France Télévisions using OpenHeadend for catch-up

France Télévisions has chosen ingest, processing and stream delivery software specialist OpenHeadend to provide the technical platform for its catch-up TV services.

The public broadcaster is using OpenHeadend’s technology to support to catch-up on programmes from France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5, France Ô and from the 9 channels of its overseas Première network.

The OpenHeadend system records the full programme line-up of 14 live channels. Each programme is then automatically extracted for publishing. The system also creates thumbnail previews, bundles them in a single JPEG file before synchronizing and associating them to the relevant video. Media and associated metadata are finally made available on a NAS, from which they are sent to France Télévisions multiplatform transcoding and delivery systems.

“The OpenHeadend platform is controlled by our video information system, which sends a request to extract programmes based on time codes. It is a flexible and robust solution, which easily integrates into an industrial “video factory” workflow, “ declared Arnaud Drillon, “On Demand TV and video production” Project and Technical Manager at France Télévisions Digital Editions. « To top it all, OpenHeadend Teams are reactive and always willing to adapt their solution to our specific needs.”

Christophe Massiot, CTO at OpenHeadend, said: “France Télévisions is an innovative group. We have already worked together on several projects including broadcast resynchronization and HbbTV,  We are delighted that this major player in the French audiovisual landscape renewed its confidence in OpenHeadend and proud that our products support France Televisions in its multiscreen development strategy.”