TV Novo Tempo transforms operations with Pebble

Pebble, the leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, has upgraded its installation at TV Novo Tempo to provide a complete transformative update for the channel. The new system allows the broadcaster to move from a traditional discrete architecture to a compact software infrastructure, migrate from SDI to IP, and add new functionality while retaining operational familiarity. 

Novo Tempo, based in São Paulo, Brazil, creates and delivers radio and television, and is owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The television channels are broadcast 24 hours a day on cable and satellite, and on DTH in some regions, providing programming in Spanish and Portuguese. 

The broadcaster has relied on playout automation from Pebble for 15 years, and the core functionality continued to meet their need and had the obvious benefit of familiarity. But the rest of the hardware infrastructure was life-expired, and Novo Tempo took the opportunity for a complete refresh, improving operational flexibility, quality and reliability, and sustainability. 

The new system uses the latest version of Pebble Automation, and the legacy hardware is now replaced by Pebble Integrated Channel playout engines. These software appliances include high quality graphics and visual effects, along with redundancy for very resilient playout. 

The new architecture is primarily based on SMPTE ST2110 IP standards. For operational flexibility preview outputs use NDI, allowing operators to tap in wherever needed. 

“What we have achieved is to bring our multi-channel operations into one point of contact, simplify our engineering, add important new tools like SCTE signalling as well as live graphics, and do it all in a very small footprint,” said Wendel Percia, CTO at TV Novo Tempo. “Our new system is compact, with a very low power demand and carbon footprint, but at the same time we retain the familiar Pebble automation user interface, so we have no complications in the transition.” 

The system was designed and implemented by Videodata, a leading Brazilian systems integrator and Pebble’s distribution partner in Brazil. “We have worked with Novo Tempo for a long time,” said Rosalvo Carvalho, General Director at Videodata. “They worked with us on their ideas for updating and augmenting their playout operations. 

“They view Pebble very much as a trusted supplier, and we showed how the latest technology brought all the tools they needed in a single box,” he continued. “The familiarity with their existing operations was another powerful benefit, and we showed that we could integrate with the rest of the operations simply and securely, meeting all their goals.” 

For more information on Pebble Automation, Integrated Channel and other solutions, see www.pebble.tv.