Case Studies
Automotive Broadcasting Network
Background
The Automotive Broadcasting Network (ABN) is the first in-dealership, private television network controlled by the dealer. ABN, which is
fueled by the CBS Television Network, was formed to leverage existing dealership assets to assist automobile dealerships with selling more
products and services in an entirely unique and professional manner.
ABN serves captive customers inside the automobile dealership with high-quality, fast-paced, family-friendly entertainment
- prime time programming not available during normal business hours.
ABN helps reduce customer perceived wait times by providing entertaining content, thereby improving customer satisfaction and enhancing customer
loyalty. More importantly, ABN eliminates competitor advertising from playing in the dealership.
ABN is based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
ABN Network Diagram
Requirements
ABN recognized that dealers wanted to take advantage of the increased amount of time customers were spending at their facilities. With customers
coming back to trusted dealerships more often than in the past for service work, dealers saw a unique opportunity to market to their best customers.
In addition, dealers wanted to make a customer visit to their dealership more pleasant by providing quality television programming rather than the
traditional daytime TV that customers were being forced to watch.
ABN also wanted a system that allowed dealers to control the advertising content being shown on TVs throughout their facility. Thus, ABN decided to
feature three types of "out of home" content:
Entertainment - screening popular, family-friendly CBS shows
Advertising - showing customers a dealer's upcoming vehicles for sale
Educational - providing customers with technical tips on the importance and benefits of routine auto
maintenance
Most importantly, ABN required a private network that would send custom programming straight into the dealer's waiting areas, to be aired on the
dealership's own televisions or flat panel monitors.
To do all of this, ABN selected a private satellite data network as the transport mechanism for delivering content to automotive dealerships nationwide.
Cilutions
ABN chose Cilutions' DMB Media Player and DMB Content Distribution software products to manage and control video distribution and playout to the various
automotive dealers on the network. Some ABN network features provided by Cilutions include:
Reliable storage of all dealer content at ABN's central sending hub in Detroit, Michigan
Easy registration of content - an ABN administrator simply delivers individual dealer content into well-known
directories, where they are automatically registered for delivery to designated dealer receivers
Multicast Addressing - Cilutions software allows video content to be sent simultaneously to thousands of
receivers across ABN's dealer network
Package addressing to ABN dealer receivers at a group or individual level - Cilutions software allows custom
advertising to be targeted to specific dealerships, while letting broader CBS content span an entire region
All ABN dealer receivers are ensured of reliable delivery, since Cilutions software uses forward error correction
(FEC) techniques that detect
and repair lost packets during reception
Prioritization of content - Cilutions software lets ABN indicate the order in which content should be sent to its
dealer receivers when more than one file is scheduled for transmission at the same time
Status Reporting - Cilutions software provides options that allow ABN to track delivery status either through
web service reporting mechanisms or via on-demand email status reports
Dynamic Bandwidth Scaling - Cilutions software offers dynamic, seamless, transmission rate scaling to
accomodate any surge in ABN's distribution demands. This is especially useful when ABN needs to send a new
set of advertisements just before a weekend sale
Specticast
Background
Specticast broadcasts live high definition performances and speaking engagements from the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Free Library
directly to senior retirement communities. Though the company originally tested the technology by running tests of the video streams
against satellite transmissions of boxing and Ultimate Fighting in sports bars, they decided against the sports segment. Instead, they
honed in on 30,000 retirement communities and nursing homes in the U.S., along with the 76 million baby boomers who are retired or are
about to retire, and chose to deliver cultural arts content to the senior community. Colleges and universities and community centers are
other segments that Specticast hopes to reach.
How It Works
At the retirement home, the setup is simple. A set-top box has standard HDMI components that can connect to a projector, DVD player
or closed circuit TV network. All you need to do is to plug it into an Ethernet connection. The set-top box then sends a UDP packet
through the router and handshakes with Specticast's network, opens the proper ports and streams the live video to the target display.
The box is controlled virtually, so the Specticast help staff can reboot it, change settings and power cycle should problems arise.
If a user is running a downlink that can't support high definition, the content is shown in standard.
At the venue itself, Specticast commissions a professional production team or utilizes the in-house team to record performances.
In the case of the Philadelphia Orchestra, seven robotic camera and two handhelds record the action. A producer, directory and editors
make sure that the production stays on taks. A host emcees the event and interviews the orchestra crew backstage before and after the
event.
Cilutions
Specticast chose Cilutions' DMB Management Applications to manage and control the operation of their set-top boxes across the Internet.
The features provided by Cilutions include:
Standards-based management agents running in each set-top box and providing health and status
information to the network operations center
Reporting of video and audio activity for each set-top box; Specticast knows when a set-top box is up and
working well
Plug-and-play capability so the end user needs to know nothing about the network. The user just plugs the
set-top box in and powers it up
Automatic detection of each set-top box when it comes online
SNMP proxy capability in the network operations center letting Specticast's management servers configure and
monitor the set-top boxes by setting the video channels, tracking up-time and even initiating a reboot of one
or more set-top boxes automatically
Engineering development services where Cilutions combines software components from the set-top box
manufacturer along with third party components and Cilutions' supplied components into a cohesive image
configured for field deployment according to Specticast's requirements
Cilutions Tier 3 services supporting field operations and technical problem analysis and resolution
Verizon
Background
Verizon Business, which operates the satellite broadcast communications service for the International Satellite Communications System (ISCS),
required a file distribution system. They needed a system that could reliably and securely transmit large amounts of weather map
data to the National Weather Service (NWS) worldwide locations.
Cilutions
Verizon chose Cilutions' DMB Content Distribution product for the ISCS network at NWS. Some features incorporated
by the ISCS network include:
Reliable storage of NWS content at its central sending hub
Easy registration of content - The NWS computer system simply delivers bundled weather maps into well-
known directories, where they are automatically registered for delivery to receiving platforms
Multicast Addressing - allows each weather map bundle to be sent simultaneously to thousands of receivers
across NWS' worldwide network
Package addressing to NWS receivers at a group or individual level allows weather maps to be targeted to
specific local stations, while letting broader weather alerts span an entire region
Reliable delivery to both receive-only and two-way NWS receivers - uses forward error correction (FEC)
techniques that detect and repair lost packets during reception
Priorization of content - lets NWS indicate the order in which content should be sent to its receivers when
more than one file is scheduled for transmission at the same time