Contribution is Changing, TITAN Edge is Ready
In the fast-paced world of live premium content, contribution workflows are no longer just about decoding a signal. They’re about adapting, – quickly, securely, and cost-effectively – to new formats, delivery methods, and operational needs. Ateme’s TITAN Edge is not just an IRD, it’s a software-defined contribution solution that evolves with the industry.
From satellite to IP and even OTT reception, from AVC to HEVC, from SDR to HDR; TITAN Edge keeps pace without hardware swaps or performance compromises. Running on any type of server, the solution scales to fit your needs: from a single channel to over 40, depending on use case and hardware. Features can be chained in software – from demodulation to decryption, decoding, framerate conversion, HDR processing, and output – streamlining the workflow and reducing infrastructure complexity.
Whether deployed in OB vans, flyaways, or fixed headends, especially for the fast-paced demands of live sports, TITAN Edge delivers the flexibility of software with the robustness and reliability of a traditional broadcast IRD. That’s what makes it not just evolutionary, but truly R’Evolutive.
Secure by design: from proprietary to BISS-CA
In a quiet but impactful shift, premium live content is embracing open, interoperable encryption, and leaving proprietary systems behind. The transition to BISS-CA marks a significant milestone: a secure, scalable, and standards-based way to protect content, without locking into vendor-specific ecosystems.
With BISS-CA natively embedded in TITAN Edge, entitlement management becomes simpler, more flexible, and future-ready. Rights holders can distribute securely to affiliates across traditional networks, while still maintaining full control of access, no matter the format or transport layer.
The solution supports this encryption model across all its reception modes, from traditional RF to IP protocols like SRT, RIST, and Zixi; and even HLS for redundant OTT contribution paths. The same entitlement structure, now extended across a wider, more agile network.
With TITAN Edge, security is no longer a barrier to evolution, it’s a foundation for it.
Evolving codecs: HEVC without the hardware hassle
The migration to HEVC is accelerating, and not just for UHD. For many rights holders and distributors, especially in sports broadcasting, HEVC 1080p with HDR is becoming the new standard for premium contribution. It delivers better compression efficiency, improved picture quality, and aligns the workflow with future UHD ambitions. But in traditional IRD deployments, this often comes at a cost, requiring new hardware for new formats.
Not with TITAN Edge. HEVC is activated via software, with no hardware upgrade required. Whether starting with AVC or adopting HEVC today, the same appliance evolves with your needs, instantly and without physical intervention.
It also integrates seamless 1080p to 1080i conversion, supporting delivery to infrastructures still based on interlaced video, a common requirement across global markets. There’s no need for external converters or workflow reconfiguration.
Add to this the built-in LUT-based HDR/SDR conversion, and TITAN Edge becomes a true enabler of the next-generation contribution format: HEVC, HDR, 1080p, with simultaneous SDR delivery, all in a compact, software-driven solution.
TITAN Edge doesn’t just support codec evolution, it enables it, without disruption.
The HDR leap: one feed, multiple looks
As live content workflows evolve, HDR is no longer reserved for UHD. Increasingly, premium sports and entertainment are delivered in 1080p HDR, offering a balance between bandwidth, quality, and compatibility. But for global distribution, HDR alone isn’t enough; workflows must also account for SDR affiliates, legacy systems, and varying display capabilities.
TITAN Edge makes this transition simple. With embedded LUT-based HDR conversion, content providers can ingest an HDR signal and generate both HDR and SDR outputs in parallel; no external gear needed. LUTs from industry leaders like BBC and NBCU ensure that tone mapping aligns with creative intent while preserving image consistency across formats.
And because TITAN Edge combines this with HEVC 1080p decoding and framerate conversion, it becomes the backbone of a contribution chain that supports every delivery format, from a single source.
This capability is particularly impactful in sports workflows, where visual precision and backward compatibility with SDR affiliates are critical.
TITAN Edge bridges the gap between innovation and compatibility. One feed, multiple looks, no compromise.
Frame-Rate freedom with motion accuracy
Live content knows no borders, but technical standards often do. While 1080p has become the contribution format of choice, many regions and affiliates still operate on interlaced delivery formats. That creates a challenge: how to convert frame rates and scan types without degrading video quality or complicating the workflow?
TITAN Edge addresses this with native, motion-compensated frame-rate conversion built into the software. Whether the source is progressive and the output must be interlaced, or the region requires a different frequency standard, TITAN Edge performs the conversion on the fly, preserving motion accuracy and visual integrity.
Unlike external converters or complex post-processing chains, this capability is handled entirely within TITAN Edge. No added latency, no extra devices, and no operational overhead.
From 1080p to 1080i, TITAN Edge adapts your contribution to match every delivery standard, effortlessly.
Modularity that unlocks your workflow
No two contribution projects are the same, and your IRD shouldn’t force you into a one-size-fits-all approach. Whether you’re managing a single path from a sports venue or orchestrating dozens of simultaneous feeds for a global event, TITAN Edge adapts to your operational reality.
At the heart of TITAN Edge is a modular software architecture. Each function – demodulation, decryption, decoding, framerate conversion, HDR processing, OTT reception – is a software module, activated only when needed. This means you can build exactly the workflow you require, feature by feature, with no waste or excess.
Need a compact decoder for a flyaway unit? Deploy TITAN Edge on a small server with just a few channels. Scaling up for a remote production hub? Run it on a high-density platform, supporting up to 40+ channels per server. All while maintaining the same streamlined experience and consistent reliability.
Better yet, features are chained inside the solution; no need to wire multiple boxes or reconfigure signal paths. TITAN Edge handles the entire decode chain from reception to output in a unified environment, simplifying operations and reducing points of failure.
With TITAN Edge, you don’t adapt your workflow to the IRD, the IRD adapts to your workflow.
UHD and ST 2110 ready; and always will be
UHD and IP are no longer just part of the future, they’re shaping the contribution workflows of today. From major live events to hybrid remote productions, the demand for IP-native and UHD-capable infrastructure is growing fast.
TITAN Edge is ready. It supports UHD decoding via software activation, enabling a smooth transition to 4k without replacing existing hardware. Whether you’re preparing for full UHD adoption or operating in mixed-resolution environments, the solution adapts, maintaining high-density performance and operational simplicity.
With native ST 2110 output, TITAN Edge integrates seamlessly into uncompressed IP production environments, delivering decoded video directly into broadcast workflows.
And for environments where ST 2110 bandwidth becomes a concern, especially for UHD workflows, TITAN Edge compresses its 2110 output using JPEG-XS encoding, reducing network load without sacrificing visual quality. This makes TITAN Edge the perfect fit for modern workflows that combine UHD, ST 2110, and bandwidth optimization, particularly in distributed or constrained network environments.
From baseband to IP, from HD to UHD, TITAN Edge evolves with your workflow, not against it.
The OTT bridge: from RF to HLS without losing control
Contribution is no longer limited to satellite or managed IP links. As content providers seek to optimize delivery and reach, OTT protocols such as HLS are now part of the B2B distribution strategy, complementing traditional transport paths with flexibility, resilience, and cost efficiency.
TITAN Edge is at the heart of this transition. It supports RF demodulation, secure IP reception via SRT, RIST, and Zixi, and also HLS reception, enabling a complete OTT Contribution workflow. This allows content providers to deliver to affiliates or regional hubs using the same infrastructure and the same IRD, whether via satellite, fiber, open internet, or CDN delivery.
This evolution enables true B2B and B2C convergence, where the same streams and security workflows can be leveraged across both domains. And thanks to BISS-CA, whose process is fully adapted to OTT Contribution, the convergence is seamless. TITAN Edge uses a consistent IRD identifier, allowing entitlement management to remain unified, regardless of whether the stream is delivered and secured through BISS-CA or any DRM.
By maintaining a consistent level of security and a single entitlement structure, TITAN Edge makes it easy to migrate from RF to OTT; or to operate both simultaneously, without added complexity.
With TITAN Edge, OTT Contribution becomes an extension of your secure, professional distribution chain.
Why TITAN Edge is the R’Evolutive IRD
Today’s contribution landscape is in constant motion, shifting formats, evolving protocols, new delivery methods, and rising expectations. In this dynamic environment, Ateme’s TITAN Edge isn’t just keeping up; it’s leading the way.
With TITAN Edge, you don’t need to choose between flexibility and reliability, or between legacy support and future readiness. You get all of it:
- Software-defined scalability, from single-channel deployments to high-density operations.
- HEVC and HDR enablement, with built-in framerate and LUT conversion for 1080p workflows.
- Modular features, activated on demand: decode, decrypt, process, and convert.
- Seamless migration from RF to IP, and now to OTT Contribution.
- Unified entitlement management, whether through BISS-CA or DRM.
- And most importantly, a solution that keeps evolving:
- 30% latency improvement achieved last year,
- 50% latency gain expected this year — making TITAN Edge a leader in low latency software contribution.
TITAN Edge adapts with you, whether you’re delivering premium sports content, supporting legacy affiliates, embracing ST 2110 and UHD, or enabling backup delivery over CDN. It’s not just a decoder. It’s a secure, interoperable, and future-proof software contribution solution.
TITAN Edge: the R’Evolutive IRD; built for change, built for contribution.
About the Author
Solution Marketing Senior Director at Ateme
Julien joined Ateme in 2001, starting in the Hardware Department before moving into Product Management, where he led the launch and evolution of the Kyrion product line.
In 2017, he co-founded the BISS-CA standard with the EBU, reshaping the secure distribution of international live events.
He is currently Solution Marketing Director for Contribution and Distribution, driving partner and customer engagement around the Kyrion and TITAN product lines.