By someone at Telestream
Telestream’s Vantage is often used as an ingest solution, in workflows with and without asset management. The recent release of AI Speech, a new Vantage Action, adds significantly more value to Vantage as an ingest solution for asset management-based workflows. This blog will present value points and benefits that make Vantage the ideal ingest workflow solution for asset management-based workflows.
Telestream media workflow solutions bridge operational gaps in content workflows, providing seamless integration and interoperability for content creators and distributors. Our media workflows use built-in intelligence to streamline content creation, optimizing processes on-the-fly to ensure content reaches the right place, at the right time, with the ideal quality requirements for every audience.
As highlighted in the DPP’s NAB 2025 Demand vs Supply report, “the expectations and demands of audiences who watch premium content have increased,” making efficient, high-quality media workflows more critical than ever.
Death by proxy: The hidden costs of outdated ingest workflows
Most asset management systems include basic transcoding for proxy generation. “Proxy generators” are often based on FFMPEG and are statically set to create a standard proxy, associate the proxy with the high-resolution version(s), and check both files into the asset management application.
For low-volume, non-urgent workflows with uniform file types, this setup gets the job done—metadata entry and the occasional NLE workaround don’t pose major challenges. But when the stakes rise—when ingest volume spikes, file types diversify, or timelines tighten—these basic “proxy generators” start to buckle. The result? Workflow inefficiencies multiply as metadata complexity, search precision, and descriptive tagging demands outpace what static systems can handle.
Workflow inefficiency in an asset management-based workflow comes about when creative people cannot access the right file at the right time. More inefficiency can result if creatives then need to spend time doing non-creative work such as viewing and ingesting complex files with their NLEs, applying search, descriptive and cataloging metadata, moving files between or into catalogs, or unsuccessfully searching for files. Even worse, if they just wait for the files to be accessible.
The Vantage advantage
Telestream Vantage addresses ingest volume and file complexity by dynamically analyzing variances in file frame rates, aspect ratios, formats, and wrappers. Vantage can also parse camera card folders. Audio tracks and levels, captions, and many other factors can also be analyzed such that all ingested media can be appropriately processed. These dynamic processes are enabled with Vantage options Analysis and Analysis Pro and camera card media is parsed with CardAgent and/or Camera Ingest Option.
Vantage can also accelerate and prioritize content for ingest. GPU-based processing and the new GRID option accelerate file-based processing while tools within Vantage can prioritize specific Watch Folders. Analysis and Analysis Pro can also be used to collect file header-based metadata (file name, framerate, format, date, etc.) and ingest these values into asset management. Vantage also enables managerial oversight of the ingest process as current job status and past jobs can be viewed within a browser-based job queue. Reports can also be created from jobs and other data processed by Vantage.
Metadata, mastered: How AI Speech turns ingest chaos into clarity
AI Speech is a new Vantage metadata option that enables Vantage to automatically create granular search, descriptive, key word, and cataloging metadata. With AI Speech, Vantage is now able to address all ingest workflow challenges: volume, time sensitivity, file complexity, search, and cataloging metadata.
AI Speech uses a premise-based AI engine, significantly customized by Telestream engineering, to create multiple text-based assets from audio tracks. No data is shared in this process and no variable costs are involved. Specifically, AI Speech creates:
- Transcripts can be used for granular searches.
- Sub-Clip Summaries can be used to describe portions of the file.
- File Summaries provide summaries of the entire file to be used for cataloging metadata.
- Sentiment creates a single word describing the sentiment or tone of the Summary.
- Pre-Defined Key Words can identify key events, people, etc.
Once content is ingested with AI Speech, key words can quickly reveal key figures or moments, granular search is enabled for general search, content is properly described and categorized. Further, creative folk have quick access to the content and a properly transcoded proxy such that more time is now available for the creative process than when using proxy generators for ingest.
Unlike many Media Asset Management (MAM) systems, AI Speech processes content during ingest rather than after ingest. Rapid availability streamlines downstream processes, including search functionalities, quality control, editorial workflows, compliance checks, and distribution planning. Conversely, post-ingest AI introduces delays, which are particularly detrimental in fast-paced environments such as news broadcasting, live sports coverage, or event production.
Every ingest challenge, solved: Vantage with AI Speech has the answer
Vantage with AI Speech stands out as the ideal ingest solution for asset management workflows, addressing every major workflow challenge with precision and efficiency. For handling large volumes, its GPU processing capabilities, along with the GRID option, significantly accelerate ingest processing, ensuring seamless scalability. When faced with complex file types or packaging, tools like the Analysis or Analysis Pro Option, CardAgent, and Camera Ingest adapt dynamically, simplifying even the most intricate workflows.
AI Speech brings unparalleled value by enhancing metadata handling at every level. For descriptive metadata, it generates insightful summaries that provide a clear overview of each file. It also produces time-based transcripts for granular search capabilities, allowing users to pinpoint specific moments within content effortlessly. Plus, AI Speech creates sentiments and summaries that streamline cataloging. The advanced keyword functionality is engineered to detect specific terms within transcription and flag their presence with precision. Tailored for effective profanity detection, this feature ensures that critical elements within the transcription are identified and highlighted seamlessly, providing accurate and actionable insights.
Adding to its robust feature set, Vantage provides real-time managerial insights into ingest job statuses, equipping teams with the data they need to monitor processes and ensure efficiency. With these capabilities, Vantage with AI Speech not only optimizes ingest workflows but also elevates content management, offering a forward-thinking solution for today’s asset management needs.
The benefits of using Vantage with AI Speech vs. a proxy generator for ingest are multiple. Initially, creative teams gain more time to be creative via quicker access to the most appropriate and needed content. Proxy creation is normalized such that all content is associated with a viewable, high-quality proxy. Normalized metadata is also associated with each clip to enable quick search, identification, description, and categorization. Managers gain insight over the ingest process via real-time Job reporting and Watch folder prioritization. The big win, however, is that creatives have more time to create and spend less time waiting or doing non-creative drudgery.
The universal translator for your media workflows
Vantage can integrate with any asset management application that has a RESTful API. Currently, Telestream offers Vantage “Connectors” for Avid MediaCentral and Backlight Iconik. Other asset management applications, including IPV Curator and eMAM, have added Vantage support. North Shore Automation has developed a Vantage connector for Quantum CatDV. Integration with several other asset management applications can also be done on a project basis.
Contact us today to learn how Vantage and AI Speech can revolutionize your ingest process.