S4 offers viewers 24 hour sport highlights. Using AutoScribe, SuperSport are able to update a crawl with the latest headlines in real-time. The station logo is a user-defined image as is the image inserted into the crawl between each headline. Use of squeeze-back video via DVE is controlled on demand.

The starting point for sport fans, SuperSportZone offers viewers live video in a 4- or 6-window mosaic format.

With AutoScribe’s automated scheduling objects, changes to content in an image matrix can be programmed in advance. Typically, this is used to change station bug S4 to S5 or S6, when SuperSport broadcast additional channels. Sponsor logos are scheduled in a similar fashion.

Sponsor image and text can also be scheduled for insertion into the crawl between every x number of headlines. Change-over to the 6-window mosaic and back to the 4-window mosaic is achieved using the template scheduler. Objects can also be turned on and off at scheduled times. For example, the crawl can be switched off while a rotating billboard is shown, or, both can be turned on for a specified amount of time.

All scheduling is logged and can be analysed via a Microsoft Excel Pivot Table. This is especially useful for analysing sponsor activity.

*NEW* Pro-Bel Router Automation

Together with this and other enhanced interactivity on Big Brother, MultiChoice was placed among the top three entries in the inaugural AFDESI ITV Interactive Awards in 2003.

In the same year, the system was again used with great success on Big Brother Africa, with SMS messages being received from several countries across Africa for over 100 days.

An M-Net innovation and a first for Big Brother globally in 2002, was the live and automated display of SMS messages. Messages were sent by viewers from their mobile phones, creating interactivity that proved extremely popular, attracting millions of viewers – on average, M-Net’s centre received a new SMS every few seconds - 24x7 over a period of 78 days.

With Project Fame Academy, M-Net went one step further, introducing an additional strap for the automated display of website forum messages. These messages were entered by fans via the station’s website, drawing hits and attracting millions of viewers across Africa.

An additional innovation was the automated display of a contestant’s photograph when an SMS with that contestants name was displayed – bringing the contestants closer to the viewers.

The system ran 24x7 for the duration of the Project, generating revenue from SMS messages received and creating attention-grabbing, interactive dialog among viewers.

Jointly developed by M-Net and Earth Television Network, video booths were set up at shopping centres around the country to give viewers a chance to be on TV. The result was BOnGo – an interactive experience that received coverage on CNN!

Various metadata was automatically displayed as a clip was aired, using various effects and transitions. This included a category logo, mall logo and the person’s profile - while viewers spurred the performers on with revenue generating SMS messages. Additional automation came in the controlled switch between full-screen and DVE, as content transitioned from station sting to video clip.

With the use of templates, M-Net was able to create different looks for viewer and music clips.

text format (colour coded nickname and message), including emoticons in the latest version. The launch of the MMS version is imminent.

Extending the platform to the internet, M-Net has developed websites where viewers can upload their profiles, including pictures that are viewed on TV in the bio area.

SMS 2 TV is currently broadcast on DStv channels G0 (GO3 and GO Lounge), Channel O (The 411), MK89 (Jip Chat) and Idols Extra.

New interactivity with SMS chat, M-Net New Media have pioneered the concept of a TJ (Text Jockey) who interacts with viewers that listen and watch the live in-studio DJ whilst chatting to the community.

Using the new AutoScribe Inca platform, a rich look has been created with layers of video, animation and graphics. Individual messages roll up onto the screen, one message at a time, in rich

SoftArc’s Asset Manager allows content to be ingested and transported from a remote site to the playout site. Asset Manager also intelligently exports Templates designed and previewed on AutoScribe at the production site to the playout site (to the primary server as well as a backup server).

SoftArc delivered a turnkey system, including playout servers, a disc array for storage of video clips, a Quartz router and monitoring equipment. M-Net partnered with SoftArc, licensing and customising their SMS moderation tool.

The channel is broadcast from Nilesat in Cairo, Egypt, with a footprint reaching the Gulf, North Africa and Southern Europe - the primary audience being the Gulf countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Yemen.

Sowalif is a 24x7 interactive chat and music channel, produced in Kuwait and broadcast from Nilesat to the Gulf region.

The channel features AutoScribe’s video playlist, including an additional and separate audio playlist. The introduction of animated VIP SMSes proved very popular, where the arrival of a new message triggers an animation that ends with the message displayed in its very own billboard.

A recent addition to the system has been AutoScribe’s voting object, allowing for the real –time display of poll data, using animated graphics.

Drawing racing data from numerous local and international feeds, this complex system displays the day’s races, together with all pertaining real-time data, in a visually pleasing layout.

SoftArc’s unique clustered crawl objects allow for the dynamic display of continually updating bookmaker’ odds, while the DB table object allows for completely editable race information and results. Slides rendered by the DB table are published on the GUI for operators to order on the playlist and edit with a WYSIWYG editor. Alternatively, the playlist automatically cycles through the specially ordered slides, based on a set of business rules. Currently displayed slides include Declarations, Provisional Results, Final Results and Exotic Dividends.

The odometer - a viewer favourite - keeps viewers updated with the real-time value of pools, while an animated loading light alerts viewers and punters that a race is about to start and to finalise bets.

The system allows for different templates to display different views of the data - from full screen video, to a two-zone display, to the complete three-zone display.

TellyTrack is broadcast in South Africa, Mauritius, UK, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe.

In May 2004 Phumelela-Gold Enterprises (PGE) concluded an agreement with Racing UK - the holder of television rights to 30 of the major racecourses in the UK. This agreement grants PGE the exclusive worldwide rights, outside the UK and Ireland, to televise Racing UK horse races. These races, including South African races, are packaged and broadcast on a daily basis, in South Africa, for global consumption. TellyTrack - an exclusive horseracing television channel owned by PGE - uses SoftArc's AutoScribe to automate the creation of this rich package of real-time data and video content.

Each day TellyTrack receives a raw switched feed from Racing UK's switch centre in Tellington UK. This feed is sent via satellite TelStar 12 to TellyTrack's broadcast centre in Rivonia, South Africa. TellyTrack's finished product, in turn, is broadcast to the rest of the world via satellites EuroStar1, TelStar 12 and Pas 10.

With this footprint, the encrypted package reaches a growing list of licensed bookmakers in the Caribbean, Sri Lanka, Germany and licensed tote operators in USA, UK, Russia, Armenia, France, Kenya, Ghana and Italy, as well as other broadcasters.

During the World Cup Cricket 2003, Business Beat was shortened from its usual 10 minute format to 5 minutes.

Viewers were still able to view the latest financial indicators that were displayed using AutoScribe’s active database crawl.

Soccer fans are invited to comment on a topic of interest by sending an SMS message that is displayed during the show. Community participation creates an exciting viewer experience.

SABC’s New Media pilot project

At Radiosondergrense AutoScribe was used to create a compelling Info Channel. Two templates were created, each displaying 2 crawls, a table, an information block, super text, background and foreground AVIs. One template defined a day-time look and the other a night-time look.

Data was dynamically and automatically updated at least every 5 minutes, with transitions between topics updating every few seconds. Data displayed included news headlines, selected JSE stocks, weather, sports, community diary, station highlights, festivals, an art calendar and presenter titles.