8 September 2015
As consumer demand for Ultra High Definition (UHD) content and televisions continues to grow, Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in video delivery infrastructure, and Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), the world’s leading provider of satellite services, today announced a partnership to launch HVN Intelsat UHD, a linear UHD demonstration channel for the North American TV markets.
This channel will be broadcast via Intelsat’s Galaxy 13 satellite located at 127°W and will provide multi-channel video programming distributors (MVPDs) with an opportunity to prepare and test their UHD transmissions from the moment that they start downlinking content from Intelsat’s Galaxy 13 satellite through their own networks and into the subscribers’ homes. This platform will also be available to US cable programmers to conduct their own testing of UHD content. Since Intelsat’s Galaxy 13 satellite has 76 HD channels and reaches 98% of the cable headends in the continental United States, it creates an ideal environment for further enhancing the end-to-end delivery of UHD content to consumers.
Harmonic and Intelsat plan to demonstrate the HVN Intelsat UHD channel content at the upcoming IBC2015 Conference at the RAI Convention Center in Amsterdam, from September 11-15, 2015. Utilizing an end to end UHD video processing system from Harmonic, Intelsat will transmit live and linear 2160p60 (HEVC Main 10 profile) video content via C-band on the Intelsat Galaxy 13 satellite. The content will then travel from Intelsat’s Atlanta, Georgia, teleport facility using the IntelsatOne® IP/MPLS network to Intelsat’s Fuchsstadt, Germany, teleport facility, where it will be uplinked via Ku-band on the Intelsat 905 satellite located at 335.5○E, and received and decoded at the RAI Convention Center in Amsterdam.
The initial commissioning test signal will leverage transport stream servers located at Intelsat’s teleport facility in Atlanta, Georgia, and Harmonic’s ProMedia™ Xpress multiscreen transcoder and packager for pre-compression of the UHD video loop. Later this year, Harmonic will deploy its MediaGrid shared storage system, Polaris™ playout management suite, Spectrum™ X advanced media server system and Electra™ X3 advanced media processor to enable full UHD channel production and transmission from the company’s HVN Center in San Jose, California. That signal will then be uplinked in Intelsat’s teleport facility in Atlanta, Georgia via Intelsat’s Galaxy 13 satellite.
“As consumers purchase millions of 4K televisions before Ultra HD content even reaches critical mass, it has become clear that they are ready to experience the fully immersive viewing experience that Ultra HD provides,” said Peter Ostapiuk, head of media product services, Intelsat. “By partnering with Harmonic, Intelsat can now enable pay-TV operators to test the distribution of live linear Ultra HD broadcasts in crystal-clear 2160p60 resolution to the home. Our customers will now have an opportunity to further test bandwidth allocation and UHD content delivery via Intelsat’s hybrid satellite terrestrial network, which will pave the way for the distribution of amazing content—from popular sporting events to the latest movies and TV shows—and a viewing experience that can enhance customer satisfaction.”
At the heart of Intelsat’s UHD workflow is Harmonic’s Electra X3 advanced media processor, the industry’s first fully converged platform for broadcast and OTT delivery of UHD content with live, full-frame, full-GOP UHD encoding. Electra X3 is powered by the Harmonic PURE Compression Engine™, an advanced encoding technology that supports resolutions of up to 2160p60, leveraging the HEVC Main 10 codec. Using the Electra X3 media processor, Intelsat can deliver superior video quality at minimum bandwidth.
“By providing a complete UHD workflow solution for the delivery of live and linear broadcasts, Harmonic is driving the industry closer toward full-scale UHD service deployment,” said Peter Alexander, CMO at Harmonic. “Harmonic offers all of the video infrastructure components that satellite operators such as Intelsat need for delivering 2160p60 UHD video content, including live, full-frame, full-GOP encoding, storage, and playout systems, enabling them to quickly roll out UHD services with market-leading video quality and a low total cost of ownership.”
For those attending the 11-15 September IBC2015 Conference in Amsterdam, they can visit the Harmonics Stand (Hall 1, B20) or the Intelsat Stand (Hall 1, C71) for more details and a live viewing of the UHD demonstration. (Source: Intelsat press release)
8 September 2015
ARAB SATELLITE TELECOMMUNICATION ORGAINZATION (ARABSAT) and EMERGING MARKETS COMMUNICATIONS (EMC) announce their joint venture to launch TRIO, the first real triple play service over satellite in the world.
The TRIO platform is built on SATLink technology owned by EMC and the soon-to-be launched new ARABSAT Badr-7 satellite at the MENA hotspot @ 26º East to produce a state of the Art STB that will provide TV viewers and household consumers with an unprecedented experience bundling a 10Mb broadband connectivity over satellite, FTA and Pay TV reception, huge recording capability and smart algorithms for VOD with a vast catalog of new titles of international and national content from the famous production studios and Arab World, and will act as a Wi-Fi bridge for the households where all handheld devices can be connected to enjoy access to Internet and linear TV, each on his/her screen.
TRIO will have also an enterprise version for broadband over satellite that has been proven already in the market as the solution of choice for enterprise and VSAT networks and with the embedded SatLink technology and patents.
Arabsat Badr-7 will be launched early November, 2015 and its high throughput Ka-band payload was especially designed to support TRIO solutions for MENA and selected African markets. The service will be formally launched upon readiness of the satellite for commercial operations post the launch.
Khalid Balkheyour, President & CEO of ARABSAT said: “We offer our viewers @ 26º East an amazing TV viewing experience, it’s no longer about watching TV, it’s now about enjoying and interacting, it’s about creating a house environment of amusement and convenience. The enterprise version of TRIO will be promoted as the technology platform for all governmental and enterprise networks on Arabsat satellites. Arabsat and EMC have been strong partners for more than 10 years now and we are proud to be part of such an innovation leap in the industry”.
Abel Avellan, the CEO of EMC commented: “TRIO was built on the superior SatLink technology that supported the telecom market for many years; with the conversion trends between Media and Telecom, we have invested heavily in R&D activities to produce a revolutionary chipsets that can support many applications including 4K. This joint venture with Arabsat will take TRIO further as the product of choice for TV markets”.
Santiago Rossi, the General Manager of the newly established TRIO also commented: “Under the current JV, the assets and know-how of SatLink have been transferred into TRIO to allow for an autonomous operation and to serve the needs of both ARABSAT and EMC and support their big database of customers. We trust that this revolutionary platform will be adopted by both telecom and media players who wants to serve their customers with a fully immersive product for their digital lifestyle as well as enterprise and governments that wants to bring efficient communications and content distribution to their communities. We are all very excited and looking forward to have the Badr-7 Satellite @ 26º East hotspot and we are planning to expand into other regions”.
(Source: Arabsat press release)
7 September 2015
BBC Brasil has further extended its reach in Brazil by making its news content available on the digital services of the major mobile content aggregator, Grupo Gol.
The platforms, Nuvem de Jornaleiro and Nuvem de Livros, have been developed by Grupo Gol for the Brazilian mobile operator, Vivo, and now, thanks to the syndication agreement between BBC World Service and Grupo Gol, Vivo subscribers as well as Grupo Gol’s other distribution partners can access global and regional news and information from BBC Brasil via smartphones (Android and iOS), tablet, desktop or laptop.
BBC Brasil text and video feeds, covering international politics, economy, science, environment, health, culture and social issues, add to the Nuvem de Jornaleiro platform which currently offers access to more than 250 national magazines and newspapers and two news agencies. The Nuvem de Livros platform – a virtual educational library with more than 15,000 books, videos and interactive content – now features BBC Brasil coverage of culture and social issues, science and environment. Users can select and configure content based on country, topic and language.
BBC World Service Business Development Manager, Brazil, Katie Wellham, says: “The collaboration with Grupo Gol is a great development allowing us to extend BBC Brasil’s reach directly to the subscribers of the two digital platforms. We very much hope that BBC’s comprehensive coverage of global and regional developments will become an essential resource for these users – especially Vivo customers and those who are new to our content.”
Jonas Suassuna, president of Grupo Gol, adds: “The inclusion of BBC Brasil into the Nuvem de Livros and Nuvem do Jornaleiro platforms demonstrates a commitment to offer the whole of Brazilian society pioneering, unique and transformative solutions which will increasingly take hold as ways to democratise access to information and knowledge.”
Grupo Gol is a value added service (VAS) business provider for key mobile operators in Brazil, including Vivo. Nuvem de Jornaleiro and Nuvem de Livros are flagship products in Grupo Gol’s portfolio of mobile VAS.
BBC Brasil reaches around 15 million unique users a month with its multimedia content on its website bbcbrasil.com and via its content syndication on portals such as UOL, MSN Brasil, IG, Terra, G1, and Folha. BBC Brasil offers news apps for Android, iPhone and iPod touch users as well as for Nokia’s Series 40 devices.
BBC Brasil is part of BBC World Service. (Source: BBC press release)
2 September 2015
SES S.A. (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) and New York-based Fashion One Television LLC., the leading fashion, entertainment and lifestyle television network, have launched the world’s first global Ultra HD channel, Fashion One 4K. SES is delivering the free-to-air channel across North America, South America and Europe via its satellites.
Launched on 1 September, Fashion One 4K has a technical reach of 100 million households across North America via SES’s Ultra HD platform on the SES-3 satellite at 103 degrees West and 23 million households across South America on the NSS-806 satellite at 47.5 degrees West. In Europe, the channel, broadcast under the brand Fashion 4K, reaches over 116 million households via SES’s prime orbital position at19.2 degrees East. SES Platform Services, an SES subsidiary, is providing a fully-managed 4k playout along with ground segment and distribution services for the Ultra HD channel. The channel launches worldwide as Fashion One 4K, and in Europe as Fashion 4K.
Fashion One has been upgrading its production format from HD to Ultra HD since 2014 and now owns an extensive library of Ultra HD content with 100% content rights. Fashion One 4K currently carries the latest fashion and entertainment content, such as new seasons of the active lifestyle series Model Yoga, the global culinary adventures of Fashion On A Plate, and the sustainable fashion docu-series Eco Fashion. Other programming includes specials like The Ultimate Style Guide and Fashion Around the Globe, leaving something for everyone.
With four times the clarity of HD broadcasting, there is no better way to experience the world of fashion than to witness it in Ultra HD’s superior resolution. Viewers will experience the sharpest details, the smoothest lines and the richest colour palette ever to be broadcast on television.
“We are tremendously excited to launch Fashion One 4K, the world’s first global Ultra HD channel dedicated to fashion and entertainment. We have invested heavily in producing Ultra HD content over the last two years, and I’m delighted that we are finally able to share the channel with our viewers,” said Fashion One Television’s Chief Operations Officer, Gleb Livshits. “Together with SES, our long-time partner, we are committed to leading the industry and providing our audiences with the highest quality content.”
“Since 2013, SES has been at the forefront of developing the broadcasting part of the Ultra HD ecosystem and was the first to broadcast a live football match and a live concert in the new HEVC compression standard,” said Ferdinand Kayser, Chief Commercial Officer at SES. “Now, Ultra HD is a reality for millions of viewers worldwide, with the first global broadcast channel launching on SES satellites. There is no better way to broadcast Ultra HD than over satellite and we are delighted that Fashion One is also relying on our expertise for the playout, encoding and uplinking of their Ultra HD channel.”
Fashion One 4K was launched concurrently on MEASAT-3a at 91.5 degrees East, reaching over 130 million households across the Asia Pacific, Middle East, Australia and East Africa.
(Source: SES press release)
1 September 2015
BBC Russian service’s iconic presenter, Seva Novgorodsev, will sign off from his programme, BBSeva, for the last time on Friday 4 September 2015, culminating his 38-year broadcasting career with the BBC.
Seva says: “It is really hard to wrap up my 38 and a half years as a BBC broadcaster. How do I say goodbye to my listener? With their response over these decades, my audience have also shaped up my broadcasts and my life. So I’ll just say: we are all temporary but the BBC is forever.”
Seva started to present BBC Russian’s Pop-music Programme from London in 1977, later transforming it into his celebrated Rock-posevy, introducing major recording artists such as Queen, David Bowie, Deep Purple etc to the Soviet audience. A unique window on Western, and especially British, pop-culture for people in the Soviet Union, the programme made Seva a household name for millions. With his trademark informal, wisecracking style, Seva won himself – and the BBC – a vast fan base from across the USSR. The programme also shaped up his fame as the ‘first Russian DJ’.
The weekly music-and-chat show, Sevaoborot, which Novgorodsev initiated and authored in 1987, turned into a cult among Russian-speaking radio listeners. Since 2003, Novgorodsev’s daily live programme, BBSeva (which has been available on bbcrussian.com), has been bringing ‘news with a human face’. It has been looking at current affairs from a human-interest angle, with a special focus on arts and culture.
In 2005, Seva was awarded an MBE for services to radio broadcasting.
BBC World Service European Hub Editor, Artyom Liss, comments: “Seva Novgorodsev represents the best the BBC has to offer. Informative, witty, relevant – his broadcasts have been truly legendary. For decades, they occupied a very special place in millions of hearts. Seva is signing off as a broadcaster, but we are not saying farewell – his association with the BBC will continue, albeit in a different format.”
Seva’s unique contribution to BBC Russian will be marked with dedicated output. His last broadcast will air live from Pushkin House in London – an event with invited guests which will celebrate the pivotal points of Seva’s career. The programme will feature many of the people Seva interviewed over the years.
A specially commissioned TV documentary – with the title echoing Seva’s famous sign-off “Seva. Seva Novgorodsev. The City of London. BBC” – will air on bbcrussian.com and BBC World Service’s partner TV station in Russia, Dozhd TV on Friday 4 September. Filmed in London, Tallinn and St Petersburg, it tells Seva’s amazing story, from childhood in the family of a Soviet sea captain, to ship’s officer, to jazz musician, to BBC broadcaster. It features, along with Seva, major Russian cultural figures who speak about the role of his BBC broadcasts in their formation as musicians and as personalities.
Also on Friday 4 September, Seva will hold a live conversation with audiences on the BBC Russian Facebook page.
BBC Russian is part of BBC World Service.
(Source: BBC press release)
