Author: PebbleAdmin

FRA: BBright, a leading solution provider for Ultra HD deployments, will bring its newest playout/video production server, the UHD-Channel, to NAB 2019. Read more about how BBright will demonstrate the ability for UHD-Channel to be controlled by the flagship Marina automation solution from Pebble Beach Systems!

It’s the middle of March and at broadcast and media companies across the world, NAB fever has set in. Like the other 1,700 companies in our industry that will be exhibiting at the world’s largest media and entertainment trade show (NAB, April 6 – 11, 2019 | Las Vegas, NV), we too at Pebble are busy planning, designing and messaging. And while the jargon machines are busy churning out pretty signage with all the latest buzzwords, we prefer straight talk here at Pebble. So, if you’re heading out to Vegas next month and want to talk playout with the specialists of this field, come and see us on booth SL4528. We’ll listen closely to your goals and challenges, show you how our technology could help, and explain how we would work together as true partners to deliver the solution that fits your needs.

Thinking of Migrating?

If you’re thinking about migrating your operations to IP, weighing up the benefits and risks of virtualizing in the private or public cloud, or even if you would like an update on the latest standards from the experts, the Pebble team can help! We can share our experience of large-scale use cases for compressed and uncompressed IP deployments, advise you what you need to consider, and show you the very latest in IP connectivity with a demo of the emerging NMOS IS-07 specification – the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ for system integration!

Looking for Business Continuity?

Disaster Recovery has been a driver for the growing adoption of virtualized playout. But DR needn’t be a cut down operation compared to your main facility, with limited functionality and simple evergreen media that just buys time to get your proper schedule back on air. At NAB we’ll be demoing how a full Business Continuity channel running in the AWS cloud means that your channel output and functionality remain the same, even in a disaster scenario.

Bridging SDI and IP environments

We know that not everyone can ‘lift and shift’ their playout operations to IP or the cloud, so why not check out our integrated channel solutions that bridge your SDI and IP environments. This evolutionary approach means you can protect your investment and only make the complete change to IP when you and your business are ready. Not only can you implement hybrid solutions, but you can also keep your graphics workflows and favorite tools thanks to our growing range of software plug-ins for integrated channel playout –from Pixel Power, Ross, singular.live – and now Vizrt!

So, if you are looking for straight playout talk with a good cup of British tea (or coffee), you’ll know where to find us (booth SL4528). Book a meeting with us and dive in to discuss your future!

Safe travels and see you soon,

Tamas

In my previous blog I talked about how proud I am of the successes we have had at Pebble over the past year. Those achievements have only been possible as a direct result of the talent here at Pebble, without whom our story might have looked quite different. I am therefore delighted that we recently announced the formalisation of a number of appointments, recognising the contribution already made by four key individuals. In this blog I’d like to personally introduce each of them and also the remaining members of the leadership team.

First, I would like to congratulate Miroslav Jeras on his promotion to Chief Technology Officer. Miroslav is a familiar figure to many in the industry, and joined Pebble as a Senior Technical Architect in 2016. He quickly moved on to the role of Head of Software Architecture where he was pivotal in the formation of our strategic focus on supporting broadcasters in their transition to IP-based technologies.

Miroslav is passionate about the need for standards to be developed to ensure the interoperability of the new IP-based technologies, and is therefore a keen participant in technology working groups focused on the development of these new standards. His passion for the industry, along with his enthusiasm for collaborating with other vendors, has already delivered huge benefits, and I am genuinely excited for the solutions we can bring to our customers in the future.

I am also really pleased that Tamas Vass, another known industry figure, has taken on the role of Chief Marketing Officer. Having first joined Pebble as European Sales Director, he then moved up to the role of VP of Global Sales. His close relationship with customers around the world, combined with his technical expertise and marketing knowledge, position him ideally to ensure that – as we continually review our strategic direction – the needs of our customers are always front and centre.

Tamas is a highly driven professional whose lifetime of experience in customer-facing roles has made him passionate about the need for us to genuinely deliver value to our customers. The newly formed role of CMO is key to our ongoing transformation and I looking forward to the insights he and his team will bring to the table.

The final C-level appointment is Jim Reid, taking the role of Chief Operating Officer. Jim has over 30 years’ experience in business management and administration and joined Pebble in early 2018. He has already overseen the creation of our Customer Fulfilment team, and is currently forming the Solutions Architecture team. Both of these are significant internal changes, and are necessary to ensure that our organisation is fully aligned with the need to provide a consistent and effective experience for our customers.

I previously worked with Jim when he was Operations Director at Pro-Bel Limited, and I knew bringing him on board was key to implementing our cultural change programme, as we had both lived through such a change during our time there. On top of this, Jim knows the importance of measuring our performance and has introduced a number of KPIs to inform us of the impact of the various changes we have already made and are planning to implement.

We welcomed on board a second new team member in 2018, Justyna Munnich. Justyna is our new Group Financial Controller, and an experienced finance professional with a proven track record of driving business performance through insightful financial analysis and reporting. Before joining Pebble, Justyna was a senior finance manager for Walgreens Boots Alliance.

Her corporate experience, focus on the importance of controls and systems, ability to engage with stakeholders across departments, combined with her can-do attitude and boundless energy and enthusiasm, make her a valuable asset to the Pebble organisation as we continue to transform and grow.

In addition to these I also want to highlight the remaining members of the broader leadership team. Pebble wouldn’t be where we are today without the steady support of our other senior members of staff including our marketing manager Alison Pavitt, head of product development Daniel Robinson, and our head of HR Hannah Goldsmith.

Alison has led Pebble’s marketing communications activities for the last decade. A familiar face of Pebble at the major trade shows and industry networking events, she is also a board member of the IABM, and sits on the Exhibitor Committee of IBC.

Daniel has helped to deliver many of the most technically challenging projects at Pebble, gaining a deep understanding of customer priorities, along with a reputation as a dedicated and talented technical expert. As Head of Product Development, he is responsible for the continuous development of Pebble’s automation and integrated channel playout solutions for customers all around the world.

Despite being a junior member of the team Hannah has been instrumental in supporting the empowerment program we have introduced and I have no doubt that her passion for coaching has enabled our staff to rapidly adopt a far more empowered attitude.

I realise that our customers have seen a lot of change but it is hard not to be proud as I watch the teams blend of wisdom, knowledge, and optimism shape Pebble into the revitalised organisation it is today.

IMG Studios delivers multiple 24-hour sports channels and enables coverage of some of the world’s biggest sporting events, often having to shoehorn in new projects to tight deadlines, and one of its main projects is working with the UK’s Premier League. It takes in video from each stadium, to create and distribute feeds of each match. Richard Bagnall, Head of Engineering, Live Operations and Channels  explains “Part of that production is the Premier League Content Service, which is a 24-hour channel, based in this building, distributed to any rights holders around the globe” – mainly Asia and the Americas. Read how Pebble’s Marina and Dolphin play a pivotal role in the playout of one of the most watched channels anywhere in the world.