Broadcasters General Store Announced As Dealer For Complete Playbox Neo Line Across The U.S.

PlayBox Neo, a leading provider of media playout solutions, announced the addition of Ocala, Florida-based Broadcasters General Store (BGS) as a new U.S. dealer representative offering nationwide support. BGS has a storied reputation in the broadcast industry, with many top audio and video solutions in its catalog. BGS will carry the entire PlayBox Neo line of server-based playout, channel branding and cloud solutions.

Known as the preeminent dealer of radio and audio solutions, BGS has expanded significantly into the broadcast and video production market, hiring several former broadcast engineers to its staff and adding lines such as PlayBox Neo, AJA, Studio Technologies, BirdDog, BlackMagic and Kramer.

BGS is also well known as the exclusive dealer of the popular Axia Quasar radio console, which has provided BGS with an insider’s view into how station staffing has changed. “Our team is constantly inside television and radio stations, and we’ve watched as staffs have realigned,” said Shane Finch, Sales Director, BSG. “Where you may have had three engineers at a station, now you may have one. They are looking for reliable automation and playback solutions. At the same time, given some of the recent weather events of late, they’re also very interested in digital disaster recovery.”

The versatile AirBox Neo-20 playout system can be used as both a live playout server for master control and as a disaster recovery solution. The workflow of AirBox Neo-20 is uniquely adaptable to a customer’s needs. It provides automated content streaming and broadcast playout for any kind of TV channel – cloud-based, satellite, cable head-ends, over-the-air broadcasters, corporate TV, and OTT. The optional Multi-Backup Manager (MBM) module is designed for backing up multiple playout channels simultaneously. MBM allows the user to choose the number of backup systems, reducing overall system cost while maintaining system integrity.

“Some broadcasters have lost their content multiple times because of hacks or weather events,” recalled Finch. “That disaster event, one leading radio broadcaster has had it happen to him three times. Having a redundant backup with digital recovery gives them a sense of insurance that they welcome right now.”

Finch sees the integrity of the PlayBox Neo product range as an ideal fit alongside the other broadcast lines BGS carries. “If you look at their client roster, it’s the upper echelon of broadcasters who would only trust the most reliable solution for something as mission critical as playout and disaster recovery. They’re not organizations that would use a simplified solution or one without stellar support. As we’re approaching other broadcasters, it gives us the opportunity to say this is the technology that Olympusat trusts.”

“Our experience with the Next Best Thing (NBT) Media Tour, hosted by BGS, provided PlayBox Neo with considerable momentum in the U.S. market,” said Van Duke, U.S. Director of Operations, PlayBox Neo. “We knew we wanted to continue working with BGS following that road tour. They had a great grasp on the advantages of our system as well as deep ties with local stations and broadcast groups across the U.S. We’re looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with BGS.”

PlayBox Neo solutions provide a seamless workflow to keep channels on-air by combining scheduling, ingest, playout, CG and interactive graphics within one box and remote tools to enhance QC checks, preparation and monitoring. The output can be SDI and/or IP streaming and is suitable for a variety of applications, including traditional broadcast TV, pay-TV, playout centers, satellite operators, etc.

BGS will begin its 2023 NBT Media Tour onMarch 20 in the southwest, traveling throughout Arizona and California. After a two-week break, the tour will resume its travels, heading to cities in the Midwest and Eastern U.S.