Want to learn more about ContentAgent?
Simply fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
ContentAgent is a software-based application which can automate common tasks such as camera card ingest into editorial and creating deliverables such as broadcast, international masters and viewing copies. It integrates with a number of third party tools to orchestrate WAN acceleration, file-based quality control management, motion compensated frame rate conversion, social media uploading and more.
At the heart of the ContentAgent™ software is ContentCentral™, which is a powerful workflow software service manager that orchestrates everything from handing jobs out to the transcoding engines and overseeing watch folders, to managing the job queue and third-party interoperability during a workflow.
Intuitive user interface gives you the ability to build and design flowchart-style graphical workflows with unrivalled flexibility, so non-technical staff can take control of their workflows.
Automate transcoding, metadata management and decision making. Remove human error and free up editors to be storytellers. Build intelligence into the workflow via Decision nodes.
As a media file moves through a workflow, decisions about processing can be made automatically, while the transcoding engine is capable of making intelligent, context-aware changes.
ContentAgent contains a powerful, integrated transcoding engine that is built from the ground up to meet the demands of broadcast, film, web and post-production. Resolution independent, it can process files from SD to HD to 4K and beyond. Tasks such as resizing, cropping, padding, frame rate conversion and audio channel mapping can be performed. Logo, text, timecode and subtitles can be burnt into the picture. Key broadcast and consumer media formats are supported (including camera cards).
ContentAgent integrates with leading third party tools including Avid for automated ingest and delivery tasks. Create clips ready for editing and send a Media Composer sequence directly (from within its user interface) to a ContentAgent workflow for deliverables, or output sequences from Media Central | Production management ready for broadcast. ContentAgent also integrates with Cinnafilm’s Tachyon and Dark Energy tools for high quality noise removal and motion compensated frame rate conversion, NexGuard and Teletrax for invisible watermarking, Minnetonka for Audio Tools Server processing and leading file-based quality control products including Vidchecker, Aurora, Baton, QScan and Pulsar.
ContentAgent automates creating deliverables such as XAVC, AVC-Intra, DNxHD, DNxHR, ProRes, AS-10, H.264, H.265, MPEG 2, AS-11 UK DPP files (including insert editing them) and viewing copies. Deliver direct to social media including YouTube, Vimeo and Twitter. WAN acceleration integration with Aspera and File Catalyst is also available.
Upload your media to an S3 based cloud storage provider
ContentAgent can pass through wide colour gamut information for UHD HDR transcoding workflows.
The transcoding engine can automatically adjust colours to legal range during transcoding.
CardAgent is a job submission tool to allow non-technical staff to prepare media files for processing by a ContentAgent workflow. CardAgent automatically identifies camera cards and allows the operator to play back clips, trim clips, rename clips and add custom metadata.
CardAgent connects to ContentAgent across a LAN network. ContentAgent can then run an automated workflow to enable the creation of proxies and high-resolution media, viewing copies, backups, and the subsequent delivery to editorial.
CardAgent can also be used in the field, to prepare and submit media files remotely for processing by a ContentAgent system (back at base) by enabling camera cards (and single clips) to be uploaded to an S3 cloud storage bucket. A ContentAgent system will then watch the bucket, and automatically download the files and run a workflow on the media files.
Identify cards, select clips and prepare them for ingest – using a simple interface for non-technical staff.
Pick individual clips, play them back, trim and rename clips, and add custom metadata.
Simple and intuitive user interface runs on a basic PC so non-technical staff can drive production.
JobAgent is the application which does the heavy lifting – transcoding, image processing, file copying and the like. When you purchase a ContentAgent system you get one JobAgent as standard (this can do up to four parallel transcodes). If you need to scale up, you can purchase additional JobAgent licences and install them on separate PC computers (or virtual machines) to create a render farm. For example, purchase two additional JobAgent systems and you can process 12 files across 3 computers at the same time.
ContentAgent speeds up remote and local media ingest. From news to sports to promos, automated workflows make it easy for non-technical staff to ingest media. You can even accept footage at different frame rates from foreign broadcasters and quickly convert them to your local standard as part of the ingest process. ContentAgent can also be used to create deliverables of the final program master in different formats automatically.
ContentAgent is your essential tool for camera card ingest, transcoding, viewing copies, quality control management, conversion and delivery – customers have seen processing times drop from weeks to days. Automated workflows speed up common tasks and simplify complex ones, with templates for tasks including reading Avid Media Composer sequences, creating masters and packaging content for broadcast deliverables such as AS-11 DPP files.
If you’re looking to expand your ability to ingest camera cards into editorial and provide broadcast masters and viewing copies for delivery, ContentAgent is an efficient way to quickly grow your capabilities.
Creating and distributing internal video communications across your organisation can be challenging, especially if your company operates in a number of different territories. ContentAgent’s easy-to-master system ensures that your comms team can produce content efficiently.
Higher and Further Education institutions are looking to emulate industry-standard workflows using ContentAgent’s user-friendly tools. ContentAgent enables course leaders to build professional-style pipelines, but also to process media from any creative course that generates video files and needs to manage them.
From delivering internal training videos, to transcoding crime scene footage and interviews, ContentAgent lets you process your video content without having to give staff specialist media training. Automated workflows make for efficient processing and a shallow learning curve, right from day one.
Picture Shop Automates Creation of Final Deliverables with Telestream ContentAgent
ContentAgent’s deep integration with Avid ecosystems is the single most important aspect to us at De Mensen, the time savings are simply immeasurable."
“While having predictable operation obviously helps us stay on schedule it provides the additional advantage of being able to accurately budget for time and resources when starting a new project.”
“Many organizations still tie up precious staff resources and valuable edit hardware, spending many hours on camera card ingest and administrative tasks. The solution provided to TBN as a key part of our overall workflow”
“ContentAgent’s workflow automation has been a revelation,” Tristan concludes. “I just need to spend a bit of time at the start of the project then, once the workflow’s complete, it becomes a very convenient and fluid process.”
ContentAgent Server runs the ContentAgent software or additional JobAgent nodes. Housed in a 1RU chassis, it reduces rack space, power, and cooling requirements while easing processing demands.
ContentAgent server uses powerful Dual 20 core Intel CPUs to drive image and audio processing. The server accelerates these compute-intensive tasks to process media as fast as possible without sacrificing quality or reliability.
The system also includes a powerful GPU required for certain tasks such as RED R3D decoding*, Sony X-OCN decoding*, ARRI RAW decoding*, JPEG2000 decoding/encoding* and accelerated H.264 and H.265* decoding and encoding as well as for use with the Tachyon Advanced Standards conversion option*.
* Additional ContentAgent software options are required for these tasks.
Highly skilled technicians enable you to have complete peace of mind with both ContentAgent software* and ContentAgent Server hardware covered. A 3-year warranty and replacement programs are also available to meet your needs. *ContentAgent software maintenance supplied separately.
For more technical information about ContentAgent Server, please read the Product Sheet.
ContentAgent also runs as a software application on a variety of PC hardware, including blade servers, workstations, and even a laptop (and virtual machines). The system can run with standalone media storage or can be connected to a network topology (SAN, NAS, etc.). Additional transcoding nodes (JobAgent) can also connect together with a main ContentAgent system (over an Ethernet or Fibre network) to provide a powerful render farm.
The ability to automate the ingest of still or animated graphics, as a matte key, directly into Avid’s Media Composer or MediaCentral | Cloud UX is now available in ContentAgent v3.12. This new capability has been added to ContentAgent’s existing Avid MXF option but also requires the customer to have purchased the Avid Turbo Pack option to enable this feature.
The ability to create an Avid op-atom MXF video only file has been added to v3.12
Simple IMF packaging functionality is now an option in ContentAgent. This feature can be added to ContentAgent’s J2K encoder option and adds the capability to create IMF packaging to meet NETFLIX delivery requirements.
ContentAgent’s integration with NexGuard has been updated to the latest SDK. This latest NexGuard SDK has support for ClipMark which enables forensic watermarking of content between 30 seconds to 2 minutes in duration.
