NEXT-TT forms the technology backbone of the PixelSub platform.
Systems integrator PBT EU has announced a strategic partnership with post-production, localisation, and entertainment company, Linxstream Media. The partnership launches with the creation of Linxstream Media’s PixelSub, a cloud-based platform for managing localisation, dubbing and timed-text services. The alliance authorises Linxstream Media to resell products and services from PBT EU and Profuz Digital in the Middle East.
Speaking about the deal, Ivanka Vassileva, CEO of PBT EU said: “We are delighted that Linxstream Media, along with their expertise of the media localisation business and their presence in the Middle East, have become one of PBT EU’s most respected regional partners to serve the sector. Through this strategic partnership, we have essentially expanded our NEXT-TT platform offerings that will now allow users in the Middle East to benefit from a localised version of the NEXT-TT solution backed by reliable local systems integration, onboarding and continuous technical support services. Working together and joining hands with Linxstream Media as one of our key partners will enable us to deliver an integrated and optimal experience for our customers in the region.”
Rafiq M. Sarwari, Founder of Linxstream Media added: “PBT EU and Profuz Digital helped build the cloud-based multi-layered PixelSub platform based on Profuz Digital’s NEXT-TT solution. One of the key factors that we took into consideration when we first approached them about collaborating, was whether we were willing to invest in each other’s vision and commitment to develop a product that would be truly innovative, and also be able to simplify the arduous localisation tasks. Together, we developed a mutualistic linkage and a shared way of working together that serves both of our client’s interest. Working with PBT EU was simply the right choice. From the start, it was clear that the team was willing to roll up their sleeves and get things done and deliver on their promises.
“The partnership between Linxstream Media and PBT EU has provided us with a localisation and subtitling platform that truly is a one-stop-shop for our clients. PBT EU’s understanding of complex digital product development, its deep engineering expertise and collaborative approach complement how a Linxstream team works. With a presence in Europe, North America, Canada, India and the Middle East, and the added capabilities of over 7,000+ global freelance translators, this partnership will allow us to drive far more business impact for our clients.”
“In summary, both PBT EU and Linxstream’s combined years of experience and expertise, and our shared willingness to be open and agile, have contributed to the creation an advanced platform that not only solves many problems but simplifies daily tasks. Simply said, excellence speaks for itself.”
To provide a context, PBT EU provided the underlying technology to power PixelSub by integrating business management software LAPIS from Profuz Digital with timed-text application SubtitleNEXT. Together, the resulting hybrid platform called NEXT-TT provides a technology base that can be highly customised to produce precisely targeted management and localisation workflows.
Linxstream Media applied its localisation knowledge to the base technology to create PixelSub, a product aimed at helping enterprises, collaborators and single users monetise and streamline localisation projects efficiently while combining the advantages of the cloud and desktop.
The PixelSub platform features the management of order creation, invoicing, project coordination and collaboration while providing multi-tier protection of content with private workspaces and a wide suite of tools designed to support the industry’s largest content creators, distributors, and studios. The PixelSub platform additionally offers other advanced features from Profuz Digital, such as automatic speech recognition (ASR) and machine-generated subtitles that convert text into multiple languages. These operations all incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies (MLT) into the localization services. This way, users can benefit from using a single platform in order to prepare automatic, semi-automatic and human written subtitles and captions for audio-visual content.
Machine translation and transcription are tools for automatic speech recognition (ASR) and are key functions within Profuz Digital’s NEXT-TT platform. NEXT- TT includes the automatic translation of text from one language to another and automatic transformation of actors’ voices into captions and subtitles. All of these advanced features from NEXT-TT are now made available in PixelSub by incorporating third party engines which activate these automatic processes.
By virtually connecting to localisation platform PixelSub, users can gain access to proprietary tools, technologies, and delivery capabilities that provide breakthrough client results. With PBT EU’s deep technology and engineering expertise, the collaboration represents a step-change in the way both businesses address the needs of the localization and subtitling market.
Profuz Digital’s CTO Kamen Ferdinandov and developer of the NEXT-TT platform added: “Our hybrid NEXT-TT platform which was created by combining both our LAPIS and SubtitleNEXT functionalities, provides a versatile backbone to power-focused localization services. Linxstream Media has demonstrated this with PixelSub. The main advantage of our technologies is that they are highly adaptable to each client’s specific requirements, allowing a wide range of different configurations and UI experiences. This project with PixelSub demonstrates that our distributor PBT EU openly welcomes ideas from companies of all sizes to share their unique vision and understanding of the localization processes which we can adapt to form a specialised bespoke solution.”
