Lockwood’s facility features a full integration of proven, industry-leading tools and systems that provide seamless content management and delivery and complete business tracking and reporting.

SNELL

The operation infrastructure system serves complete routing, master control, and transmission automation needs for multiple-destination television signals. Expandable in modular fashion, many refinements made in the Lockwood system are now used as core features in systems Snell provides to its worldwide customer base.

Routing:

Sirius is a format-independent router offering unprecedented flexibility and total system redundancy, making it ideal for the ‘mission critical’ uses. The router’s Aurora controller provides a dedicated, solid-state control system with a widely flexible range of features, including powerful multilevel, multi-matrix tie-line management and support for multiple matrices.

Master Control:

Morpheus executes reliable schedule play out and management, as well as all relevant data logging. Through its scalable, object-oriented event structure, Morpheus manages complex channels, and deals with regular and unpredictable schedule changes on those channels.  Device control and management, media location assignment and movement, and content/metadata tracking are handled with uncompromised flexibility.

Transmission Automation:

Morpheus does not rely solely on software when it comes to device control -- mission-critical device interfaces are handled by a real-time embedded operating system. Frame-accurate control is ensured with a black and burst reference input as well as station timecode to each card. Each controller has its own internal store, used to hold hours of device specific events. The platform has built in resilience as well as frame-accurate control, and each controller card is linked via LAN to the core software, enabling all the benefits of modern network topologies. Multiple contingency provisions provide operation security so that even in the even of a complete LAN failure frame-accurate operation will be sustained. Controllers are paired to provide active failover operation, and playout devices are distributed across redundant controllers. In addition to redundant device controllers, Lockwood’s design incorporates parallel running playout devices that can be switched at any time by the operator. These “guard” sources are permanently synchronized by Morpheus to ensure that when a device is switched there is absolutely no interruption to the signal stream.

VCI

Complete sales, traffic and accounting information is easily managed, implemented, and disseminated both at the station level and at the client corporate location.

Traffic:

VCI is a flexible traffic system that supports the centralization of broadcast operations, allowing efficient data entry and work flow. Its capacity for niche system operation allows the operation of a niche system customized for each station’s needs.   VCI also allows for real-time inventory reporting which help GSM’s see when and where raise rates to improve the station’s bottom line.

Sales:

VCI’s “salesdesk” enables sales managers to directly approve any orders being placed on logs through paperless approval. Account Executives also have direct control over their orders through direct input and revision; the system also provides instant make-good notification.

Accounting:

VCI allows stations to print invoices on regular paper thereby avoiding the need to purchase pre-printed forms.  Likewise, VCI gives stations the flexibility of sending invoices via normal printing and mailing, email, or electronically.It also provides accounting information on demand.

SIMS / PROGRAMMING

A full-function system that manages program scheduling, usage, and financial information.

Scheduling:

The management system allows flexible, multiple channel program scheduling, both episodically and as a schedule line, and provides information in simple weekly grid format for internal use as well as for listing services.

Usage:

Complete tracking of cash, barter, and cash-plus-barter program use is maintained through scheduling data. Per contract information is available for both to-date and assigned future scheduling.

Finance:

Contractual information is easily input and retrieved for individual contracts. Total liability and payment information is maintained, and barter valuation can be assigned per program. Amortization flexibility allows assignment, per contract, as time, usage, or greater of time vs. usage.

Reporting:

General and specific reports can be created using with all available SIMS data – from contracts and finance to listings, schedules and titles, any information can be retrieved and presented in customizable format and detail.