Broadcaster OH-TV taps PlayBox to target playout business

OH TV sales & acquisitions Manager Esther Alade with PlayBox business development manager Alan Bunting

London-based broadcaster and TV channel provider OH-TV has tapped playout technology specialist PlayBox Technology to supply 10 additional AirBox playout channels.

The move will enable OH-TV, which supplies entertainment channels focusing on the black experience worldwide, to offer playout services to other broadcasters in addition to producing and transmitting its own channels.

OH-TV transmits it own content to viewers in the UK and Europe via the Sky satellite platform and digital-terrestrial platform Freeview, and also produced OH USA, a channel transmitted via the online UN1TY platform.

The broadcaster currently provides playout services to channels including Smash TV, Tiwa Tiwa, Hip TV Nigeria, Glitz, Views and VEATZ 24.

“We bought our first AirBox playout system in May 2008 following careful evaluation of the available systems. The service-provider we were working with at that time was itself a successful PlayBox Technology customer which certainly influenced our choice. We were impressed by the modular structure of the PlayBox Technology platform. It gave us the ability to choose the precise combination of features we needed for our combination of live and scheduled channels. A second PlayBox Technology AirBox system was added in 2009,” said OH-TV CEO Akin Salami.

“We now have a total of 12 AirBox playout automation servers working in sync with network-attached-storage, fully integrated by PlayBox Technology. All 12 servers can be operated remotely or straight from our MCR. This solution is very robust, working continuously every day of the year. Its reliability allows us to get on with our core business of making and transmitting programmes.