With Cloud2TV and two PlayBox Neo servers at a Nairobi data center that provide secure Internet access, the network feeds over-the-air transmitters throughout the country.
Akili Kids has broadcast over 1m video files via the PlayBox Neo’s Cloud2TV virtual channel playout system, since its launch on March 30, 2020. Cloud2TV, a cloud-based software-as-a-service solution, allows broadcasters to operate their playout channels from any location through an easy-to-use web interface.
Akili Kids, a youth network in Kenya that debuted during the pandemic, is a fast-paced entertainment and educational TV network. Approximately 1.2m children tune in every 30 minutes. Cloud2TV delivers a mix of more than 650 video files daily for Akili Kids.
Vincent Grosso, CTO of Akili Networks, said: “Kids like things to move fast. With our schedule of fast-paced promotions, educational TV clips, marketing messages, and commercials, video files sometimes switch every 12 to 30 seconds.” Akili uploads targeted promos daily to commemorate local holidays and events. Customised clips are also edited daily. An original series called Birthday Blast mentions by name hundreds of children each week celebrating their birthdays.
The network receives programming in various formats, encoded for playback on the fly for transmission throughout Kenya via the country’s over-the-air 50 Hz PAL DVB-T2 based terrestrial broadcasting system. Akili Network handles programming in NTSC (American), PAL (European and other regions), multiple frame rates, and various video file formats, such as MP4 and MOV.
“We’ve reduced our costs considerably because we don’t need to transcode before playout,” explained Grosso. “Our PlayBox server plays out multiple video and audio formats into a single, seamless PAL 50 frames per second stream to the transmitters. That’s been a huge benefit for Akili these last four years.”
The PlayBox server’s transcoder supports multiple containers and file formats, including MPG PS/TS, MXF, QT, AVI, MP4, GXF, MPG2, H.264, ProRes, DNX HD, and MJPEG.
Using Cloud2TV, Akili Kids operates with two PlayBox Neo servers located at a data centre in Nairobi, with secure Internet access feeding over-the-air transmitters throughout the country. Content is uploaded to the playout server from Nairobi and New York over the Internet.
Cloud2TV’s remote upload and management capabilities allowed employees to work from home and keep the network on the air during the pandemic. Akili Network’s scheduling and traffic teams accessed the system from home, using low-bandwidth connections to build broadcast playlists. Commercials, promos, and content were uploaded by editors and programme coordinators using local, often highly trafficked Internet connections. Big content files, command and control, and QC came from New York. Today, Cloud2TV’s remote upload and management capabilities continue to enhance efficiency and flexibility.
Van Duke, Director of US Operations at PlayBox Neo, added: “This is really an awe-inspiring achievement that Akili Network and PlayBox Neo accomplished as a team. Their launch was at the beginning of the pandemic, many of their operations staff were new to broadcast TV, and the country’s IP infrastructure is less than ideal in spots. Now they are the number one kids’ station in Kenya with a unique blend of dynamic programming. We look forward to seeing what the next four years will bring.”
