19 June 2006
SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company, announced an agreement with TV Vlaanderen for further capacity on ASTRA`s prime orbital position 19.2° East to accommodate the official launch of Belgiums first direct-to-home (DTH) bouquet. In addition to the channels of Flemish public broadcaster VRT, the bouquet of TV Vlaanderen now consists of all Flemish private channels including VTM, Kanaal2, JIM, VT4, VIJFtv, Vitaya, and KanaalZ.
Alexander Oudendijk, Chief Commercial Officer of SES ASTRA, said: We are very pleased to be working closely with TV Vlaanderen for the roll-out of Belgiums first DTH bouquet. By signing-up both the Flemish public and private channels, TV Vlaanderen has a strong base for further growth. We are confident that Flemish viewers will appreciate the benefits of the ASTRA satellite system as the most attractive reception mode for digital TV.
Kurt Pauwels, Managing Director of TV Vlaanderen, added: For the first time, Flemish viewers can watch Flemish public and commercial channels via satellite at low cost. Thanks to our collaboration with SES ASTRA, our subscribers will have access to more than 400 radio and TV channels on ASTRA and will benefit from the reliability and the quality of the ASTRA satellite transmission.
19 June 2006
RadioScape, a world leader in digital audio and multimedia broadcast and receiver technology, will be exhibiting at Broadcast Asia 2006 on stand 8Q2-01. Dr Les Sabel, RadioScapes VP of Technology, will be presenting a paper on the companys Flexible platform for multi-standard multimedia solutions in the mobile world.
RadioScape is a key technology provider for Mobile TV trials* that are taking place around the world, he explained. RadioScape is unique in that it is the only company that provides both broadcast and receiver technologies giving integrated, end-to-end solutions that ensure robustness and reliability. The secret to the companys success in being able to provide flexible solutions, which can be easily adapted to incorporate a variety of standards in the rapidly evolving world of Mobile TV, is that it uses software to define the functionality, i.e. Software Defined Digital Radio. Underpinning this is a framework called RadiOS that enables modular software functionality to be loaded only when needed, hence allowing a wide variety of applications to be incorporated into high-end, feature-rich products.
The paper covers the rapidly evolving Mobile TV environment with numerous closely related but different standards, and the relative merits of ASIC versus a software-defined solution based on RadiOS in addressing this market. A copy of the paper is available from the RadioScape website at http://www.radioscape.com/Resource_Library/White_Papers/default.asp
Mobile TV trials
RadioScape provided the broadcast system technology for the following trials:- The DAB-IP trials in the UK in 2005-2006; The current joint trial by RTÉ and RadioScape in Dublin; The Centre of Excellence for Digital Broadcasting (CoEfDB) trial in the Netherlands; The DMB/DAB-IP Mobile TV trial in the UK that was announced on the 5th of June 2006; Trials in China with over nine installations in operation, some of which are now broadcasting commercially.
Demonstration on the stand at Broadcast Asia
RadioScape will be demonstrating Mobile TV in the form of T-DMB (Terrestrial-Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) and DAB-IP (DAB Internet Protocol), Electronic Programme Guide for DAB, Asian character set support on a DAB receiver and RadioScapes extensive range of multi-standard receiver modules.
Flexibility and future-proofing are key to RadioScapes success
RadioScapes DMB and DAB products are the solution of choice because of the flexibility of being able to be quickly adapted through software to cope with any changes or enhancements in the DMB specifications as they evolve. For example, the RadioScape Broadcast System can be configured to support both DAB-IP and T-DMB via simple software selectable options. T-DMB is typically configured to provide H.264 QVGA sized pictures at a frame rates from 15 to 30 fps using 192 to 512 kbps and higher bit rates, while the Windows Media format focuses on lower bit rates. These multimedia broadcasts will cover news, financial information, music videos, sports, education, movies and the simulcast of terrestrial TV programmes.
Importantly, RadioScapes T-DMB and DAB-IP receivers can also receive DAB radio services bringing the benefits of digital clarity and a wider range of content than offered by FM broadcasting. Indeed, recent field trials for DAB-IP and DVB-H indicated that audio services were generally used more often than video services.
19 June 2006
Harris Corporation’s Broadcast Communications Division today announced that Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group, one of the largest media conglomerates in China, is employing Harris Intraplex® multiplexers to distribute 16 unique radio programs from the Honggiao Radio Broadcast Building in Shanghai to transmitter sites at four different locations that reach the group’s entire coverage area. The multiplexers were installed in April.
“Since we’ve been using the Harris system, our audio transmission is now much more reliable, more secure and ready for any future expansion,” said Weilan Zhang, manager, Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group. “The Harris system has significantly improved both our coverage and responsiveness. We’re now sending a stronger signal to a larger portion of the nation, and the flexibility it provides means we can cater our programming directly to our regional audiences.”
By sending programming to multiple transmitter sites throughout the region, Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group can reach a much wider audience. Further, an emergency back-up link has been established and audio between different sites can be shared instantly. Previously, sharing programming between sites required either a LAN transfer of computer files or a courier transport of tapes from one facility to the other. An SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) link, providing synchronous data transmission over an optical network, was used for transmission prior to installation of the Intraplex equipment.
The Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group has 15 radio channels, producing news, traffic, music, cultural, regional, and financial programming.
“With the Intraplex® multiplexers and CrossConnect servers, Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group truly enhances its ability to manage critical E1 network traffic throughout its facilities,” said Bob Band, international channel sales manager for Harris Broadcast Communications’ Networking Solutions Group. “Thanks to the efficient nature of our system, they were able to deploy the multiple units they needed to meet their broadcasting requirements.”
The Intraplex® product line from Harris provides broadcasters with complete flexibility to combine, interconnect, and multicast traffic among up to six T1 or E1 lines. Intraplex® increases the efficiency of digital transmission networks by reducing recurring costs and protecting critical T1 and E1 network traffic. Its inherent flexibility means a network fabric may grow to include multiple, meshed T1 or E1 lines when communications requirements demand connectivity between multiple sites.
The Intraplex® series of Studio-to-Transmitter (STL) multiplexers are designed to transport multiple payloads of program audio, data and voice over switched public networks. These STLs provide broadcasters with numerous redundancy features for always-on performance, flexible configurations for user applications and local requirements and remote management. The multiplexers are available in terminal and drop insert modes for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint operation.
19 June 2006
A human rights group in China has reported that a Chinese environmental activist was brutally beaten up after giving an interview to German public broadcaster ARD. According to the group Human Rights in China, Fu Xiancai, a farmer and environmental activist gave an interview to German television on May 19 about construction work on the Three Gorges Dam, in which he commented on Beijing’s failure to compensate 1.3m people forced to relocate after the project began in 1997.
Three weeks later, he was visited by police in the Zigui region in Hubei province and questioned about his statements to German television. On his way home, he was attacked by unknown assailants. Since then, he has been under 24-hour police observation in hospital and is believed to be paralysed from the neck down.
This was not the first time Fu had felt the wrath of the authorities. In April 2005 he was beaten up after talking to a US newspaper, and one month later his son received a murder threat
12 June 2006
RRSat, a leading provider of end-to-end transmission and production services, is operating flyaways in Munich and other parts of Germany during the World Cup. Transportable Flyaway Systems can be rapidly deployed on short notice. The digital Flyaway Systems are designed to operate domestically or internationally no matter how far off the beaten path. RRSat engineers will be on hand to ensure the feeds reach their final destination.
Facility on site
For playout: Sony PAL Beta player, Sony DSR 11 DV/miniDV NTSC/PAL player
For live: Sony PD-150 ,sound system include mike , I.F.B kit
1.2 m` Dish + 2 DVB Encoder (option for two video simultaneously)
Bookings (24/7) Mobile. +972-50-5406572 +972-50-5696925 Tel. +972-8-8610000 Fax. +972-8-8610002 email. shmulik@rrsat.com; shen@rrsat.com
12 June 2006
WRN, one of the UKs leading radio and television transmission services companies, today announces that it is providing extensive satellite and EPG services to VIP Radio, which recently launched on Sky digital, channel 0196.
VIP Radio is the newest music radio station in the 35-59 adult contemporary market. Kev Roberts, Head of VIP Radio, says, We chose Sky to develop a national brand and to subscribe to the future plans of a great broadcaster. To fast track our transmission while being cost effective, WRN was our first choice provider.
Tim Ayris, WRNs Marketing Manager, says, “WRN is delighted to be working with VIP Radio, providing satellite services that will give listeners around the UK access to this fantastic station playing fantastic music.
WRN currently uplinks almost one in three of the non-BBC radio stations available on Sky, making it the UKs number one independent satellite transmission provider for digital radio on the UKs number one digital satellite platform.
