Interactive TV

Interactive TV Services

Interactive TV

Inca RTX Playback Studio

Leitch's Inca RTX play back studio is a powerful hardware having high capabilities for interactivity, animation, and graphical display. Inca RTX is widely regarded as the most flexible and capable real-time 2D/3D graphics, video and animation platform available. With the latest version adding real-time support for both HD and SD applications, Inca RTX is ideal for customers continuing to work in both domains.

You can choose to purchase this hardware from any authorized dealer, or directly through us.

Leitch Nexio play out server:

NEXIO™ XS is a video server system purpose-built to provide a foundation for any media facility. It’s the backbone of a streamlined infrastructure, ready to produce, process, distribute and manage any kind of content thrown its way. SD, HD, base band, transport stream

NEXIO™ XS is ready to tackle any job your facility requires. Ingest and playback of SD/HD content, coding and decoding of SD/HD media, editing of SD/HD video — there’s nothing NEXIO™ XS can’t do.

We use Leitch Nexio play out server where all media is acquired and stored on a central storage system that can be accessed by multiple users to supply multiple channel services. Whether it is central casting, with all production centered in one location, or integrating the control of multiple remote operations, a scalable, flexible NEXIO server system can meet any transmission need. You can rent the server from ArabsCall. You can choose between:
1-channel redundant system with 500 GB storage
1-channel not redundant system with 500 GB storage
You can have additional storage in units of 500 GB with an additional cost.
Remote play out option is available through internet connection and offers full control of your channel’s play list from anywhere, thus the full responsibility of the content playing is bared by the channel’s authorized persons.

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Avid Deko Cast

Avid DekoCast is a powerful single-box solution for delivering sophisticated edge graphics and branding. Broadcasters worldwide rely on DekoCast for a wide range of on-air edge applications including channel branding, in-program promotions and advertising, sophisticated credit sequences, and weather and other data-driven alerts.

DekoCast combines a comprehensive set of real-time video, graphics, effects and audio capabilities into a single system that can be integrated with any traffic or automation system.

DekoCast generates real-time Deko graphics layers including multi-row crawls, rolls, still images and animating text.

Software

ArabsCall offers a variety of software to be used with the graphics server. Among them is ArabsCall library which contains a bouquet of functions including:

SMS scrolling bar
Automated repetition of messages
graphical separator between messages
Insertion of advertisement messages
Speed control of chatting bars
Box for displaying country's access numbers
Priority management
Sign In/ Sign Out application
Instruction messages bar
3D animated logo
And many others…

ArabsCall, along with its sister companies was a pioneer in launching Interactive TV services in the Middle East and Arab World Region.

ArabsCall has designed and implemented the ITV systems for most channels in the region.

ArabsCall implements ITV, starting with the Screen Layout, Design and Animation. ArabsCall also offers the telecom part of the solution by providing short code numbers in over 18 countries where users can interact with the services through their country short codes.

ArabsCall also offers and provides its customers with the “Know-How” of the business and the “Business Development” of the services to keep on enhancing

ITV Applications

ArabsCall offers a diversity of ITV application suiting all the channel’s needs. The following applications are seen as the best for most channels:

Voting: This application could be used to vote for the best opinion, favorite club, favorite player…..
Names, pictures or logos of the voted upon choices are posted on TV, and the users have to vote by SMS or IVR. The results could be made real-time graphical and displayed on screen throughout the voting period, or else display on screen when specified by the station’s personnel.

Chatting: By this application, users can send SMS to predefined destination numbers to appear on a scrolling bar on screen. Some specifications and capabilities of this application:

Ability to make a registration process for the users and assign nicknames for each person.

Ability to make customized emotions to be displayed inside the scrolling line when certain commands are written in the sent SMS, ex : ) Could be assigned to display Certain initials could be assigned to display logos or animations.

Filtration: ArabsCall offers a filtering engine to be used to filter all incoming messages before being displayed on air. This Filtering engine consists of 2 parts:

Automatic Filtration: Where an engine automatically scans all incoming messages for predefined words and Highlights these messages for the manual filtration to decide upon.

Manual Filtration: An interface is available for the filtering personnel to view the incoming messages and act upon them within a pre-defined criteria. 3 to 4 levels of filtering, with an option to implement a final filtering layer in the Station to be filtered by your own team before finally posting them on screen.

ArabsCall gives its clients the option to filter their messages through its own filtering department, using ArabsCall human resources, or leasing the Interface from ArabsCall for certain number of users/supervisors.

Games: We also provide proprietary games developed specially for interactive TV, featuring Matrix, Adventures and sports games that would fit most Stations. These games could be customized upon your needs in full screen application, and new games could be even developed upon request.

Web2TV: Many applications could be developed to interact with the TV through WEB. This product is optional and must be requested by the station to include it in the package.

Animated Logo: We can also do further enhancements to the screen by animating the Station's Logo upon request. The animated logo shall bring more life to the screen and in turn to the users.

Interactive Programs and Shows: by this application (TV programming) the users can initiate, respond to or participate in what is playing on screen through IVR, SMS, MMS…

Info Channel: Where you can display information about the station's current programs/Video Clips/Results for Sports Games … Through a popup window that is displayed in any layout you request.

Interactive news: This application offers all the graphics and animations for news sessions. Example: Multiple Video Windows, Text commentaries, Break-In/Out, Events Indicators (Live, Rerun…), and much more.

Interactive Sports: ArabsCall provides layouts and animated graphics that lay on top of the live signal from fields and stadiums that shall enhance viewer's experience, entertainment and information availability. ArabsCall offers its HR capabilities in the fields besides the back bone of graphics and applications for events such as football, basketball, Volleyball, Handball, Water Polo, Tennis, Table Tennis, swimming, Taekwando & karate, Fencing, Equestrians, Athletics, Weightlifting…

ArabsCall also offers to provide:

SMS gateway software for SMS collection
Filtration engine including administration interface and management tools.

Integration with the Station

ArabsCall provides all the integration of hardware and software needed to run and host the applications for your station.
All necessary training for the station’s technical personnel shall be also given to the concerned people to be able to do some changes to the layout and output themselves.
As for the layouts and graphics of the interactive applications, a sister company called Dfusions could provide these graphics upon demand. Dfusions has a wide and reputable experience in the interactive TV designs and graphics. These layouts shall be billed separately from the main applications.

ITV Offer

ArabsCall offers the TV channel a standard ITV offer including the following:

Software applications generator by ArabsCall (including ArabsCall library with a variety of functions and applications).
Hardware
Optional filtration engine
SMS gateway

Support & Maintenance

ArabsCall offers support & Maintenance agreements including the following:

24/7 support & maintenance on all existing applications.
Development of new applications and modifications on existing applications.
This agreement is optional and will be offered upon the client’s demand.

Hosting Offer

ArabsCall offers outsourcing of the channel’s control room at our premises in Nile sat including the following services:

Collect all your SMS messages through our centralized and complete redundant SMS gateway. Internet is also fully redundant from our end.
Access to our centralized filtration engine through web interface to allow your own human resources to filter your messages from anywhere.
Complete monitoring of your channel’s broadcast and the quality of the screen on air. ArabCall will report and follow up with Nile SAT broadcasting engineers any failure or lack of quality.
ArabsCall will ensure the operation, maintenance and support of your graphics applications provided by ArabsCall. Optionally, ArabsCall can propose a yearly agreement including the development of new applications or modifications on existing applications.
ArabsCall offers the injection of your content on the play out server within 12 hours from reception of your content in the agreed upon format.

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Revenue Sharing

ArabsCall offers to operate and host short-code numbers in all Arab countries. A revenue sharing scheme shall be applied for these numbers. The share of each party will vary according to incoming SMS traffic, and details will be included in the offer.