TAMS Use Cases

Live Ingest writes incoming live feeds (cameras, satellite, IP streams) into the TAMS store in real time as short media chunks.

How it works with TAMS:

• Media is segmented into short chunks (typically 1-6 seconds) and uploaded via pre-signed URLs
• Each chunk is registered as a Segment on a growing Flow timeline
• Content is available for downstream use (editing, playout) as soon as each Segment is registered — no need to wait for the recording to finish
• Multiple ingest points can write to the same store simultaneously
• Different quality levels (proxy, mezzanine, full-res) can be ingested as separate Flows under the same Source

Benefits: Immediate availability, parallel access, no file locking, natural scalability for multi-camera productions.

Edit While Record enables editors to begin working with content the moment it starts arriving in the store.

How it works with TAMS:

• As new Segments are registered on a growing timeline, editors see the timeline extend in real time
• No file locks — the ingest system writes Segments while editors read them simultaneously
• Edit decisions reference Segments by time range, so they remain valid as the recording grows
• Multiple editors can work on the same Source concurrently without conflict
• Proxy Flows give lightweight access while full-resolution Flows remain available for conform

Benefits: Dramatically reduces time-to-air for live events, news, and sports. Editorial decisions can begin seconds after content is captured.

Edit by Reference allows new programmes or sequences to be assembled by pointing to existing media Objects rather than copying them.

How it works with TAMS:

• A new Flow is created for the edit output
• Segments on the new Flow reference the same Object IDs as the source material
• Offsets and partial ranges allow using only a portion of an Object
• The store tracks all references automatically — nothing is orphaned
• Multiple edit versions can coexist referencing the same underlying media
• Conform to full-resolution is a metadata operation, not a media copy

Benefits: Instant edit assembly, minimal storage duplication, fast multi-version workflows, efficient use of storage capacity.

Multi-Resolution workflows store the same content at different quality levels, all linked under a single Source identity.

How it works with TAMS:

• Each resolution is a separate Flow (e.g. proxy, HD, UHD) sharing the same Source ID
• Timelines align across Flows — a time range on the proxy maps to the same moment on the full-res
• Editors work on lightweight proxy Flows, then conform switches to the full-resolution Flow
• Transcoding services can watch for new content and automatically generate additional Flows
• Quality levels can be added or removed independently without affecting other Flows

Benefits: Fast editorial with proxies, lossless conform, flexible storage tiering, independent lifecycle per resolution.

Playout & Distribution uses the TAMS store as the source for live or file-based output to viewers.

How it works with TAMS:

• Playout systems query the store for Segments within a time range
• Pre-signed URLs allow direct media download from object storage at scale
• Growing timelines support live pass-through — playout follows the ingest in near real-time
• Multi-essence Flows provide the complete programme (video + audio) as a single reference
• Time-based access means playout can jump to any point on the timeline without scanning

Benefits: Scalable read access, no single point of failure, time-accurate retrieval, supports both live and on-demand delivery.

AI & Metadata Enrichment uses automated tools to analyse content in the store and enrich it with searchable metadata.

How it works with TAMS:

• AI services read media directly from the store via pre-signed URLs
• Analysis results (speech-to-text, face detection, scene classification) are written back as tags on Sources or Flows
• Time-coded annotations can reference specific time ranges
• Multiple AI services can process the same content in parallel
• Enrichment can happen on ingest (real-time) or as batch processing later
• Tags enable downstream discovery and automated workflow triggers

Benefits: Content becomes searchable immediately, workflows can be triggered by metadata, no manual logging required.

Archive & Preservation uses the TAMS store for long-term content retention with rich metadata and time-based retrieval.

How it works with TAMS:

• Content retains its full timeline structure and metadata in the archive
• Storage tiering (hot/warm/cold) can be applied per Flow or per time range
• Retrieval is time-based — pull specific moments without restoring entire programmes
• Tags and Source metadata make archived content discoverable
• Object re-use tracking ensures referenced media is never incorrectly deleted
• The API abstraction means archive storage can move between backends transparently

Benefits: Granular retrieval, no stranded assets, storage cost optimisation, future-proof access via API.

Multi-Site & Cloud workflows span multiple physical locations or cloud regions while presenting a unified content view.

How it works with TAMS:

• Each location can run its own TAMS store instance
• Sources and Flows can be replicated or federated across stores
• The API is location-agnostic — clients don’t need to know where media physically resides
• Regional ingest writes locally, with metadata and/or media synced to other sites
• Edit-by-reference works across sites when media is accessible via the same Object IDs
• Disaster recovery and redundancy are built into the distributed model

Benefits: Local performance, global access, resilient architecture, cloud-native scalability.

Collaborative Workflows enable teams to work together on content without file locks, version conflicts, or sequential handoffs.

How it works with TAMS:

• The store allows concurrent read and write access to the same Sources and Flows
• Each editor or system creates their own Flows for edit outputs, referencing shared media
• No check-in/check-out model — access is always available
• Tags and metadata updates are non-destructive and additive
• Webhooks and events can notify collaborators of changes in real time
• Different roles (journalist, editor, QC) can work in parallel on different aspects of the same content

Benefits: Faster team workflows, no bottlenecks, parallel rather than sequential processing, full audit trail.