NAB - Bug.tv: Start-to-finish Mac-based Broadcasting

by , 12:05 PM EDT, April 17th, 2008

Take a healthy dose of Mac OS X, add in an Xserve, mix in some serious coding and what do you get? Bug.tv: A complete broadcast solution that handles everything from editing to on screen effects, and automated show scheduling.

Bug.tv

Bug.tv from Broadcast Unifying Gears integrates with Final Cut Server and Final Cut Pro so stations can manage and edit the content they plan to air, and it lets editors work in real time. The company takes that a step further, however, and lets stations air Final Cut Pro or any other QuickTime-compatible files directly without requiring any format conversions -- a potential time and storage space saver.

Bug.tv includes a system that automates the program scheduling process, including when specific shows or graphics should air. It also links to RSS feeds and XML files for additional content or automated scheduling details.

Under the hood, Bug.tv was built with Apple's Cocoa coding environment, and the realtime graphics system takes advantage of the Quartz rendering technology found in Leopard. Developing with Cocoa and relying on pre-built technologies help save Bug.tv time in the development process, and the company is looking for even more ways to tie into the features Apple has already made.

Christof Halasz, one of Bug.tv's coders, commented "If we can find a way to hook into the system we'll figure out how to turn that into a new feature."

Bug.tv may be strictly a Mac product, but that doesn't mean it's limited to working with Apple technology. The company chose to work with QuickTime so that it could support as many media formats as possible, the system supports the BXF intercommunication standard, and they are a member of SMPTE, too.

The company is already making a splash in Europe, and whether you know it or not you have probably already seen Bug.tv in action in the U.S. as well. Bug.tv worked with NBC Olympics for the Torino games, and will also be involved in the broadcasting of the Beijing Olympic games.

Anyone that watches Current TV along with WHDH viewers in Boston are experiencing Bug.tv's handiwork as well. WHDH is using a 15-channel system, and is the first to take advantage of the BXF standard in its workflow.

Thanks to the power and flexibility the system offers, Bug.tv may be coming to a TV near you soon.