IBC Show Previews P – Q
Pebble – Stand 8.C58
Pebble, the leading automation, content management, and integrated channel specialist, will demonstrate how targeting the right technology with the right functionality can meet both the operational and commercial needs of broadcasting customers effectively.
“Pebble has always led the way in using powerful, reliable, secure and intuitive software to automate workflows in broadcast delivery,” explains Sally Wallington, SVP Sales. “Today’s rapidly evolving needs in the playout market are more demanding than ever and that’s why, on our stand at IBC2024, you’ll see interactive demonstrations for sports, entertainment and news – all in a live playout environment.
“But it’s not all about the functionality. It’s important to understand and realise the costs involved, and optimise the commercial aspects of playout,” Wallington continued.
From day one, Pebble has integrated seamlessly with devices in the playout chain from all the key manufacturers. The company also offers its own Integrated Channel device, replicating in software all the functionality of a traditional broadcast playout operation, but at a completely different price point. Another growing requirement to manage costs is the need for remote and multi-site operations, Pebble now offers secure monitoring from any location to any linked installation. This web-based tool gives access to authorised users from any location, through a special hardened portal, to a dashboard and control panel.
“We appreciate customers have varying, economic, as well as technical challenges and these need a different approach. At IBC many companies will be focused purely on technology, for me it’s important that Pebble addresses all of our customers’ business requirements, including offering innovative commercial solutions, such as billing down to the hour,” said Peter Mayhead, CEO, Pebble.
Pebble develops its software to meet open standards and develops integration links with other key vendors where it adds value for the user. Pebble has also announced a collaboration with Virtual AI and its Op2mise application to enhance Pebble’s functionality for FAST channels.
Whether on-premises, across multiple locations, in the cloud, or in a hybrid environment, Pebble solutions deliver a reliable and cost effect approach. The software’s flexibility and scalability ensure full support for broadcasters transitioning between technologies, with the added reassurance of top-level security.
######
PlanetCast Media Services – Stand 5.H59
Planetcast Media Services, the global broadcast technology and media services provider, will be demonstrating its new end-to-end, single-window media management and delivery offering at IBC2024. The event will witness the public EMEA debut of Planetcast’s cloud-first NexC architecture. NexC empowers media companies to overcome the complexity challenge of today’s distribution landscape, enabling frictionless movement of content assets across each stage of post-production, content management, distribution, and monetisation.
“We are showcasing NexC’s capability to solve the complexity challenge faced by media companies today as they deal with even more formats, markets, devices, and distribution points than ever,” says Sanjay Duda, CEO of Planetcast Media Services. “Media organisations find it increasingly cumbersome and costly to navigate the various stages of post-production, content delivery and monetisation. Our in-house development team of over 250 professionals are meticulously building and upgrading NexC to offer a seamless integration of media asset management, cloud playout, over-the-top (OTT), and IP distribution. In addition to developing the NEXC product roadmap, the team also provides bespoke solutions tailored to specific customer needs, significantly reducing time and cost compared to outsourcing.”
NexC: A Game-Changer for the Media Industry
As a comprehensive, cloud-based service suite, NexC offers a unique Platform as a Service (PaaS) proposition. It integrates content supply chain management with upstream services like post production and content prep as well as downstream services like cloud playout, digital delivery, FAST and OTT into a single system, streamlining operations and enabling clients to meet the complexity challenge of today’s media industry.
“NexC pairs flexible workflows with product-level customization, providing the best of both worlds,” Duda explains. “Its ability to scale and deploy solutions at significantly lower cost is highly popular among CTOs & CFOs with tight budgets.”
By integrating content supply chain management, content preparation, metadata enrichment, tagging, subtitling, dubbing, editing, playout, OTT platforms, and FAST channels into a single, cohesive system, NexC stands out as a comprehensive solution for media companies. The platform’s architecture is built on several core components, each accessible through Planetcast’s unified customer user interface (UI) and dashboard:
- Contido – content supply chain orchestration and media asset management
- Content preparation and localisation services – a full suite of core technical post-production services from quality control, technical and compliance checks to subtitling, dubbing, editing, and re-scoring
- RECASTER – a dynamic and robust IP transport solution, which delivers a secure internet stream from anywhere to anywhere, be it a linear channel or a live sports stream
- Scheduling, playout and distribution through Cloud BATS scheduler, Cloud.X playout and RECASTER digital delivery platforms
- MediaHQ – a white-labelled OTT solution for non-linear content distribution that has delivered complex, multi-award-winning online streaming solutions, from ingest to delivery, for major brands and live events worldwide, including the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, and Formula 1 for customers such as Foxtel Australia and Media Prima Malaysia
- FAST channel services – provided by Planetcast across the US, Europe, Latin America, and Asia, in tandem with established ad-tech partners in USA, Europe and Asia.
In addition to the core components of NexC, Planetcast’s team will also talk about the company’s other services, including:
- Post-production – a software and cloud-curated ecosystem of services with a high degree of process automation, plus AI-enabled capabilities to provide best of class services at impressive turnaround times and competitive rates
- Playout Disaster Recovery – cloud-based DR solution that provides incredibly cost-effective protection against broadcast service disruption
Demonstrating Innovation and Strategic Investments
“Our acquisition of Switch Media earlier this year highlights our drive to expand our solutions portfolio to provide customers with proven world-class OTT capabilities,” notes Duda. “As audiences become more reachable, we recognise that there is a growing need to leverage technology that will empower media companies to open new markets and broaden their audience-base. Switch Media’s modular and flexible solutions and versatile workflow engine, Planetcast ensures that its customers can power exceptional online content for viewers and drive OTT monetisation.”
Planetcast’s in-house development of intellectual property provides a significant competitive advantage for its customers. This agility allows for rapid deployment of new solutions, enabling quick response to market demands and client needs.
“The seamless integration of individual solutions into our NexC unified platform simplifies user workflows and enhances content management efficiency,” Duda notes. “Our focus on innovation and strategic investments, particularly in multi-cloud-based solutions, is crucial as the industry moves towards more personalized and integrated viewing experiences, enabled by advanced analytics and AI-driven technologies.”
######
Playbox Neo – Stand 7.A17
Established leader of broadcast media playout, streaming and channel branding, PlayBox Neo is set to mark its 25th year anniversary at IBC2024, unveiling its range of smart media playout solutions. Attendees can expect to see the latest versions of Media Gateway, AirBox Neo-20, Capture Suite, Channel-in-a-Box and Cloud2TV.
Appealing to international media content owners and broadcasters navigating multi-platform, multimedia, multichannel environments, PlayBox Neo will demonstrate at IBC how its entire series of television channel management, graphic branding and playout solutions integrate into one single affordable solution. From a single desktop, PlayBox Neo’s suite of products control ingest, transmission, scheduling through to playout, delivering efficient and scalable workflows.
Media Gateway allows the reception, transmission and conversion of a wide range of broadcast signals to simplify the everyday tasks of content delivery and distribution. AirBox Neo-20 offers automated content streaming with 4K-UHD optimisation; Capture Suite enables users to control multiple ingest channels, spread on multiple servers from a single web user interface; and finally, Channel-in-a-Box provides an all-in-one solution for UHD, SD, and HD channels.
Over the past 25 years, PlayBox Neo has achieved global growth and enhanced many media businesses. Their products leverage decades of innovation that ensures the delivery of unique competitive advantage to broadcasters. PlayBox Neo enables broadcasters to create and produce flawless new business models through accelerated product advancements that support companies as they adapt and transform in the face of revolutionary technological change.
PlayBox Neo’s early origins as pioneers in media content management and playout has served customers well over the years as a trusted brand that is here to stay, moving from strength to strength. PlayBox Neo has contributed significantly to the industry’s success with some of the first groundbreaking playout and Channel-in-a-Box solutions to ever hit the market. Many customers over the past 25 years are still benefitting from PlayBox Neo’s longevity and impressive legacy which includes EutelSat, CME, United Media, Canal+/SPI, Olympusat, RCN, NileSat, IkoMedia/STN, GulfSat, Tata Communications, ThaiCom, TVB and many more.
Notable highlights over the years include various awards, upgrades and development breakthroughs. The AirBox Neo-20 playout automation system launched in 1999 and achieved world-wide success after PlayBox Neo initiated international distribution in 2002. With 2020 marking the beginning of a new decade, PlayBox Neo unveiled the new Capture Suite, even in the year of a major pandemic. Further success followed in 2021 with the launch of TS Тime Delay and Media Gateway, a solution that won TV Technology’s Best of Show Award at NAB. In 2024, the installed base of playout and branding channels exceeded 20,000, demonstrating continued success.
PlayBox Neo’s founder and CEO Pavlin Rahnev reveals the formula of success, “Rule one in the broadcast media business is to listen carefully to customer feedback. Rule two is to respond constructively and promptly by delivering enhanced services that help transform customer experience into success. Reflecting on PlayBox Neo’s 25 year legacy encourages us to focus on what’s ahead today.”
“We are on the cusp of a new journey to empower customers to continue to step into the future with us with reassurance,” adds Pavlin Rahnev. “We show great appreciation and thanks to our valued customers for their ongoing loyalty and trust in our technology. With the joint effort of our distribution partners worldwide, product development colleagues, sales, marketing and administration teams, PlayBox Neo continues to lead the way in smart media solutions. Looking ahead, we see efficiency, reliability and flexibility as the key priorities across the entire media industry, freeing creative professionals to concentrate on what really matters: – our customers come first and their creative content is king, it always was, and it always will be.”
######
Pliant Technologies – Stand 10.C53
Pliant Technologies, a leading provider of professional wireless intercom solutions, will highlight a variety of its new solutions at IBC 2024. This includes the brand’s award-winning CRP-C12 Compact Radio Pack, a newly designed compact Radio Pack (RP) that was created specifically for use with any CrewCom or CrewCom CB2 system. Additionally, Pliant will present its new CrewWare 2.0 software update, along with its updated SmartBoom LITE Headset, the new PHS-IEHU miniature in-ear style headset and a new PAC-RTM-SMU Universal Single RT Mounting Bracket.
The CRP-C12 is one of the industry’s smallest, fully featured, wireless professional intercom belt packs, measuring approximately 3.5 in. x 3.5 in (9 cm x 9 cm), while weighing just under 9 oz./ 255 g. The new compact RP is available in 2.4GHz (worldwide) and 900MHz (where legal). Although small in stature (at least 25 percent smaller in size and 30 percent lighter than most belt packs in use today), the CRP-C12 does not compromise on performance, as it is fully featured and includes support for up to two assignable conferences with a simultaneous dual listen option.
The updated SmartBoom LITE Headset includes enhancements to the headset’s existing list of renowned features for improved flexibility, stability, and a more comfortable fit. Among the new features is a new field-replaceable cable and a newly designed swivel earcup. The updated SmartBoom LITE headset also features exceptional audio quality. The innovative headset features the SmartBoom muting feature, which allows the adjustable microphone boom to act as an on/off switch for quick muting.
The PHS-IEHU in-ear headset utilizes silicone ear concha locks and earbuds for either left ear or right ear orientation. The new headset also allows for the use of custom ear molds designed specifically for the individual user’s ear from custom ear mold manufacturers Coda Room Audio and Sensaphonics. With mobility in mind, the PHS-IEHU features an unobtrusive, miniature electret microphone and windscreen with a small flexible boom. An offering of models based on various connectivity allows for use with most industry-standard intercom beltpacks via 4-pin or 5-pin XLR connections as well as 6-pin female Mini XLR connectivity.
The PAC-RTM-SMU Universal Single RT Mounting Bracket was developed for maximum adaptability and flexibility, not only allowing the transceiver to be mounted in four different orientations but also the ability to use any industry-standard mounting mechanism. This innovative bracket solution supports a wide variety of thread sizes and mounting options including Manfrotto-style Hex, 1/4″-20, 5/8″-27 and 3/8″-16 mount thread sizes.
######
Prime Focus Technologies – Stand 5.H88
Prime Focus Technologies (PFT), a pioneer in AI-powered technology solutions, unveils CLEAR AI Agents at IBC 2024 in Amsterdam. These are designed to assist & co-work with professionals within Media & Entertainment (M&E) enterprises to execute specific tasks across content management, postproduction, and marketing. The agents seamlessly handle repetitive tasks, freeing teams to focus on strategic and creative tasks. Their round-the-clock availability and autonomous capabilities in select areas ensure timely task execution, enhancing the overall user experience. Most importantly, the agents drive scale, contributing to efficiency gains and monetization, ultimately helping content meet revenue.
Meet CLEAR AI Agents:
- Converse – A personal assistant that helps you engage with and utilize the content in your library to its full potential.
- Search – Use AI-powered semantic search equipped with the power of reasoning, to find contextual results quickly.
- Content Highlights – Automatic generation of highlight reels from long-form videos.
- Social – Generate social media posts and hashtag recommendations to create compelling social narratives.
- Synopsis and Thumbnails – Generate titles, thumbnails, and synopsis for clips and highlights.
- Reframe – Automatically convert horizontal videos into square and vertical formats for multiple platforms.
- Dedup – Compares assets and eliminates redundant versions, ensuring a clean and cost-effective content library.
- Localize – Translate and transcreate content into the language of choice and expand into newer markets.
- ImageGen – Generate custom images to build concept art and pre-visualizations during production.
The CLEAR AI platform now features enhanced support for agent-driven workflows, offering a new level of integration that drives impactful results across the industry.
The launch of AI Agents underscores the pivotal role generative AI plays in making these intelligent agents a reality,” said Ramki Sankaranarayanan, Founder & Global CEO at PFT. “They are the culmination of seven years of investment in AI, combining Gen AI with the small language models reflecting our commitment to fundamentally reshape the M&E industry. These agents illustrate AI’s ability to drive significant change by enhancing productivity and driving new revenue streams. Get ready to meet your agents at IBC.”
######
Profuz Digital – Stand 8.A88
Leading European developer Profuz Digital unleashes the latest editions of its Profuz LAPIS and SubtitleNEXT systems at IBC 2024.
Profuz Digital has already developed many new AI features in Profuz LAPIS which visitors to the stand will be able to see firsthand. Demonstrations showcasing the latest version of the Profuz LAPIS platform will be available for show attendees to witness all of the platform’s stunning AI capabilities on display. The LAPIS system uses advanced AI to speed up or replace an organisation’s manual processes and offers innovative tools to manage, search, edit and even create media content from any device, from desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile phone.
Highlights include semantic search features, advanced speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities, and much more. The LAPIS system is designed with the unique capability to connect to multiple local or cloud AI engines in order to enhance content and data processing. These enhancements include automatic metadata extraction from audiovisual content such as face recognition within the client’s own database, object recognition, brand recognition, imaging and audio automatic annotation, description and classification. LAPIS can also extract text from video and images as well as refine audio transcription which includes speech to text processing in all languages; translation from audio and much more.
Profuz LAPIS also provides easy options to be able to effortlessly connect to other generative and transformative AI engines video and sound generation, enhancement, restoration and image scaling. Other exciting new features in LAPIS on show for the very first time at IBC include geo locations data and maps support, secure passkey login, work shifts management with optional clock-in functionality, CG objects support in the playlist creator and much more. Profuz LAPIS comes power packed with all these compelling features to help simplify the most complex and time-consuming workflows that face industry professionals today. LAPIS plays a central role in project management, distribution and archiving, and allows projects and processes to be reshuffled between media management and various editing environments that creative teams need to use.
Profuz LAPIS can be deployed for every part of a company’s workflow, from content ingest, categorisation, editing, scheduling, delivery and publishing. It can conduct advanced media searches using traditional keywords or advanced semantic search features powered by AI. It provides businesses with central user role-dependant dashboards to focus on specific tasks and real time reports in order to review, interact and process media and data held across a wide range of local, remote and cloud-based storage systems.
Profuz LAPIS is a dynamic and open, cloud-native, all-encompassing digital media workflow asset management system. Being fully cloud-native, the new LAPIS solution addresses customers’ requirements for robust provisioning today, as well as their requirements for flexible and scalable platforms tomorrow.
SubtitleNEXT is the popular localisation platform used for offline and real-time captioning that supports all media formats. It is already being used by many broadcasters, studios and language service providers. The latest version now integrates audio description capabilities into its existing subtitles preparation tool. Organisations that have invested in the SubtitleNEXT system include EMG, where SubtitleNEXT was used for the localisation of well-known TV series such as Big Little Lies, Dexter: New Blood, including other HBO productions Euphoria.
Profuz LAPIS and SubtitleNEXT appeal to broadcasters, television studios, production companies and post production facilities. Their advanced technologies facilitate complex workflow efficiency by empowering media firms to be able to synchronise seamlessly with other departments and teams, while still adhering to cost-effective parameters and resourcefulness.
Profuz Digital sits at the forefront of technological change, with its products adopted by many global organisations such as the likes of CANAL Plus and the Council of Europe. With decades of experience in broadcast media innovation, Profuz Digital brings to IBC its unique brand of product, people and services to the table to invest in proven technologies that enhance how businesses operate. The recent product upgrades that can be seen this IBC provides increased flexibility, automation, scalability and security.
As the industry turns a rapid eye towards the world of Artificial Intelligence, there is no question that this is both a critical and exciting time at Profuz Digital, and the industry as a whole as M&E professionals enter a new era of opportunity.
“Broadcasters are having to look at new ways of tackling challenges, and it is vital that our customers are well supported,” notes CEO of Profuz Digital Ivanka Vassileva, “We are excited to once again be a part of IBC as an exhibitor of the broadcast media industry’s premier event. We look forward to connecting with customers, partners and peers from across the world again, and continue to work towards a more flexible and sustainable future by addressing the need for enhanced digital capability. Our team is passionate about providing leading-edge resources for both freelancers and companies that come in all shapes and sizes, and to help them navigate a dynamic mediascape, while armed with the best technology.”
CTO of Profuz Digital Kamen Ferdinandov adds, “We’ve always said that true innovation starts with listening to our clients and understanding their goals, and also being able to predict their needs. Innovation is not just about the latest technology, but the right technology for the client’s goals. If the right technology doesn’t exist, our attitude is that we should create it. Our goals are to continually refine AI capabilities in our media asset management system Profuz LAPIS by automatically classifying audiovisual content and texts to make searching ever more powerful. We continue to stay true to our user-focused approach in everything we do, and this is reflected in these latest versions of LAPIS and SubtitleNEXT that will feature at out stand this year. The latest developments further strengthen our services offering that we provide to the media localization industry.”
######
Proton Rain – Stand 11.A06
Building on the remarkable reception of their debut PROTON CAM, Proton Camera Innovations – a German innovator in the field of miniaturised cameras – announce the upcoming launch of their second major market offering, the PROTON RAIN; a robust mini-cam that has been designed to meet market demand, particularly in the field of outdoor production and sport. Proton will use their attendance at IBC2024 to showcase the potential of this new offering, alongside their flagship PROTON CAM – the smallest and lightest broadcast camera currently available on the market, alongside a range of further, yet-to-be-announced extensions to their product range.
The PROTON RAIN measures only slightly bigger than the flagship PROTON CAM, coming in at just 30mm x 30mm, but maintains a heavy-duty casing which allows the camera to be used in conditions where the risk of impact or jolt are higher. Most significantly, the IP67 camera is weather-proof and is suitable for outdoor environments under severe rain or dust without compromise to image quality nor risk to the camera itself. This makes it ideal for sporting applications such as off-road motor sports, extreme sports and contact sports, or indeed any application in which there is a need for exceptional image capture in challenging conditions, and where a durable, hardwearing and resilient camera can be the difference between an exceptional moment captured live, or a missed opportunity.
The camera maintains a micro lens, which can be uniquely replaced with even wide-angle lenses and when combined with its tough and durable casing – grants operators full flexibility in the way they capture shots. Its small size and light weight allow for unusual and creative angles to be used, while its rugged build allows for immersive, close-to-the-action approaches to video capture.
A further key concern for Proton is usability; the company has made extensive efforts to simplify operations, maintain a real-time operating system and facilitating firmware updates through a PC or Mac, rather than the traditional approach.
Speaking of this further addition to Proton Camera Innovations’ range, Marko Hoepken, CEO for Proton, said: “The reception of our flagship PROTON CAM was fantastic, and we anticipate that the PROTON RAIN will be just as well received. With very little difference in size, the PROTON RAIN brings a rugged durability that dramatically extends the range of applications the camera can be used in. It was developed directly on the back of customer feedback, which indicated that Proton’s expertise in miniature cameras, encapsulated in a weatherproof, resilient body, would make an ideal addition to a cameraman’s arsenal”.
He continued: “This is our second launch announcement, but our range will continue to grow, both before IBC and afterwards. Our aim is to take the core of our remarkable innovation – particularly our uniquely developed chip architecture – and then offer it to the market in a range of ways, with adaptations which precisely meet the specific needs and creative visions of our clients”.
######
Quanteec – Stand 8.B75
Quanteec, a global provider of video delivery technology for broadcasters, will showcase its next-gen peer-to-peer (P2P) streaming solutions at IBC2024 in Amsterdam. The company’s technology is designed to greatly reduce CDN use in live streaming, with an average energy saving of 40-50% and a minimum cost saving of 25%.
The company designed its P2P delivery solution with sustainability as an essential metric. The software uses the existing capacity in viewer devices to resend a stream to other viewers with no noticeable impact to user experiences. The result is that peaks in viewership, that might be associated with major live events, don’t have to rely on CDN capacity. In fact, transmission becomes easier as more users log on to the broadcast. This contrasts sharply with traditional CDN use in which streaming capacity has to be signed off before an event, in anticipation of the expected peak traffic, plus some overprovisioning as a failsafe.
“We want to show broadcasters – especially the sustainability champions – that delivering big events to large numbers of viewers can be done in a better, cheaper, and greener way,” said Daniel Négru, Quanteec co-founder and CEO. “Quanteec was launched in 2021 to address two problems with streaming live events – how to handle traffic peaks without deploying more and more servers and how to make streaming more sustainable.”
“From the beginning, we put sustainability in our DNA. We were always asking ourselves how much power our technology consumes, compared with the other solutions. How do we improve the handling of traffic peaks, while also lowering the energy consumption? It turned out the solution we came up with was also cheaper.”
Major broadcasters are implementing Quanteec this year in anticipation of massive viewing numbers for this summer’s major sporting events. This will allow them to prepare for large audience peaks and save energy by using already existing devices with unused delivery capacity, not to mention substantial cost savings on CDNs.
Key Highlights at IBC2024 Will Include:
Streaming Big Sports Events: This year sees a summer of non-stop, world-class sports events. A 2021 study from Grabyo showed 79% of sports fans prefer to watch sports through streaming. At IBC2024, Quanteec will demonstrate how its technology is helping leading broadcasters stream some of the world’s biggest sporting events at lower costs and with significantly less environmental impact using peer-to-peer technology.
Ultra-low Latency: Latency has proven to be a big challenge in past P2P-based live streaming solutions with latency being a normal result of passing video across multiple peers. But Quanteec’s technology has cut the span of time it takes to send video between viewers to milliseconds. The company will showcase how it is able to achieve less than 2 second overall latency using P2P streaming, allowing broadcasters to simply configure the P2P technology for ultra-low-latency live streaming.
Sustainability Metrics: Measurement is an essential component in making sustainability progress. Quanteec offers monitoring tools that enable broadcasters to track energy savings by reducing reliance on the traditional CDN model. At IBC2024, the company will demo how content owners can track energy savings and environmental impact across each event, client, and even down to the viewer during each stream in real-time. Quanteec will also showcase plug-ins and data that broadcasters can deploy to allow individual viewers to track and engage with their own energy footprint, increasing user engagement and inviting viewers to be collaborators in sustainable practice.
In-Stadium Streaming: Live sports events are becoming a multimedia experience with top stadiums in the U.S. and Europe adopting 6 GHz Wi-Fi and 5G technology as ways to provide digital content directly to fan devices. This content is usually streamed from a CDN outside the stadium. Quanteec, in partnership with Videon Labs, will demonstrate the ability to produce and stream live content to audiences entirely from within the stadium using Videon LiveEdge 2Go solution and Quanteec P2P tech, enabling fast and simple deployment and eliminating the need to provision – or pay for – external CDNs.
IBC Accelerator Project 2024 – Energy-Conserving Optimization for Future-Ready Low-Impact Online Workflows (Ecoflow): Quanteec is also a contributor to Ecoflow, one of this year’s IBC Accelerator projects experimental initiatives, which pushes the boundaries of what is possible in broadcast. Ecoflow tackles the environmental impact of broadcast by developing metrics for energy consumption at major steps along the video delivery supply chain. The Ecoflow project is supported by the BBC, ITV, EBU, and Netherland’s RTL.
Its proof-of-concept objectives include:
- Demonstrating that the industry can measure delivery workloads.
- Enabling broadcasters to implement, test, use, and compare energy saving features.
- Explaining the state-of-play for preferred measurement guidance.
######