Services

Middleware application and portal development, IPTV Box design, manufacture and customisation, digital offline solutions, content management solutions, encryption and digital rights management, channel playouts, CAS support, VOD and linear IP transport services, linear satellite to IP conversion, linear channel delivery and recommendation engine technology.

Various billing integrations, mobile money and internet payment gateway integrations, loyalty integrations and vouchering. Discover Digital have also developed their own bespoke billing integration system, COBI (hyperlinked to product page) (Common Operator Billing Interface), which enables clients to select from a host of payment solutions through a single integration.

The complete end-to-end OTT Video On Demand and TV channel solutions is where Discover Digital provides a completely managed and turnkey service to our customers. This starts with design and implementation of the systems required to receive the content, either VOD or TV Channels, and goes through the entire value chain ending in the playing of the content through an application on a device. In these solutions, the customer is only responsible for the marketing of the product and the take-to-market strategies. Discover Digital can offer this as a fully managed service or provide the technology and then provide support based on a Service Level Agreement. The total technical solution is delivered by integrating all related Discover Digital media and billing products into one fully managed and customised solution.

This solution is made up of the following elements:

• CWS (Digital Content Workflow Management Solution): which handles the receipt and processing of the content.
• CMS (Content Management Solution): the engine room of any VOD and TV Channel solution. It controls the content licensing, content display, commercialisation, users/subscribers, client accounts and customer profiles.
• DRM (Digital Rights Management): this is a prerequisite for premier licensors, who require that their content is protected so that it cannot be pirated.
• COBI (Common Operator Billing Interface) integrations: the CMS is integrated with COBI which enables it to monetise content by offering different billing options.
• CDN (Content Delivery Network): the CDN’s are integrated to ensure that the playing of the content is smooth and ensures a satisfactory experience for the end consumer of the content.

Linear television channels and Video On Demand assets are required to be transported from source via various technologies in a protected/encrypted state to the selected destination. Discover Digital has sought out the most cost-effective ways to transport such content and deliver onward to markets in Africa.
For the delivery of international linear television channels that do not have a satellite footprint over Africa, Discover Digital downlinks channels in the UK and transports them over a dedicated fiber line/pipe to our headend infrastructure based at Terraco. For the delivery of local channels and/or international channels that are accessible via satellite over Africa, we downlink these from local satellites and then convert the formats to transport over IP to our headend infrastructure for continuous playout through our CMS and CDNs.
For VOD titles/assets, we use Hollywood studio-approved File Transport Protocols (FTP) processes to deliver the content from source to a repository/docker server for further processing to the CMS by our CWS.

As the IT and digital eras continue to advance, and there is progress across the fintech and digital video and music streaming services, a demand for Systems Integration (SI) resources and the digital automation of workflow processes to eliminate manual process has emerged. This extends to existing services who may have a need to bolt on additional functionality to their current offerings. Discover Digital conducts SI work almost weekly for its own suite of products and has extended this skilled service offering to emerging digital players. SI works can range from Application Interface (API) integrations to ancillary technology products being embedded into existing services and the subsequent digital automation thereof.

List of supported devices:

• Android version 4.1 and higher
• iOS version 7.0 and higher
• Smart TV (Hisense, Samsung Tizen, LG Opera system)
• Android TV box
• Apple TV box
• Roku

In line with modern industry trends of live streaming sport and events to multiple connected devices across multiple platforms, Discover Digital acquired a 74% shareholding in EFX Productions (Pty) Ltd on September 1, 2017. EFX Productions has been in the television industry for over 10 years, working closely with staging companies, transmission service providers and creative directors to successfully produce sporting events, concerts, series and documentaries. In addition, EFX Productions has invested significant time and equipment in live streaming technology enabling a full-service end-to-end live streaming and broadcast production solution. Full digital High Definition OB Van and flight case solutions are used for outside broadcasts as well as event recordings. Multi-definition outputs are available for any possible application, digital or analogue displays, 16:9 or 4:3, satellite uplink or internet streaming. The system is capable of Full HD, 1920×1080 uncompressed, up to 16 cameras, 4ch instant replay server and 32 inputs 5.1ch audio desk, operated by a competent crew.

Production Highlights to date have included:

Sport:

• FIFA Football for Hope Festival, an official 2010 World Cup Stadium exclusively provided by EFX Productions
• World Cup 2010 for Supersport Blitz HD

Television:

• Isidingo (SABC3)
• SAMA Winning/Nominated Live DVDs
• Simpiwe Dana

Concerts:

• James Blunt
• Drake
• Kanye West
• Parlotones
• Andrea Bocelli
• Junior Orchestra

Comedy:

• Nic Rabinowitz
• Russel Peters
• Comedy Central Live
• Sex Show
• Jimmy Carr
• John Vlismas
• Barry Hilton
• Trevor Gumbe

Recent:

• FOX Sports Botswana
• SuperGP Champions Trophy
• Kyalami Motorsport Festival
• Copa Coca Cola U15 Tournament
• South African Festival of Motoring
• Nelson Mandela Funeral
• Oscar Pistorius Trial
• Copa Coca-Cola

Buy Data viewership reporting, service analytics, regulatory compliance and client account management.

Generating marketing planners, producing portal and app banners and other creative collateral, working with client marketing teams on campaigns and strategy, producing social media calendars and posts and negotiating studio prizes and merchandising opportunities.

Acquiring and licensing a full spectrum of international and local content, including thousands of hours of TV shows, movies, kids content, documentaries and lifestyle programmes, music videos and educational content, across SVOD, TVOD/EST, Linear/IPTV and Internet TV, content scheduling, content curation and planning, content marketing support, encoding and metadata preparation, linear channel content acquisitions, live stream productions and original content development.

Linear television channels and Video On Demand assets are required to be transported from source via various technologies in a protected/encrypted state to the selected destination. Discover Digital has sought out the most cost-effective ways to transport such content and deliver onward to markets in Africa.
For the delivery of international linear television channels that do not have a satellite footprint over Africa, Discover Digital downlinks channels in the UK and transports them over a dedicated fiber line/pipe to our headend infrastructure based at Terraco. For the delivery of local channels and/or international channels that are accessible via satellite over Africa, we downlink these from local satellites and then convert the formats to transport over IP to our headend infrastructure for continuous playout through our CMS and CDNs.
For VOD titles/assets, we use Hollywood studio-approved File Transport Protocols (FTP) processes to deliver the content from source to a repository/docker server for further processing to the CMS by our CWS.