Gofilex Mediabox is a platform for receiving Event Cinema live- and semi-live content in cinemas.
- The satellite feed is downlinked/received at Gofilex head office in Zeist. The feed is also downlinked from a secondary/backup site in Alkmaar. This is to avoid possible (weather) issues at the primary site. Gofilex is also able to receive the feed via fibre and other terrestrial connections or from non-broadcasting feeds (RTMP, Twitch, Youtube, etc.)
- Incoming feeds are monitored for signal quality. The monitored parameters are image, audio quality, distortions and A/V sync. Any possible issues are logged. Any quality issues originating from the uplink/production are reported to production POC. Notifications are also sent to participating cinemas via Mattermost and the Gofilex live website.
- Feeds are encoded to H.264 HLS profiles (10 and 15 Mbps). Max bitrate is 15 Mbps. Max resolution is 1920x1080. Audio is not encoded but passed through in native format (AC-3 surround or PCM stereo).
- The feeds are streamed to edge servers and the encoded stream is monitored for quality control.
- Feeds are configured to the Mediabox which will read the configuration settings when booting up or rebooting.
- The feed is streamed to Filmvault as a High Quality HLS.
- The feed is selected from the Mediabox and streamed from the Filmvault. The feed can be started at a later time (delay needs to be pre-configured). Subtitles are automatically set to the preferred subtitle settings of the cinema's profile. If necessary, the cinema can overrule the subtitle settings using the "Subtitle" button on the Mediabox remote control. After the live event, the HLS stream is stored on the Filmvault as a native transport stream and can be used instantly for encore screenings in the cinema. If the cinema is using multiple Mediaboxes, they will all stream from the Filmvault. Streaming bandwidth is only used for one incoming stream.
- The Mediabox is connected to the projector via HDMI and to the audio processor via optical Toslink. Mediabox needs to have access to the Internet and also the Filmvault.
Each cinema needs to be tested and certified to receive feeds from Gofilex. This way any issues are spotted beforehand, and we are able to minimize problems during actual events.
Certification phase A
- Mediabox is connected to the network/Filmvault and projection/sound devices and is able to receive test streams.
- Verification that audio is 5.1 in the cinema. Verification of audio/video sync.
- Video material is without artefacts, frame drops or other issues.
Certification phase B
- Viewing an actual live event (1 hour to 2 hours). Long term streaming is required to bring out any issues in theatre network and Internet connectivity
- Viewing an Encore (recorded) event from Filmvault (1 hour to 2 hours). Long term streaming is required to bring out any issues in the theatre network.
Certification phase C
- Share theatre contact information
- Share technical contact information
- Setup in Mattermost live group
The cinema books the event directly at the rights holder and lets the rights holder know they want to show the event via Gofilex. We also ask the cinema to inform Gofilex of the booking as early as possible.
In order to confirm a booking, Gofilex needs the following information:
- Event to be screened / date
- Encore screenings / date
- Participating cinema/s
- Subtitle versions per cinema
- Required delay per cinema
Gofilex will send an email confirmation of the booking to the cinema. This confirmation contains the names of the streams, possible backup streams and details of the streaming window.
Gofilex always checks cinema bookings with the rights holder directly to confirm the right to play.
After making a booking, Gofilex will confirm which streams are available for the cinema. When actual content is not streaming, there is a 24/7 test loop.
It is the cinemas obligation to test the Mediabox (test stream) at least 1 day before the event but also the live test stream on the day of the event itself. If the stream is not available or there are issues then these should be reported immediately back to Gofilex.
Please note that if there are problems in the cinemas internal network which occur during the live event, it is (almost) impossible for Gofilex to solve these problems.
During live events Gofilex has an online Mattermost group and a hotline where cinemas can call if there are any issues.
During live events Gofilex will pause any DCP transfers. We require that the cinema reserves 20 Mbps of bandwidth for us during the event.
Live events are available for Encore 1 h after the live event to any cinemas who have booked an Encore.
Gofilex will supply contact information (Mattermost channel, website, email, phone) for troubleshooting any issues before or during the streaming. First line of support is handled from Zeist.