Toolsonair or how to start a 24/7 music channel with a Mac Mini

Based on a Mac Mini, together with AJA's IoXT device connected through Thunderbolt technology, Dutch broadcaster Xite has launched a 24/7 music channel.

The Dutch broadcaster Xite has been the latest to join the list of users who are using the broadcast suite of Toolsonair as the basis of its playout service.

This broadcaster specialized in music on cable and IPTV networks is one of the first operators to adopt Toolsonair and its “a television on a Mac Mini” concept as a broadcast server solution. The company uses only two Apple Mac Minis to carry out its 24/7 service.

Luc Vleugels, Product Manager at Xite, noted that “we have replaced our entire proprietary hardware system with a pair of Mac Minis, with two spare parts for backup.” With the Toolsonair solution, we have a much more flexible and future-proof alternative to the structure we had before, at a fraction of the cost.”

Xite currently has two channels, one covering most of the Netherlands and another for the Dutch-speaking area of Flanders (Belgium). Each channel uses a single Mac Mini alongside the AJA IoXT device connected via Thunderbolt technology.

Thanks to Toolsonair, a simple Apple Mac Mini becomes a high-definition broadcast solution, with playout automation and real-time graphics server, consuming just 85 watts of power and housed in a single rack unit.

Currently, Xite broadcasts a 24/7 mix of music videos as well as a video-on-demand service, and will soon launch its new product myXite, a personalized television channel. "We also have plans to schedule commercials, as well as develop more graphics. "Toolsonair is all we need to schedule everything, and will even allow us to implement real-time graphics. In reality, it allows us to do everything we want,” said Vleugels.

Toolsonair provides powerful and intuitive QuickTime-based applications to create a professional, fully functional installation under Mac OS X and at a low cost. This solution is ready for live streaming, video, audio and graphics integration, as well as automation, asset management and capacity for multiple formats. With full support for QuickTime and Final Cut, it eliminates time spent converting files, and a powerful and intuitive graphical interface streamlines the workflow from ingest to output.