Cyclone V5 Teletext & Text Publishing System System Overview The Cyclone Teletext System offers broadcasters and Teletext service operators a complete and inexpensive solution for the preparation, storage and transmission of Teletext services. Cyclone Version 5 allows text-based content to be created for a wider selection of broadcast platforms including html for the web, MHEG5, MHP, open television, SMS and WAP. Purpose The entry level Cyclone system is designed to offer an inexpensive, work straight out of the box, solution for the production and transmission of a Teletext service. Based on standard Windows 2000 PC database architecture, Cyclone V5 offers almost unlimited scalability so that additional text channels and other bespoke features can be added when the need arises. The entry level Cyclone system is available as a 2U high unit (SE4030) with 8 ports for serial terminal access or as a compact 1U high unit (SE1030) for network based operations with limited serial port access. Both units some complete with a Cyclone/Flair client licence that may be installed locally or on an editorial workstation on the network. The Cyclone Content Management Server The Cyclone system runs on standard PC based server and workstation hardware making it easy to implement fault tolerant configurations (for those users who need guaranteed 24/7 service availability) and to schedule online content archiving and backup. All Teletext page content is stored in the central database, multiple networks/channels are supported from the same central database (for example STV1, STV2). Teletext pages within the defined channels are stored in Windows Explorer type folders for each channel (for example sport, news, weather). Within these folders and sub-folders the teletext page transmission slots (100-8FF) are stored along with the actual teletext page content. The teletext page content is reference by a unique 2 part Story and Item reference (for example STORY NAME - NEWS HEADLES and item name - news item1, news item2). This content referencing is particularly useful when using the extensive content search facilities available with the Cyclone user interface. This central database structure and content referencing enables Teletext page content to be shared automatically between services (TV channels), and isolates actual Teletext transmission page numbers from the editorial users. The Cyclone server comes with a range of system manager tools allowing, amongst other things, restricting individual users or groups of users page editing rights to nominated folders. It is also possible to restrict the type of operations that the users or groups of users can perform on the pages. Page 1 of 5
Cyclone s Applications Professional Teletext editing is a skilled multi-discipline task encompassing a mixture of journalism, desk top publishing and IT skills. Softel have used their extensive experience in the design of Teletext system interfaces to ensure that the Cyclone V5 user environment provides the necessary tools to perform the task of creating and editing Teletext page content on the familiar Windows 2000 platform the result, a happy user who can concentrate on the real task of writing compelling content for the Teletext service. Cyclone users see two principle tools on the desktop; one is a Teletext page editor for changing the displayed content and the other is the page management tool providing a view on the structure of the service(s). The page editor provides full wysiwyg display of the page as it would be seen on a Teletext TV. There is a comprehensive suite of word-processing tools (which includes word wrap, cut & paste, spell check all the usual text formatting features) as well as mouse or keyboard controlled graphics editing. The page management tool allows the user to move content from an off-air area to broadcasted on-air page slots. Contained in this application are also all the tools for creating new services, moving and sharing page content between the services and performing detailed searches on the database content. A third toolbar is presented to the user giving access to the management utilities and optional features available with the Cyclone system. Page 2 of 5
Cyclone s Optional Enhancements Cyclone offers as optional items the additional functionality that you would expect from a professional broadcast solution. Making these items available as options allows Softel to produce the standalone entry system at a very competitive initial price for the smaller broadcaster with the knowledge that the system can be easily upgraded/enhanced as the broadcasters demands on the system increase. Optional Enhancements :- Scheduling and Page Archiving Subsystems Allows the users to update page content for automatic display at a future point in time and also to retrieve any pages that have been changed for as long as the archive data is kept on the system. Subtitling, Interactive Data, EPG, TeleWeb,PDC and Databroadcast Subsystems Allows direct connection into the transmission core of the Cyclone teletext system for the efficient transmission of these optional interfaces. The subtitling sub system is compatible with Softel s extensive range of subtitling product, The interactive data interface is ideally suited for connection by external information systems, particularly those providing interactive SMS chat rooms and games services. Page 3 of 5
Cyclone s Connectivity Options For those customers wishing to integrate Cyclone with their own existing data systems Softel offer a number of tools and utilities for controlled access to the central database. The BatchTCL scripting language is available for the simple processing of text based and XML data. Softel can provide many sample applications to be adapted by the customer or by Softel to suit their particular external data interface needs. The Cyclone COM interface is available for those customers wishing to update content on the Cyclone system from within their own applications. Automatic export options are available from the Cyclone system allowing the automatic generation of HTML and XML content for use by the broadcaster within their own websites or databases. Cyclone Flexibility The Cyclone system is an ideal choice for broadcasters and 3 rd party service providers, the system is able to make extensive use of standard TCP/IP connectivity techniques to allow the system to exist on both a local LAN or wider area WAN network. The Cyclone transmission server subsystem allows a centrally located editorial and database system to update multiple remote transmission servers for many different broadcasters. This gives the editorial staff the flexibility and speed offered by the local LAN connection to the database while the transmission server distributes the updated content to the appropriate transmission nodes using direct RAS connections or through the Internet. Page 4 of 5
Centralized Entry Level System Typical Configuration Options Remote Flair Modem Modem SE1030 SE4030 VIDEO SE3054 VIDEO SE3054 SDI SDI Large System Supporting Multiple Channel Local and Remote Master/Standby Transmission CENTRAL EDITG SITE s Central Cyclone Database Customer Applications s VPN CYCLONE REMOTE TRANSMISSION GATEWAY RAS MA VIDEO TEXT MA VIDEO MA VIDEO TEXT TEXT CENTRAL TRANSMISSION REMOTE TRANSMISSION SITES Cyclone Advanced Operations Please contact sales@softel.co.uk if you have a specific requirement for other modes of operation not covered in this document. Page 5 of 5