Metus MAM

Introducing Metus MAM. MAM is a scalable media management system. Its asset management and transcoding tools helps workgroups catalogue, share and protect every asset and project, andoptimizes every file for use.

Metus MAM (Media Asset Manager) helps you do the following:

• Organize your media assets into an archive
• Track each file and project
• Convert your assets in as many formats as you want
• Help users find the right file fast
• Secure your archive with appropriate access rights granted to each user
• Export and deliver your assets in any format
• Interface between your archive and 3rd partprocessing, editing and playout tools
• Keep track of actions performed on your archive Metus MAM is ideal for any organization that has a valuable and growing archive of media assets.

What are the benefits of Metus MAM?

Metus MAM has over 4000 installed users distributed around 50 countries. These include TV stations, head ends, telecoms, webTV, IPTV operators, corporates, educational institutions, production companies, media archives, government, militaryand security agencies.

The Scalable Asset Manager

Built to accommodate every size of organization with changing needs, MAM can grow to support everything from a small local workgroup to a global enterprise. Metus MAM is a client server based system. As a scalable system, users can initially host multiple server side components on a single server. As the catalogue and users’ needs develop, each of the server components get be installed on its own server, or shared among multiple servers.

Fully Loaded Desktop Client for Windows PC

The local client gives users and administrators access to the system’s search,file management and processing tools. Customized according to individuals’ security rights, it’s a versatile and powerful tool. The local Windows client allows users to see and interact with files and projects. It is typically used by power users who wish to use all of the functions of Metus MAM, including file transcoding, clip cutting, joining and editing, in addition to basic functions such as importing, browsing and searching. Users with admin rights may also configure and administer the system from the Desktop Client. The Client also includes the Media Asset Viewer, a customized player application used to play the assets at normal, fast, slow, reverse speeds, mark points and regions on the assets with metadata, choose and mix between audio channels, and mark in and out points.

Metus Process Server (MPS), the File Processor

Metus is an expert in file processing and format conversion. MPS gives MAM users sophisticated tools making them more efficient and productive.
MPS is the file professing engine that handles the following actions:

• Transcode between supported file formats
• Create low resolution proxies of assets for network and web based playback
• Trim clips and create new assets
• Join multiple files and clips
• Audio channel mapping, remapping and embedding
• Package to TS and adaptive bitrate VOD formats
• And many more video processing options

Metus Process Server runs on version of Microsoft Windows 2003 and 2008 Server, or Windows 7 Professional (64-bit). Multiple MPS servers can be installed to scale the video processing power through intelligent load balancing.

Metus Web Server and Online Web Client (MOL) – the Cross-Platform Client

MOL gives local and remote users fast access to the archive, using a variety of devices. Metus MAM can also be accessed and used by a lightweight, cross-platform web client. This client allows users to:

• Import video files - Enter metadata - Browse the archive - Play the proxy files. Metus Web Server (running on Windows 2003 or 2008) is required to host the web client Server.

Metus Image Matching Server (MIM)

MIM users breakthrough technology to accelerate visual searching. Intelligent algorithms help teams to find the right image or video fast. This optional server component allows users to search the archive for any image based on pictorial characteristics and display results in order of relevance. The image search is based on a custom algorithm that analyses the multimedia files in advance, calculates the visual information and searches the database accordingly. The image matching is then performed at the database level, and therefore thousands of hours of video can be searched in seconds.

Metus NLE Plug-Ins

By linking Metus MAM to your preferred editing software, projects can be accessed quickly and managed securely. The editing workflow is accelerated by using Metus MAM’s search tools from within your NLE.
Metus MAM has plugins for Adobe® Premiere® Pro CC, Grass Valley EDIUS® and Sony Vegas®, as well as a MAC Client and Gateway for Final Cut Pro®. Plugins are opened from within the NLE interface and allow the user to:

• Search and browse the MAM project as if using the Desktop Client - Play clips inside the plugin - Drag proxy versions of files onto the timeline - Conform and render edits with full resolution files.

Metus Archive Server (MAS), the Asset Controller

Organizing files, clips and assets across multiple storage devices is undertaken by MAS. It’s an essential component of Metus MAM. At the heart of Metus MAM, MAS manages the media storage arrays. It sits between the clients, the database, and the other server side components and fulfils multiple functions:

• Regulate the media and data traffic - Apply security restrictions and user access rights to protect valuable assets
• Handles the archiving process, moving and distributing files to the appropriate storage location and delivers the file path to the client
• Manage the media life cycle of assets according to pre-set rules Additionally, it can function as a backup for other servers. Metus Archive Server runs on Microsoft Windows 2003 or 2008 64-bit Server and supports multiple NAS, DAS and SAN storage units. Multiple MAS servers can be installed for load balancing during archiving or for redundancy purposes.

Scalability:

• Expandable media asset management and transcoding suite, deployable from a single desktop to hundreds of clients
• Supports archives up to PBs containing millions of assets
• Distributed server architecture allows limitless expansion
• Transcoding can be deployed on a single server or as a server farm with load balancing

Format Support and Video Processing:

• Supported containers: (MPG, M2P, AVI, F4V, MXF, GXF, MOV, XDCAM, MP4, TS, WMV, WAV, M4A, P2, Microsoft Smooth Streaming)
• Supported essences : (Uncompressed, MPEG2, DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50, DVCPROHD100, H.264, AVC-Intra, XAVC, Apple ProRes, IMX, VC-1, PCM, AAC, WMA)
• Support for proprietary formats via 3rd party components
• Also supports audio, picture, word, excel, pdf and text files
• Supports transcoding between supported formats
• Supports multi channel audio
• Supports easy cutting and joining of clips
• Supports partial retrieval with optional transcoding
• Supports watermarking of video with timecode, logo, etc.

Asset Management Benefits:

• Supports configurable proxy files for network playback
• Supports playing and editing of growing content, that is still being captured.
• Flexible bin structure independent from file system
• Built in media player with: mark in/out, fast/slow playback, marker/region definition, video&audio censure, audio channel selection and mapping
• Flexible metadata structure that can be customised by user without any development
• Many different types of metadata, per requirement
• Easy Category assignment
• Multiple search modes, which can be combined:
• Simple with wildcard and full-text.
• Advanced (custom searches made from specific metadata selected by user)
• Category based
• Auto Complete, Synonyms, etc.
• Optional image matching / search image in video
• Optional web server for accessing  MAM over internet
• Assets can be archived manually, or via dragging into the interface, or via dragging into watch folders (“dynamic bins”)
• Searches can be assigned to bins (“filter bins”)
• Metadata can be automatically assigned to imported assets (“template bins”)
• Different formats and qualities of the assets can be automatically generated and attached to them (“Attachments”)
• Other video and non-video files can also be attached to the assets (documents, audio files, pictures, subtitle files etc.)

Storage:

• Uses standard off the shelf server hardware
• Uses industry standard database server such as MS SQL Server
• Support of any type of storage such as NAS, SAN, DAS
• Supports nearline-offline storage systems ranging from single tape drive to enterprise tape libraries
• All components can be installed on single server, or distributed across multiple servers
• Archives are organized into Archive Projects: each Project can have the same or different users metadata structure, server, storage
• Supports different failover and redundancy scenarios both at database, application and storage level
• Information Lifecycle Management: Can move files between online and nearline storage automatically based on user defined rules.

Integration:

• Plug-ins for Sony Vegas®, GV EDIUS®, Adobe® Premiere® Pro CCand Apple Final Cut Pro®
• Plug-in for newsroom systems
• Seamless bi-directional integration with Metus FlashNews
• Can generate playlists and export to playout servers and automation systems
• Can generate EDLs and export to editing systems
• Integration with middleware systems as CMS for WebTV/IPTV platforms
• Possibility to import assets from third party MAM and databases
• Import and export of common metadata packs such as Cable Labs, VOD, Dublin Core, OpenArchive, MXF, EXIFF, etc.
• Automatic Custom metadata import and export over XML
• Metus MAM Components and supported Mac OS X

Clients:

• Metus Desktop Client : Windows 7 (recommended), Windows 8/8.1
• Metus MAC Client: Mac OS X, works with Final Cut Pro 6,7,X
• Metus Web Client:  Firefox, Safari, Chrome
• Plugins for: Sony Vegas® (version 9, 12) , GV EDIUS® (version 5, 6, 6.5, 7), Adobe® Premiere® Pro CC/2014.

Server Components:

• Database Server: Microsoft SQL 2008, 2012, 2014 Server (all editions. Some features may not work on free versions such as sql express edition)
• Metus Archive Server (MAS): Windows 2008 and 2012 Server, 64-bit
• Metus Process Server (MPS): Windows 2008 and 2012 Server, 64-bit
• Metus Web Server (MOL): Windows 2008 and 2012 Server, 64-bit, IIS 6.0 or later
• Metus Image Matching Server (MIM): Windows 2008 and 2012 Server, 64-bit