Production, play-to-air, distribution and traffic & billing system enables delivery of HD content to more than 700 million households

Imagine Communications, a global leader in video infrastructure, advertising systems and workflow management solutions serving the media networks, broadcast stations, digital media, communication providers and enterprise markets, today announced that Daystar Television Network, the award-winning, faith-based global network, has selected Imagine Communications to upgrade its operations from SD to HD with a complete, end-to-end broadcast workflow solution. The tightly integrated implementation spans production, master control and play-to-air operations, and replaces an existing traffic and billing system with a more efficient, centralized international solution for Daystar’s cable networks and 100 television properties. The comprehensive offering helps streamline business operations for Daystar’s headquarters and primary production facility in Dallas and enhances its ability to deliver HD content to more than 700 million households in 200 countries.

“Imagine Communications and its partner, Broadcast Digital Systems, were ideally suited to provide a true end-to-end broadcast workflow that is highly interoperable, flexible and efficient,” said Henry Turner, director of engineering, Daystar Television Network. “It would have taken at least eight other vendors to put together a similar workflow. The seamless workflow and integration between our content management, playout and traffic and billing systems is exceptional and speeds our time to market.”

The deployment includes video infrastructure solutions to migrate Daystar’s production operations from SD to HD, including routing and control solutions that manage the acquisition and distribution of multiple camera feeds. In addition to HD production capabilities, Imagine Communications deployed a master control channel playout solution using highly-scalable software that helps speed channel deployment time and enable future growth. The deployment also includes an array of media software applications and facility signal processing solutions.

Imagine Communications’ LandmarkOSI™ media software replaces the existing traffic and billing system that required Daystar to schedule programming for its network affiliates independently of each other. The LandmarkOSI installation surpasses Daystar’s previous system with centralized program scheduling, which helps optimize content usage and maximize revenue, and supports the Canadian ratings system as required by Daystar’s Canadian channel. The expanded footprint also allows Daystar to link automation with traffic and billing functions through the Live-Update™ live log editor, which enables automated scheduling and up-to-the minute ad placement and schedule changes.

Daystar’s HD channels went live in October 2014, followed by the traffic and billing system implementation in September 2014.

“We are pleased to support the comprehensive, end-to-end migration of all of Daystar’s properties to HD, as well as help transform their traffic and billing platform,” said Jeff Liening, senior vice president of sales, North America, Imagine Communications. “Daystar’s commitment to delivering outstanding quality of service to its extensive worldwide audience is unprecedented. That created a unique opportunity for Imagine Communications and Broadcast Digital Systems to design a truly integrated, interoperable and efficient workflow at scale with the confidence that no interoperability unknowns existed. The resulting implementation enables Daystar to effectively manage the scheduling demands and commitments of its global reach.”

To learn more about Imagine Communications’ end-to-end media software and video infrastructure solutions, please visit www.imaginecommunications.com

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About Imagine Communications

Imagine Communications empowers the media and entertainment industry through transformative innovation. Broadcasters, networks, video service providers and enterprises around the world rely on our optimized, futureproof, multiscreen video and revenue enablement solutions every day to support their mission-critical operations. Today, nearly half of the world’s video channels traverse our products, and our software solutions drive close to a third of global ad revenue. Through continuous innovation, we are delivering the most advanced IP, cloud-enabled, software-defined network and workflow solutions in the industry. Visit www.imaginecommunications.com for more information, and follow us on Twitter @imagine_comms.

About Daystar Television
Daystar Television Network is an award winning, faith-based network dedicated to spreading the Gospel 24 hours a day, seven days a week – all around the globe, through all media formats possible. Reaching over 106 million households in the United States and over 2 billion people worldwide, Daystar is the fastest growing faith-based television network in the world.