SOURCES SOUGHT
58 -- Mastering, duplication and playback systems
- Notice Date
- 1/15/2003
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- Other Defense Agencies, American Forces Information Service/Television-Audio Support Activity, T-ASA Sacramento Contracting Office, 3230 Peacekeeper Way, McClellan, CA, 95652
- ZIP Code
- 95652
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-NMC-03-0001
- Response Due
- 2/18/2003
- Archive Date
- 3/5/2003
- Point of Contact
- Susan Donbroski, Contract Specialist, Phone 916-643-0290, Fax 916-643-4032, - Susan Donbroski, Contract Specialist, Phone 916-643-0290, Fax 916-643-4032,
- E-Mail Address
-
donbroski@tasa-exchange.army.mil, donbroski@tasa-exchange.army.mil
- Description
- The Naval Media Center Broadcasting Department is seeking sources to provide technologies that have the potential to replace 8 millimeter videotape mastering, duplication, and playback systems in use today in the present generation Shipboard Information, Training, and Entertainment (SITE) systems. SITE systems are installed aboard US Navy ships, submarines and some Military Sealift Command ships. Technologies should provide state-of-the-art solution(s) capable of 10 or more years of service life and must provide for content encoding and encryption, media duplication and distribution, and two separate playback functions ? stand-alone and server-based. It is essential that both playback solutions share a common media format and content security system(s) including both content decryption and key management. Ideal technologies will dramatically simplify workflow and reduce manpower requirements in all phases of content acquisition, duplication, distribution, and playback. This is not a request for competitive proposals or quotations. The state-of-the-art has advanced considerably since the present generation SITE design and NMC is now faced with a videotape format that will become extinct within two to four years, and has already begun the inevitable upward growth in life cycle maintenance, replacement, and operating costs. Programming for use in SITE systems consists of four types: theatrical movies, which are procured from the commercial movie industry by Naval Motion Picture Service (NMPS); time sensitive content supplied by NMC owned and operated videotape duplication facilities (DUPFACs); non-time sensitive content from commercial duplicators who distribute programming to ships in a circuited fashion; and training materials, which are supplied from a number of commercial and military sources, typically, on VHS format videotape. NMC DUPFACs are equipped to receive programming from the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) satellite network. Once duplicated on 8 mm videotape, shipments of programming are transported to U.S. Navy ships by military shipping channels. Ships receiving DUPFAC service often receive U.S. domestic television programs within one or two days after being aired over AFRTS. NMC faces the challenge of identifying technologies that can provide improved video playback quality, a clear migration path away from 8 mm videotape, sustainable technologies with a clear 10 year life cycle, and the capability to distribute 15 full length movies on a single piece of media. If you or your organization is involved in the areas of television program encoding, encryption, file storage, decoding, decrypting, public/private key management, and video playback technologies or otherwise believe that you have the capabilities that can benefit NMCs SITE program as it is further described below, NMC is requesting such information. Please mail, e-mail, or fax your response to this Request for Information/Sources Sought Notice to the address listed below by February 18, 2003. NMC desires to take advantage of digital technologies that provide advantages in terms of end-to-end signal quality, file storage, faster than real time file transfer rates, and that provide stand-alone playback functionality. Standalone playback devices must support two major functions ? backup playback for video server equipped SITE systems, and primary playback for SITE systems without video servers. It is anticipated that stand-alone playback devices will also be used in small theatre applications at U.S. Navy land-based facilities. Stand-alone playback devices must present users with typical VCR or DVD control features such as Play, Rewind, Fast Forward, Pause, and Stop. In addition, they must provide content navigation controls to allow a user to select a piece of content without having to sequentially Fast Forward or Rewind through unwanted content. Stand-alone playback devices must have front panel and optionally hand-held remote control for all functions. Ideal technologies must employ a system architecture that remains in the digital (MPEG) domain from the source origination completely through all satellite, DUPFAC and shipboard systems. NMC is interested in technologies that would enable recording pre-encoded content extracted from multiple-program MPEG transport stream directly to a video server hard drive. Once stored, single program elements are to be combined with metadata, low bandwidth thumbnails, and other utility (non-media) files to form a pre-duplication master. Once a master is created, acceptable technologies must allow duplication of a minimum of 30 copies in a time span not to exceed one hour. Content encryption and key management are critical elements of this workflow and must be included in any acceptable responses to this RFI/SSN. Acceptable responses must include technologies that are capable of protecting intellectual property from unauthorized access. Acceptable security technologies will have minimal impact on shipboard and small theatre users and must include provisions to allow owners of intellectual property to determine the level of protection required, and if a particular implementation of a security protocol offered by respondents to this RFI/SSN is acceptable. Only those technologies capable of meeting the security requirements of the entertainment, movie, broadcast, and cable television industries will be acceptable to NMC. SITE system video servers must be capable of four output channels (video and audio) and provide long term storage of up to 800 full-length movies. Vendors should use an MPEG-2 encode rate of 4.0 Mbps as a reference to determine storage requirements. In addition to movie storage, vendors should also consider other forms of content likely to be stored in shipboard video servers. These include, but are not limited to, shipboard local production, public service announcements also known as ?command information, 20-hours per week of commercially duplicated content, and content supplied to most ships from NMC DUPFACs. NMC DUPFACs will typically supply ships with a minimum of 16 hours of programming per day designed to feed two television channels with eight hours each. A fully automated workflow for both duplication and shipboard playback functions will be required. It is desired that a centralized system be devised to allow multiple duplication facilities to master and distribute the same product to all ships worldwide. The common output product from duplication facilities would consist of a minimum of 16 hours of programming and a playlist file. The playlist file is envisioned to contain sufficient data to allow a simple automation system, perhaps included within the video server?s operating system, to automatically play back four channels of programming. NMC envisions two output channels dedicated to DUPFAC and other NMC programming, and two output channels dedicated to movies. NMC suspects that most solutions will require significant interface of with computers and computer networks. NMC desires to take full advantage of programmable features offered by computers by providing the SITE system with capabilities that are not available today. Examples of these capabilities include, but are by no means limited to administrator function(s) whereby the ability to control, program, and operate the video playback subsystem from a distance (i.e., via Local Area Network) is provided to SITE system managers/administrators; remote diagnostics giving NMC owned and operated depot level repair facilities the ability to examine, diagnose, and repair shipboard systems without having to physically deploy technical staff; and integrated management and therefore automation of subsystems such as, for example, the duplication functions. SNMP or control functions provided via Ethernet shall not provide access to encrypted files or material. NMC is interested in off-the-shelf technologies that can provide a significant improvement in the density of programming hours per unit of media; technologies that are capable of full automation yet can also be fully manipulated by shipboard operators; technologies that will facilitate ?faster than real time? transfer of programming between integral parts of a playback system; and technologies that are scalable in terms numbers of channels, drives, or both, and in terms of quality of playback (probably controlled at the encoding (recording) process). Ideal technologies will be based on open architecture systems that are also compliant with commercial broadcast standards such as MPEG-2 or later. Severe space limitations exist with all SITE systems and no expansion rack space is planned or desired. All SITE systems use 19-inch wide, EIA standard equipment racks with a depth of 24 inches. Responses must include: 1. Point of contact (company name, POC name, phone and fax numbers, e-mail) who is familiar with your company?s activities. 2. Provide a brief description of your past, present, and future capabilities, activities, and programs related to broadcast automation and control systems, encoding and storage technologies, encryption and content security technologies, and decoding and playback technologies. 3. Provide information on how the technologies available from your company can support the capabilities outlined. 4. Provide information on your company?s projection of long term availability of product(s) that might support the capabilities outlined. 5. Provide information on your company?s past experience with deployment and implementation of technologies, lessons learned, merits and shortfalls, and unmet needs. 6. Indicate potential interest in being considered in NMC?s assessment of technologies as described. Depending on the responses, NMC may narrow the scope of focus and release modifications to this RFI/SSN. NMC intends to conduct an assessment of all technologies within the narrowed scope if necessary. All assessments will include three parts: (1) a functional assessment based on materials submitted and presentations by vendors; (2) a technical assessment lasting approximately five (5) working days based on a live demonstration of video playback technologies using programming material supplied by NMC, and hands-on experience by potential SITE system operators; and (3) a technical and cost assessment by NMC based on data provided by the vendor. Please send your responses to Mr. Jim Kuhrt by e-mail to kuhrt@mediacen.navy.mil, by fax to (202) 433-6412, or by mail to Naval Media Center, Broadcasting Department, Attn: Mr. Jim Kuhrt, 2713 Mitscher Road, S.W., Anacostia Annex, DC 20373. NMC may respond with a questionnaire to ascertain additional information about your technology(ies), and information from the questionnaire would be used during the various assessments described above. This is an open and participative process. Should you determine that sharing of some information is not desired, please clearly mark or indicate the specific portions, and we will make every effort to protect that data and honor your request. Please respond by February 18, 2003. Thank you for your interest and participation. Point of Contact James Kuhrt, Chief Engineer, Naval Media Center,(202) 433-0045.
- Web Link
-
Link to FedBizOpps document.
(http://www.eps.gov/spg/ODA/AFIST-ASA/McClellanCA/Reference-Number-NMC-03-0001/listing.html)
- Record
- SN00240089-F 20030117/030115215834 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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