Public / Education Access TV

A growing number of cable TV systems in America are providing Public and/or Education Access channels as part of their agreements with the municipalities they serve. This can be a powerful public service for the community. But someone--the cable system, the town government or the school system--has to provide the content for the channel.

Recently, these public access channels have started looking to the IRIS Technologies VideoTizer as the most powerful and cost-effective way to do this job. VideoTizer stores video in a digital form for rapid access. The scheduler built into VideoTizer allows this video to be played back at designated times, with the schedule set up days (or months) in advance. And VideoTizer can hold over a hundred hours of video (actual capacity depends on the specific model and the recording quality) to provide maximum flexibility in playing back program content.

The VideoTizer can record new program content, from video, S-Video or RF cable inputs, interactively, on a pre-set schedule or under control of a PC. If the recording is started by a schedule or by a PC, VideoTizer can actually record at the same time as it is playing a different scheduled program, so your on-air customers don't see an interruption. Or, for maximum flexibility, use two VideoTizers: one as a dedicated playback system, and one for recording and program trimming (using our powerful ClipMark feature), then use a PC computer network to transfer programs between the two.

Between scheduled playbacks, VideoTizer can be set up to play a standard "logo" video (rather than have dead air time). For many public and education access channels, VideoTizer is a complete solution in a single economical package!

If running your access channel involves additional video equipment, you should also consider our Video Commander signal routing system.