Petrov will be available to engage with people at the show who are eager to find out how Profuz Digital’s latest technologies enhance quality and boost efficiency for broadcasters, production and post production professionals.

“Profuz LAPIS brings game-changing feature enhancements that further enriches the user experience. NAB provides the perfect space to showcase these exciting advancements, and we look forward to welcoming people to meet with me there to show them how our software can benefit them, now and in the future.” Boris Petrov, Profuz Digital’s senior software architect outlines.

“The personalized presentations I am holding at NAB will help to highlight how creative professionals can seamlessly work anywhere by accessing tools they can depend on. I’ll be sharing with those at the show, how LAPIS can make a fundamental difference to an organization, irrespective of size. I look forward to meeting up with technology partners, customers and many other professionals at NAB. There will be some exciting announcements throughout the event, including the official launch of our dedicated Profuz LAPIS website (www.profuzlapis.com) ”.

CEO of Profuz Digital Ivanka Vassileva adds, “We are passionate about providing leading-edge resources for both freelancers and companies of all sizes to help them navigate the dynamic mediascape, while armed with the best technology. Our goals are to continually refine AI capabilities in our media asset management system Profuz LAPIS by automatically classifying audiovisual content and texts to make searching ever more powerful. We continue to stay true to our user-focused approach in everything we do, and this is reflected in the upgrades we have made to the latest version of LAPIS that will feature at NAB this year. The latest developments provide a win-win situation for our customers as we further strengthen our technologies and services that we provide to the media localization industry.”

What’s New in Profuz LAPIS for NAB2024 – The latest version of Profuz LAPIS includes significant advancements in AI capabilities such as new semantic search. LAPIS boasts machine translation and transcription engines that integrate with Amazon, Whisper, Assembly AI, and others. Other upgrades include CG control through the Playlist and TV Channel Scheduling, image sequence support for video animation, parametrized events in the Playlist with customized properties, employees’ work shifts management and clock-in/clock-out with Geo location features, secure login with passkey, Geo location data and map support. Other features across its MAM, News Management and Project Management modules include AI capabilities for automatic speech-to-text and machine translation, advanced planning and scheduling capabilities, complex media assets, and audio and video chunks, storage capacity monitoring, the ability to publish content to social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn, weekly and monthly program templates, broadcasting channels’ time zone settings, subtitling and dubbing process management, news feed imports from external news agencies and much more. (Refer to a comprehensive list of new features here https://profuzlapis.com/downloads/)

Organisations using Profuz Digital’s technologies include London’s Wilco Media, Euro Media Group Belgium, Tarjama in the UAE, Polsat, Bulgarian National Television, Bulgarian National Radio, IT Pros Italy, Digitalmeister GmbH, Leinhäuser Language Services GmbH, University of Warsaw, Ghent and KU Leuven University in Belgium and others.

Profuz Digital is also the force behind bespoke software solutions and localization hybrid platforms SubtitleNEXT and NEXT-TT. The SubtitleNEXT platform is used for both offline and real-time captioning for all kinds of media formats, including storage, streaming, signals and protocols. Some of the many companies that have already adopted SubtitleNEXT include EMG, where SubtitleNEXT was used for the localization of well-known TV series such as Big Little Lies, Dexter: New Blood, including other HBO productions And Just Like That and Euphoria.

NEXT-TT is a hybrid software platform for managing timed-text, dubbing and localization services for all types of content. It includes functionality for managing translation teams, audiovisual professionals, creative freelancers, while providing users with powerful toolsets in a secure workspace enabling accelerated workflows with quality results.

Connect with Boris Petrov at NAB2024 via email or cell info@profuzdigital.com/+14067486727.

Visit www.nab.org for more information


Discover the power behind Profuz LAPIS here www.profuzlapis.com;
Find out more about SubtitleNEXT at www.SubtitleNEXT.com;
Explore the NEXT-TT platform further at https://subtitlenext.com/product-line/platform/

About Profuz Digital
Profuz Digital develops and provides performance-leading solutions for customisable engineering system integration to empower content providers, broadcast, production, and post-production professionals to operate efficiently at the forefront of an ever-evolving digital environment. Profuz Digital’s primary focus is flexibility, futureproof customer-driven product innovation, fast deployment, along with committed teamwork. Creators of the advanced real-time and offline captioning and subtitling software platform SubtitleNEXT and Profuz Digital’s digital asset workflow management platforms, Profuz LAPIS, designed to efficiently centralise processes and data all under one roof. The NEXT-TT system combines SubtitleNEXT’s functionalities with Profuz LAPIS into an all-in-one powerful hybrid technology-base that provides media professionals with a versatile backbone for enhanced localization services. NEXT-TT can be customised to produce targeted management and efficient workflows. It manages subtitles, dubbing and localization services for media content including the coordination of teams of translators, subtitlers, AV professionals, creative freelancers, while providing users with powerful toolsets in a secure workspace environment.

www.profuzdigital.com

Profuz Digital confirms TPN assessment for SubtitleNEXT and NEXT-TT localisation platforms

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For immediate release – 14 February 2024, Sofia, Bulgaria – Specialist systems integration developer Profuz Digital continues to meet high industry standards by attaining TPN assessment. As members of TPN, Profuz Digital completed the self-assessment process for both the company as a whole and its localisation subtitling platforms SubtitleNEXT and NEXT-TT. This proactive step demonstrates that Profuz Digital continues to prioritise customer content security in a dynamic industry.

CEO of Profuz Digital Ivanka Vassileva states, “We care about our customers and take security extremely seriously, especially when working in the creative and dynamic digital environment that we all enjoy working in. Although TPN participation is voluntary, we have always valued content security, and so we are pleased to confirm the completion of our TPN self-assessment process for our localisation platforms – SubtitleNEXT and NEXT-TT.”

SubtitleNEXT was designed to create real-time and prepared subtitling and captioning across all media formats. NEXT-TT is a powerful hybrid localisation platform formed by the integration of SubtitleNEXT with media asset management system Profuz LAPIS, giving operators the best of both worlds in order to work on the desktop and in the Cloud.

The Trusted Partner Network (TPN) is owned by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), and is a global initiative that helps create a culture that understands that security is a critical part of the supply chain and is everybody’s responsibility.

TPN plays a vital role in helping service providers prevent breaches of their customers’ TV shows and cinema productions prior to release dates. TPN helps raise security awareness and capabilities to reduce the number of security assessments that vendors have to go through for each film studio. This allows for studios to effectively use a trusted “one-stop shop” for security information.

Service providers are supported by TPN as a centralised source of content security preparedness with a means for securely providing self-reported, and third-party validated, security information with content owners, in order that they may make their own independent, risk-based decision with regard to vendor sourcing.

TPN is accelerating how service providers and software application companies of all sizes report their security status, both from a self-reporting and a third-party assessment basis. This approach helps to reduce duplication for security status reporting and tracking of cloud-based, software application workflows and on-site content security measures.

If existing and future customers are interested in reinforcing content security and if they are already TPN members themselves, they will automatically have access to Profuz Digital’s TPN security status.

“It is vital to be part of a growing digital industry community that is dedicated to raising security standards and we see this as a positive move. TPN updates MPA Best Practices to stay current with evolving industry trends and technology evolution which is a tremendous benefit to our customers.” Ivanka Vassileva concludes.

Organisations already adopting Profuz Digital’s technology include the likes of the Council of Europe, Canal Plus France and Myanmar, London’s Wilco Media, Euro Media Group Belgium, Tarjama in the UAE, Polsat, Bulgarian National Television, Bulgarian National Radio, IT Pros Italy, Digitalmeister GmbH, Leinhäuser Language Services GmbH, University of Warsaw, Ghent and KU Leuven University in Belgium and others.

Find out more about SubtitleNEXT at www.SubtitleNEXT.com;
More about NEXT-TT here https://subtitlenext.com/product-line/platform/

About TPN

Visit https://www.ttpn.org/

Bulgarian National Radio relies on Profuz LAPIS to manage mammoth Data Workflows

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For immediate release – 19 December 2023, Sofia, Bulgaria – The Bulgarian National Radio has significantly upgraded its infrastructure by investing in the Profuz LAPIS digital asset management system to help integrate its enormous data workflows. Profuz Digital’s customised scheduling module which utilises the LAPIS software was implemented across all of BNR’s national and regional centres, which includes the BNR’s world service Radio Bulgaria. Data at the BNR is now speedily exchanged and aligned in LAPIS, across the entire organisational infrastructure in Bulgaria, that also extends to its international outreach.

Established in 1935, the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) remains the largest public broadcaster in Bulgaria. It has two national channels, nine regional stations and a multilingual channel which broadcasts providing news in various languages ranging from Albanian, Romanian, English, French, German, Greek, Russian, Spanish, Serbian, and Turkish. The BNR is the only radio operator in the country that broadcasts in FM, AM and short, medium and long waves, including DAB. The BNR also maintains a valuable historical voice archive record of Bulgarian culture.

The BNR required a powerful platform that could handle colossal amounts of information and extensive news-related activities that mainly involves coordinating news reporters out on the field. The organisation specifically chose Profuz LAPIS for its unique ability to centralise complex data activities securely and efficiently across all the BNR’s stations, including online streaming sites, radio websites, sound media, channels and multiple emissions.

A major advantage of having LAPIS is that it is an open and agile system that sits comfortably within an existing infrastructure. LAPIS is designed to adapt and evolve according to the changing needs of the organisation. At the BNR, LAPIS interfaces with all of the organisation’s legacy systems including BNR’s existing digital audio production and playout platform. Within the BNR, all data exchanges and the entire news preparation process takes place within LAPIS, with legacy systems working alongside it for broadcast playout.

The open cloud-native LAPIS software ensures organisations can build future-proof workflow infrastructures that are capable of virtually unlimited expansion. LAPIS allows connectivity through APIs and protocols to various data sources such as RSS, News Feeds, third party MAMs, Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, plus others, and can be deployed on physical, virtual or cloud environments such as AWS.

 

“Bulgarian National Radio wanted us to help them unify all of their data handling and to unite all radio stations into using one single system. This way, they could also be kept aware of all the news that was being produced at any given time across all the departments.” Kamen Ferdinandov, CTO of Profuz Digital explains, “Our open LAPIS technology is versatile, and everything now runs in LAPIS at the BNR with all data and processes centralised seamlessly.”

“It was very important to the BNR that everyone working there could access and share relevant material and be kept informed about what everybody else was doing.” Kamen continues, “What LAPIS was able to achieve, was not available in alternative solutions. The LAPIS module was designed and specifically customised for the BNR to handle vast amounts of radio programming data in over eleven languages to serve both regional and world-wide audiences.”

Kamen further outlines, “LAPIS is tasked to efficiently manage ongoing dataflows of incoming news via internal and external feeds, and at the same time, ensure relevant personnel within the organisation have immediate real-time access to the appropriate feeds.”

“We presented our LAPIS system to the various departments at the BNR, highlighting how it can enhance and simplify their workflow in a radically time-efficient way, without affecting the quality of their work. The system was embraced across the board, and within a year we implemented LAPIS giving them flexibility as they started working with it, allowing it to evolve and offered alternative features if something needed fine tuning along the way,” affirms Ivanka Vassileva, CEO of Profuz Digital.

Profuz LAPIS provides flexibility as it allows client adjustments, which means that those using LAPIS at the BNR can modify the system as per their specific needs and unique vision. Our approach with the BNR is for them to embrace LAPIS and make it their own.”

It only takes up to an hour to get trained up in LAPIS as the system is user-friendly. Every person using LAPIS at the BNR has access to their own unique customised interface relevant to their specific role. “We designed the UI to suit all generations to adapt quickly to the technology across a large organisation such as the BNR.” Kamen notes, “Managers can also control and manage where necessary using LAPIS to ensure goals are met and high standards are maintained in the company.”

LAPIS is being used for every requirement across the organisation, and its appeal to the organisation is down to the fact that it is expandable, highly configurable and can implement what they see as the workflow that works best for them, as opposed to dictating a rigid workflow set in stone that might not suit them as many other systems do. LAPIS has enabled the BNR to now develop news material themselves and schedule programmes, news shows, radio schedules and emissions, all within LAPIS.

Other factors that attracted the BNR to adopting LAPIS included its reasonable pricing model and also the fact that Profuz Digital is a reputable Bulgarian company that the BNR can rely on, speak to in their own language and is locally available to help on site. It was key for Profuz Digital to fulfil the BNR’s requirements in every aspect, which included being sensitive to the organisation’s culture and adapting the system to meet these requirements.

Further benefits LAPIS brings to the BNR team is that it works with audio and can automatically transcribe audio files. It also has useful functions such as lightning-speed searching capabilities for material. In addition, it plays a vital role in subtitle creation, where legally required to meet mandatory European laws.

BNR employees can also access LAPIS directly via their mobile phones. Being one single powerful system, LAPIS not only deals with news management at the BNR, but also all the complexities within an organisation’s infrastructure. LAPIS is not only about data management, or traditional Media Asset Management, but also about detailed scheduling and planning that a major evolving radio broadcaster requires.

There have also been new developments in LAPIS regarding security compared to what a traditional MAM system that was built 20 years ago offers, for example. LAPIS is highly secure, and safeguards exterior threats and secures internal defences.

Upcoming AI advancements and future features are in the pipeline. They are not yet available but will include being able to automatically classify genres within texts, news categories, to help speed up manual processes. Another very useful future AI tool soon to be available in LAPIS will be advanced semantic search functionality which finds words and groups of words immediately. LAPIS AI will be able to be used for transcription based on AI image recognition, photos published and so forth.

There are lots of exciting plans in store regarding LAPIS, for example it already is being used for coordinating tasks and managing reporters out on the field. For example a journalist sent to a city to report on an event, will be able to tap in to LAPIS to source transport, equipment and all other logistics required. These can all be arranged using LAPIS to source and coordinate quickly. LAPIS with AI can later also be able to later do the following when and if required: internally as a ticketing system in future, particularly in areas such as resource management, planning, studios, microphones, searches with AI, advanced classification capabilities, assimilation, private data capture, access to Chat GPT functions, instant access to the internet, AI can help improve workflows, speed, data gathering, checking information and no need for laborious manual entry processes. LAPIS is able to advance all of these tasks very fast but still maintaining quality, standards and privacy of data.

AI can later be used within LAPIS to collate statistical information from data, text or images. Due to the open nature of LAPIS, separate AI software technologies and tools can be used in LAPIS.

“We look forward to a long-standing partnership with the BNR and we are proud to support them along the way. With our Profuz LAPIS scheduling tech being successfully received, we are pleased to see positive feedback from everyone using the system there. LAPIS guarantees a future-proof working environment that offers unlimited possibilities. The BNR can request at any time for us to add further options in LAPIS, expand options, and upgrade to AI capabilities when the time is right for them. It is a really exciting period, and the BNR is part of the adventure, as they enter another decade of incredible success ahead of them.” Ivanka says.

“Adopting Profuz LAPIS has been a crucial step in the major digital transformation process of the BNR. An immense volume of content is generated on a daily basis by our 2 national and 9 regional programs, along with 10 of Radio Bulgaria’s foreign language teams. In addition, our team of web editors create a considerable amount of material.” states Program Director of BNR Daniela Kusovska.

“Before we brought LAPIS on board, the vast array of data had become disparate and separated which made it difficult for the various BNR teams to access information and files efficiently. A majority of the content had therefore become inconspicuous and overlooked owing to the inadequate distribution of data flowing between broadcast and digital channels in the BNR system. Working with Profuz LAPIS is now playing a vital role in helping us to invigorate and revolutionise our work processes, particularly in relation to the entire planning, creation and distribution workflow of information. This is really important, not only for our own public mission, but also for professionally maintaining the resources at our disposal responsibly, which LAPIS will effortlessly help us to achieve.”

 

About Profuz Digital
Profuz Digital develops and provides performance-leading solutions for customisable engineering system integration to empower content providers, broadcast, production, and post-production professionals to operate efficiently at the forefront of an ever-evolving digital environment. Profuz Digital’s primary focus is flexibility, futureproof customer-driven product innovation, fast deployment, along with committed teamwork. Creators of the advanced real-time and offline captioning and subtitling software platform SubtitleNEXT and Profuz Digital’s digital asset workflow management platforms, Profuz LAPIS, designed to efficiently centralise processes and data all under one roof. Proven technology already adopted by the likes of Canal PLUS, Jornal do Centro, Council of Europe, Bulgarian National Radio and many other organisations. The NEXT-TT system combines SubtitleNEXT’s functionalities with Profuz LAPIS into an all-in-one powerful hybrid technology-base that provides media professionals with a versatile backbone for enhanced localization services. NEXT-TT can be customised to produce targeted management and efficient workflows. It manages subtitles, dubbing and localization services for media content including the coordination of teams of translators, subtitlers, AV professionals, creative freelancers, while providing users with powerful toolsets in a secure workspace environment.
www.profuzdigital.com
Discover the power behind Profuz LAPIS here www.profuzlapis.com;
Find out more about SubtitleNEXT at www.SubtitleNEXT.com;
Explore the NEXT-TT platform further at https://subtitlenext.com/product-line/platform/

About the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR)

The Bulgarian National Radio is Bulgaria’s national radio broadcasting organisation. It operates two national and nine regional channels, as well as an international service – Radio Bulgaria – which broadcasts in 11 languages. Public service broadcasting in Bulgaria, is financed mainly through a state subsidy. The subsidy has to be spent on the preparation, creation and the transmission of the national and regional programmes. Its volume is determined annually on the basis of the average programme production costs per hour approved by the Council of Ministers, regardless of the programme type

The BNR operates the following national, regional and international stations:

National

  • Horizont: BNR’s most listened-to channel, with round-the-clock news, comment, and music (with the emphasis on modern popular music genres).
  • Hristo Botev Radio: covering science and the arts, documentaries and discussions on cultural and social questions, drama, classical music, jazz, and programming for children.


Regional

  • Radio Blagoevgrad
  • Radio Burgas
  • Radio Kardzhali
  • Radio Plovdiv
  • Radio Shumen
  • Radio Sofia
  • Radio Stara Zagora
  • Radio Varna
  • Radio Vidin


International – Radio Bulgaria provides news in Bulgarian and also in Albanian, Romanian, English, French, German, Greek, Russian, Spanish, Serbian and Turkish.

www.bnr.bg/

How the Council of Europe is embracing the future using new agile AI-enabled digital management toolbox

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The Council of Europe recently invested in what they claim is no ordinary run-of-the-mill digital asset management system. The powerful platform is called Profuz LAPIS, developed by specialist systems integrator Profuz Digital.

The Council chose Profuz LAPIS for every part of the workflow, from content ingest and storage to advanced media searches. It’s used for extensive archiving and interactive database support and can streamline workflows in the Cloud with LAPIS, allowing numerous speaker session recordings in several languages, at various resolutions in real-time. Public access of information at the Council is allowed through LAPIS, which includes parliamentary sessions where MP’s speeches are recorded for example. Video file content is regularly required to be shared promptly across social media networks, allowing journalists and the media to gain immediate access to download, edit, cut down and report on the material.

The Council’s head of innovation, Alain Mielle, along with technology partner Audry Sales from French Value-Added Reseller SAV were recently at Europe’s largest broadcast trade event IBC in Amsterdam to discuss this agile technology at the Profuz Digital stand.

Overview of how challenges were solved

From the outset, Alain Mielle was looking for a digital asset management system that would be “future-ready” and be able to support their European customers including being able to accommodate the media and professional journalists and reporters.

The Council has thousands of hours’ worth of data and footage of recorded meetings, sessions, events that date all the way back from 1949. The idea was to find an easy-to-use solution that allowed the team at the Council to be able to add features as they went along, day to day or month to month as they worked on various projects.

Alain said he did a call to tender, and that’s when he was introduced to the Profuz LAPIS system through Profuz Digital’s technology partner SAV – a French Value-Added Reseller. He went on to describe LAPIS as not just an ordinary asset management solution, but as a useful toolbox in effect. Alain said the response he received from SAV won him over because he knew this system could truly deliver what he wanted, and it was future-proof. Alain felt that particularly with respect to AI, the LAPIS technology was the most powerful choice as it would be able deliver features such as Speech to Text, AI Translation, Face Recognition and many other upcoming AI features that would help reduce costs thereby cutting down on unnecessary time-consuming processes as well.

Alain said the system was really good and he’s has been using LAPIS now for 2 years. After receiving user feedback, modifications in certain areas have been made and refined, step by step to further enhance the system to suit the Council’s specific requirements.

What was so unique about this system?

Alain confirmed that the key advantage of having LAPIS at the Council of Europe is that it is really straightforward to manage. The interface is easy to navigate making searching effortless. In addition, the editing process has been simplified, making it efficient and painless – for example when a journalists interviews a member of parliament, Profuz LAPIS allows them to access that footage which can then be edited using LAPIS, then cut and promptly downloaded, ready to be instantly shared across social media networks without delay.

Another point to note he said is that all the intelligence behind the workflow such as calendars, voice recognition features and so forth are really the beginning of their AI services and it’s a good starting point from which to expand on to further in this area within LAPIS.

How they all got together in the first place

Alain worked closely together with tech partner SAV to implement LAPIS. From the point of implementation to delivery, it took a year, and it was a great success.

Value Added Reseller and technology partner of Profuz Digital Audry Sales at SAV explained what happened from the very first call he received from Alain. Audry said it was an advantage that Profuz LAPIS is actually an innovative toolbox effectively with many useful tools. Furthermore, it allows room for many new tools to be added later on and modified as and when required.

So when Audry went to see Alain and understood Alain’s requirements, he knew that the LAPIS system was perfect for him. Notably regarding AI, LAPIS would provide him with the flexibility and added benefit of being able to put different tools together to fit his requirements. Alain was very impressed by the sheer power of LAPIS and the fact it could move things around and offer versatility on a vast scale.

Audry said that when he won the tender, he made sure from the start that the LAPIS engineering team and Alain were in constant communication with one another throughout the process which established a solid communication link between us all. Profuz Digital developed and customised the LAPIS solution along with SAV’s vital input to make sure that integration took place successfully. “Everything went so smoothly, the solution is on air being used at the Council right now, and everyone is happy, and we’ve done training.” Audry noted.

Audry said it is important for the system to grasped fairly quickly by both AV and non-AV professionals alike. The trick is that in LAPIS, the complexity is hidden, and that the visible user interface is designed to be “user-friendly” and easy to navigate. A bit like a car, Audry remarked, that if you’re driving a sports car, you don’t want to see how the engine works, you literally just want to be able to drive it with ease and make it perform at its best.

“Our relationship with Alain at the Council and with Profuz Digital is strong and we will continue working together going forward for the long-term, the link between the Value-Added Reseller and the editor using LAPIS is very important and it is essential to maintain high levels of communication between ourselves so that nothing is missed and to make sure everything happens.” Audry confirmed.

The Council of Europe upholds human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe, and is renowned for pioneering new standards, which have progressed to become global benchmarks. It is the role of the Council of Europe to ensure that human rights, democracy and the rule of law are protected and promoted in the digital environment including AI.

Head of Innovation at the Council of Europe Alain Mielle said, “We have been very impressed with the functionalities and performance of Profuz LAPIS as our media asset management platform. In our opinion it is the “Rolls Royce” platform of this industry sector, offering a competitive and attractive price tag. It is not a run of the mill digital asset AV management system, as it offers so much more in terms of functionality and features, and we have seen significant productivity gains and positive user feedback.”

Alain added, “The LAPIS system is easily accessible, and its search capabilities are exemplary, enabling universities and research groups to access the Council of Europe’s information. We envisage exploiting its AI capabilities in the future – for example permitting journalists and broadcasters to be able to look up past speeches made by world presidents… Companies such as Profuz Digital are well placed to tackle the challenges ahead as we all face the coming AI revolution in this new digital age.”

Organisations already adopting Profuz Digital’s technology include the likes of the Council of Europe, Canal Plus France and Myanmar, London’s Wilco Media, Euro Media Group Belgium, Tarjama in the UAE, Polsat, Bulgarian National Television, Bulgarian National Radio, IT Pros Italy, Digitalmeister GmbH, Leinhäuser Language Services GmbH, University of Warsaw, Ghent and KU Leuven University in Belgium and others. Further information can be found at Profuz Digital’s website here www.profuzdigital.com