By Bill Killion, Channelmatic, Inc.
Channelmatic was founded over a decade ago as a manufacturer of automatic machine control systems and accessories for the broad video industry. The first product shipped was a low-cost 3-VCR sequencer; thousands of similar systems have been produced by the company to date.
In 1979, Channelmatic produced the first automatic commercial insert system for satellite services. The initial system was installed in Hawaii; it inserted locally generated advertising into the local avail provided by NEWSTIME as part of its slow scan news service. The satellite cue tone prompted device controlled one Sony VCR on a hands-off, totally automatic basis. This product was the forerunner of all automatic commercial insert systems and was the first to use the innovative spot sequential (multiple spots per tape) approach.
Since only a few cable systems sold local advertising on NEWSTIME, the first inserter was a year or so ahead of its time. However, most of the insert systems available today from any manufacturer are utilizing the techniques proven by this initial design.
By the time CNN began offering local ad avails, thirty or so of these systems were in the field and most of them were changed over in advance to operate with the new CNN cue tones. Many of the systems inserted advertising in the very first avail offered by CNN.
This early experience has caused the manufacture of related equipment to be dominate in Channelmatic's sales. Accordingly, a constant research and development program is continuing to produce more effective and often less expensive equipment approaches to the commercial insertion problem.
The following paper will discuss the many types of equipment and systems we manufacture for automatic insertion and related functions. Much of that described has been introduced in just the past few months. Several projects are in engineering currently, but are in very early stages and are not mentioned. Much research and software engineering time and effort has been spent on an elaborate Traffic Control and Accounting System, which is described briefly in this paper. Detailed information on all Channelmatic products is available upon request.