The Challenge: Scaling Dynamic Channel Branding Without Excessive Hardware
Vietnam Television Cable Corporation (VTVCab), a leading cable television provider in Vietnam and operator of the VTVcab ON and ON+ streaming platforms, sought to modernize its broadcast graphics infrastructure.
The project aimed to introduce advanced channel branding and dynamic promotional graphics across 30 linear television channels while minimizing hardware requirements and simplifying Master Control Room (MCR) operations.
Implementing flexible graphics capabilities at this scale presented several technical and operational challenges:
- High Hardware Costs and Infrastructure Complexity: Deploying dedicated graphics engines for all 30 channels would require significant investment in additional hardware, rack space, power consumption, and maintenance.
- Complex Multi-Channel Graphics Coordination: Broadcasting synchronized promotions, news tickers, and other graphic elements across selected groups of channels required centralized control and automated routing.
- Real-Time Data Integration: Dynamic graphics needed to incorporate external information, including RSS news feeds, live sports scores, weather updates, election results, and upcoming program schedules.
- MCR Automation Integration: Graphics triggering and metadata management had to integrate with VTVCab’s existing Etere Master Control Automation system without introducing additional manual operations.
The Solution: Intelligent Router Integration and Dynamic Graphics Automation
In collaboration with local system integrator Vietcoms, SkyLark Technology developed a resource-efficient channel branding solution combining the SL NEO Advanced Character Generator (CG), automated video routing, and MCR automation integration.
Rather than allocating a dedicated graphics engine to each television channel, the system dynamically distributes 8 Key + Fill output pairs across 30 program channels using a Ross Video routing infrastructure.
This architecture significantly reduces graphics hardware requirements while maintaining flexible, automated channel branding capabilities.
The solution combines three key capabilities:
- Router-Assisted Graphics Distribution: SkyLark CG engines generate eight Key + Fill output pairs, which are dynamically routed through a Ross Video router to 30 downstream keyers. This allows graphics resources to be shared between multiple program channels.
- Automated Router Control: Integration using the Grass Valley Native (GVG) protocol enables SkyLark to control router crosspoints automatically. Graphics templates trigger the required routing configurations through predefined Media ID parameters.
- Integrated MCR and Dynamic Metadata Processing: SkyLark communicates with Etere Master Control Automation using the Chyron Intelligent Interface (CII) protocol, enabling automated graphics triggering and dynamic template updates with external data.
Technical Architecture & Implementation
The system combines centralized graphics generation, software-controlled routing, dynamic template management, and automated integration with the existing broadcast infrastructure.
High-Density Graphics and Routing Architecture
The solution was implemented using SkyLark graphics engines and Ross Video routing and keying equipment supplied and integrated by Vietcoms.
- Graphics Generation: 8 SkyLark Key + Fill output pairs provide graphics resources for 30 television channels.
- Routing Infrastructure: A Ross NK-3G72 (NK-72G) video router dynamically distributes graphics outputs between channel destinations.
- Downstream Keying: Ross MC-1 systems provide downstream keying functionality across the 30 program channels.
- Resource Optimization: Shared graphics outputs eliminate the need for a dedicated graphics engine for every channel, reducing equipment requirements and improving infrastructure utilization.
Automated GVG Router Control
SkyLark controls the Ross routing system directly through the Grass Valley Native protocol.
Router crosspoint switching is triggered automatically based on Media IDs assigned to graphics templates.
For example, activating a template with the Media ID prefix 6−8.13 automatically routes CG Output 1 (Key 1 + Fill 1) to the downstream keyers of channels 6, 7, 8, and 13.
This enables synchronized promotional graphics, news crawlers, and other overlays to appear simultaneously across selected groups of channels without manual router configuration.
Dynamic Multi-Channel Graphics Management
The architecture supports both shared graphics distribution and channel-specific branding workflows.
- Multi-Channel Graphics: A single Key + Fill output pair can be distributed to multiple downstream keyers, enabling synchronized network-wide promotions and graphics overlays.
- Channel-Specific Templates: SkyLark’s graphics engine supports multiple channel-tailored template variations, allowing operators to prepare customized branding, program announcements, and sports graphics for different channels.
- Dynamic Content Updates: Graphics templates can incorporate real-time information, including RSS news feeds, live sports scores, election results, weather information, and upcoming program schedules.
This approach provides flexible graphics management while making efficient use of the eight available output pairs.
Etere MCR Automation and CII Integration
The graphics system is integrated with VTVCab’s existing Etere Master Control Automation infrastructure.
Through the Chyron Intelligent Interface (CII) protocol, graphics events can be triggered directly from the continuity automation environment.
The integration supports:
- Automated graphics triggering based on broadcast schedules.
- Dynamic template selection and activation.
- Real-time insertion of external metadata and content parameters.
- Centralized control of graphics events within existing MCR workflows.
This reduces the need for separate graphics operations and helps maintain consistent coordination between program playout and channel branding.
IP-Ready Graphics Infrastructure
The solution also supports NDI-based Key + Fill workflows, providing a potential migration path toward software-defined IP broadcast infrastructure.
This flexibility allows VTVCab to extend its graphics workflows as its production and distribution environment evolves.
The Result: Reduced Hardware Requirements, Simplified Operations, and Dynamic Channel Branding
The completed solution enables VTVCab to deliver advanced graphics and promotional content across 30 television channels using a centralized and resource-efficient infrastructure.
Key benefits include:
- 73% Reduction in Dedicated Graphics Outputs: By using 8 shared Key + Fill output pairs instead of 30 dedicated channel graphics outputs, the system reduces the required graphics output resources by approximately 73%, lowering associated hardware requirements.
- Optimized Infrastructure Investment: Shared graphics resources reduce equipment requirements, rack space, power consumption, and maintenance overhead compared with a fully dedicated per-channel architecture.
- Streamlined MCR Operations: Automated router control and Etere integration simplify graphics scheduling, triggering, and distribution across the entire channel lineup.
- Dynamic Viewer Engagement: Data-driven graphics enable live sports information, news tickers, weather updates, and upcoming program promotions to be displayed without extensive manual intervention.
- Flexible Multi-Channel Promotions: Operators can distribute synchronized graphics across selected channel groups while retaining the ability to prepare channel-specific branding and content variations.
By combining SkyLark’s Advanced Character Generator with intelligent router control and Etere MCR automation, VTVCab established a scalable channel branding infrastructure serving 30 linear television channels.
The project demonstrates how software-based graphics automation and shared hardware resources can significantly improve broadcast infrastructure efficiency while supporting dynamic, high-quality channel branding and streamlined operational workflows.