Latest news with #AndyRayner
Broadcast Pro
4 days ago
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Appear to exhibit VX software and X Platform integration at IBC 2025
On the show floor, Appear will spotlight how it is enabling a software-defined future in live production, and how its future-proofed technology is built to support the 'always-on' demands to manage growing volumes of content, services and data. Appear, a global leader in live production technology, is set to showcase its next-generation solutions at IBC 2025, spotlighting how the integration of its X Platform hardware and the newly introduced VX software platform empowers broadcasters to shape their own transition toward hybrid and software-defined live production workflows. At the heart of its presentation, Appear will demonstrate how its technologies are designed to meet the demands of an 'always-on' media environment, where rising volumes of services, content and data call for scalable, agile and future-proofed solutions. Key highlights will include the European debut of the VX Media Gateway software and the X5, the newest addition to its hardware-based X Platform. Andy Rayner, CTO, Appear, said: 'Whether you're backhauling UHD from a stadium or running a master-control in the cloud, Appear's new VX platform, its SRT solutions and ever-evolving X Platform features ensure that you can move pristine, low-latency real-time media securely over any network and exchange it seamlessly between hardware and software services. These solutions demonstrate how Appear is enabling truly flexible live production so that operators can create high-quality programmes entirely in software; and do it wherever compute and storage are most cost-effective for their own individual business model.' Among the headline launches at IBC 2025 is the X5, a compact and cost-effective solution built for smaller-scale, high-value live productions. Designed to deliver ultra-low latency and exceptional compression, the X5 excels in IP media transport and supports high-performance workflows in a more accessible footprint. Also debuting is the VX Media Gateway, a powerful software-based media processing solution deployable on-premises or in the cloud. The platform is equipped for secure and scalable operations, with features such as advanced stream protection, seamless failover and compliance with key industry protocols including SMPTE ST-2022 and SRT. The initial release focuses on Ground-to-Cloud workflows, offering the high reliability required for modern live production. Further enhancements to the X Platform will also be on display, including a new 100 Gbps network card that dramatically increases bandwidth capacity, enabling transport of lightly compressed to uncompressed UHD and multi-HD feeds. This upgrade quadruples network interface speed without altering power consumption or infrastructure footprint, offering a seamless path forward for broadcasters. Additionally, Appear will introduce its new Appear Estate Manager (AEM), a comprehensive management tool designed to streamline software updates and monitor deployments at scale. A key theme at the show will be Appear's continued leadership in the evolution of the Media eXchange Layer (MXL), an open framework enabling seamless media exchange between containerised software components. The VX platform is designed from the ground up to support MXL, offering low-latency, vendor-neutral media interchange that supports hybrid and cloud-native workflows with ease. 'MXL is simply the next logical step for live production,' added Rayner. 'Broadcasters want to mix best-of-breed tools, and a lightweight exchange layer lets them do that without sacrificing latency or quality. Our VX platform is built for this world from day one, and all our software solutions will be MXL-compliant.' Thomas Bostrøm Jørgensen, CEO, Appear, commented: 'It's relatively clear where the industry is heading, but far more complex to support broadcasters with diverse infrastructures, unique business models, and varying stages of technology adoption. By embracing standards, microservices, MXL, and containerisation, we're applying the same modular philosophy to software that made our hardware so successful. What sets us apart is how closely we listen to customer feedback, through initiatives like our Customer Councils, to guide the industry's transition to an all-IP, elastic compute and storage future.' With its latest software and hardware offerings, Appear aims to empower broadcasters with the tools they need to future-proof their operations and thrive in a dynamic, digital-first broadcast landscape. Stand 1.C61
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Sleep-deprived delivery driver who killed motorcyclist on the way to buy wedding rings with his fiancée is jailed
An intoxicated delivery driver who fell asleep at the wheel and killed a motorcyclist who was on his way to buy wedding rings has been jailed for more than five years. 'Kind' Andy Rayner, 44, was killed in a head-on collision with a van when sleep-deprived Will Dohmatob nodded off behind the wheel while on the A131 last year. Mr Rayner was travelling on his motorbike with a group of friends and was going to buy wedding rings with his fiancée, Rachel, later that day. Dohmatob had arrived late to work on February 3 having had 'very little sleep' over the preceding 31 hours, making him 'plainly unfit to drive through tiredness'. The killer driver has also texted his partner that he was 'in Harlow smoking a spliff' in the hours before getting behind the wheel of the Mercedes Sprinter company van. Prosecutor Gavin Burrell said Dohmatob had fallen asleep whilst approaching the corner and failed to steer round the bend. He crossed into the opposite side of the road and Mr Rayner - who was with a group of motorcycling friends having set off from Wickford and headed towards Sudbury - was left with 'nowhere to go'. Mr Rayner, who was at the rear of the group, was tragically struck head-on by Dohmatob while Dohmatob did not wake up until the van came to a stop having crashed into a ditch. Chelmsford Crown Court heard Dohmatob had a 'very bad record' of driving, including convictions for driving with excess alcohol and drugs. The prosecution added that text messages between Dohmatob and his partner indicated he had been involved in drug use overnight. He had refused to provide a blood sample which Judge Morgan said was 'a clear indication that you were aware the substance was in your system'. A letter written by Dohmatob, read by defence barrister Kane Sharpe, said he was carrying a 'weight of regret, sorry and irreversible truth of what happened'. He also accepted that there were no excuses for what he had done. Judge Christopher Morgan said Dohmatob's actions had 'robbed a family of a son, a partner, a brother and a father'. Andy's fiancée, Rachel, was set to get married this September and described her partner as a 'kind, funny, caring person with a dry sense of humour'. She added: 'He would always help people less fortunate than himself. He would have dinner ready for me after work, do jobs in the house and bake cakes. 'He loved his family and adored his son. February 3, 2024, changed our days forever.' Dohmatob, who has two children of his own, also wrote in his letter: 'I feel this with me every day through the images and repeated flashbacks of the moment. 'I know nothing can bring Mr Rayner back but I hope that I can show I'm not the same man who caused that fatal mistake. 'Once I'm sentenced, I want to give back to the community and help others in any way that I can. I accept responsibility and know what my reality is.' The killer driver raised a hand towards his family as he was sent to begin his sentence behind bars. 'There were ample opportunities for you to pull over and stop,' the Judge said. 'Whether you recognised it was dangerous for you to continue I will never know.' Dohmatob, who had admitted causing Mr Rayner's death by dangerous driving, was given a custodial sentence of five years and nine months imprisonment. He was also given a nine year and 10 month disqualification from driving.
