9 July 2015
· HD+ and TechniSat’s first UHD TV with integrated HD+ decryption system (no CI+
module for HD+ required) premiered at the IFA Innovation Briefings
· HD+ to launch UHD demo channel in September
German HD platform HD+, a subsidiary of SES S.A. (NYSE Euronext
Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), and German TV and satellite technology
manufacturer TechniSat unveiled the first Ultra High-Definition (UHD) TV with integrated HD+
decryption system (no CI+ module for HD+ required) today at the IFA Innovations Media
Briefing. HD+ also announced the launch of its UHD demo channel in September.
With this new TechniMedia UHD+, consumers will have easy access to more than 50 HD
channels via the HD+ platform as long as they have a valid HD+ card. They will also be able to
access HD+’s new UHD demo channel. Currently, HD+ customers access HD+ channels by
connecting their TV with an HD+ set-top-box or with a CI+ module.
The TechniMedia UHD+ will be available in the fourth quarter of 2015 in three sizes: 43 inches
(109 cm), 49 inches (123 cm) and 55 inches (140 cm). The TechniMedia UHD+ will also boast
extensive premium features as well as multi-media integration into the home network and can
be controlled through an app.
When launched in September, the HD+ UHD demo channel will broadcast an attractive mix of
sports, culture, lifestyle and nature content. Professional industry partners who are keen to test
out their Ultra HD content can also contribute to the demo channel.
“With more Ultra HD content being produced, it’s a matter of time before Ultra HD channels are
offered in the market. At the same time, consumer electronics must be easy to use and intuitive,
hence the reason why we partnered with TechniSat to offer HD+ on a new Ultra HD TV,” said
Georges Agnes, Managing Director of Product Development at HD PLUS. “In September, the
new HD+ Ultra HD demo channel will broadcast content of our professional partners and also
provide producers with the opportunity to broadcast their user-generated content on linear TV.”
2 July 2015
Globecast today announced that it has supplied distribution services for ten broadcasters covering the recent SEA (South East Asian) Games. Globecast was contracted by HBS, the Production Partner of MediaCorp, official media partner and host broadcaster to provide distribution.
The 28th occurrence of the Games saw this major sporting event return to Singapore after a 22-year gap. 36 sports and 402 events featured in the eleven-day spectacle including more unusual sports like wushu, sepak takraw and wakeboarding.
Globecast facilitated the distribution of ten channels to regional host broadcasters across Asia, creating two multiplexes onsite at the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC), one with six channels (in 36 MHz) and one with four (in 24 MHz). These were then uplinked via a 4.5m dish at the IBC dish farm using NS3 modulation.
HBS Project Director Daniel Wlochovski, said, “Since the start of the project, it has been a pleasure to work with an experienced team who are always responsive and solution-oriented. We initiated the discussions with Globecast with a very open scope, due to our lack of reference in the requirements for this type of event. But we managed, during the development of the project, to design with them an operation that meets the technical and operational constraints while offering sufficient flexibility to cater for latecomers. The satellite set-up put in place offers, for the first time at the SEA Games, full HD transmissions through a cost-effective approach.”
Liz McParland, Commercial Director Contribution at Globecast, says, “As well as the highly effective distribution technology, we also supplied an onsite technical team, a mix of engineers from the UK and from Asia as well as a coordinator. We are very pleased to have been chosen by HBS for this venture as events on this scale require a level of technical and logistical expertise that we have honed over many years. We are glad that has been recognised.”
2 July 2015
- Bringing a wealth of media experience with him, Rob Fox joins arvato Systems’ New York office as VP, Media
- Rob Fox worked previously for the global news giant CNN and Rohde & Schwarz, handling Broadcast Markets for their DVS Server & Storage products
- arvato Systems will strengthen their presence in North America
arvato Systems is pleased to welcome Rob Fox to arvato Systems North America. He joins the New York office as VP, Media where he reports to Frank Zimmermann, CEO at arvato Systems North America.
With a career history spanning some of North America’s most prestigious suppliers and broadcast companies, from Avid to CNN, Rob Fox is expected to make a significant contribution to arvato Systems North America. His tasks will include working with the existing team to strengthen arvato Systems position in the USA with particular focus on Digital Media Management products including arvato Systems flagship MAM product, VPMS. Being a market leader in Germany for many years, arvato Systems solutions are increasingly used in North America. Hence, Rob is going to build a sales, delivery, and service unit to serve the growing demand for professional broadcast and media software in the US. His recruitment is another demonstration of arvato Systems continuing commitment to and engagement with the North American market.
In his most recent position, Fox handled Broadcast Markets for DVS Server and Storage products at Rohde & Schwarz. Previously, he had his own video consulting and project services company, Fox Rox Productions.
For over 10 years Rob worked at CNN in New York City where his roles included Director of Operations for their financial network CNNfn and Director of Media Operations at the New York Broadcast Studios in the Time Warner Center. Fox also spent 3 years at Avid as the Manager of Network Operations for their broadcast clients in NY and LA.
“I’m looking forward immensely to the new role. I hope to use my broadcast knowledge and extensive network to support the arvato Systems team as they expand and grow. Digital transformation is at the heart of arvato Systems and the time is right for products such as VPMS to find their place in North American markets,” says Fox.
“We are pleased to have recruited such an enthusiastic and dynamic player in the world of broadcast technology,” comments Holger Noske, VP Digital Media Management at arvato Systems S4M GmbH. “We expect Rob’s experience and expertise to play a significant role in taking arvato Systems to the next level in the USA and Canada”.
About arvato Systems
As global next generation IT systems integrator arvato Systems focuses on “Digital Transformation Solutions”. We use the technology talent and expertise of over 3,000 people at more than 25 sites throughout the world. Being a part of the arvato network and belonging to Bertelsmann, we have the unique capability to create entire value chains. Our team creates integrated, future-proof business infrastructures that help make our customers more agile and competitive, and enable them to deliver new standards of service to their customers. We create streamlined digital processes that support innovative business models. Moreover we provide operation and support services.
Customers from the world of media, one of our core areas of expertise, can also benefit from these solutions. Custom-tailored arvato Systems solutions for broadcast management, media asset management, and publishing, enhanced by marketing and enterprise solutions are in use today in more than 30 countries.
arvato Systems offers an exceptional combination of international IT engineering excellence, the open mindset of a global player, and the dedication of employees. We also ensure that all our customer relationships are as personally rewarding and long-lasting as they are successful. www.arvato-systems.com
2 July 2015
Intelsat EpicNG will enable Axesat to meet diverse range of customers’ needs while consolidating operations previously spread across multiple satellite platforms
Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I), the world’s leading provider of satellite services, today announced that Axesat S.A. has signed a multi-year agreement for satellite services on the high-performance Intelsat EpicNG platform. Axesat, the largest provider of satellite-based corporate networks in Colombia, selected the Intelsat 29e satellite as the best choice to support the growing needs of its corporate enterprise customers as well as its cellular backhaul customers throughout Latin America.
Under the agreement, Axesat will consolidate services spread across multiple satellites and operators, including Intelsat 805 and Intelsat 14, onto Intelsat 907 at 332.5°E and Intelsat 29e at 310°E. This will enable Axesat to deliver services to a diverse group of customers and, with the flexibility of Intelsat’s satellite services, to tailor unique solutions for each.
Intelsat 29e, scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2016, features the most advanced digital payload in the commercial satellite market, bringing unprecedented power, efficiency and accessibility to the marketplace. Its combination of high-power Ku-band spot beams, wide beams, open architecture design and backward compatibility will enable Axesat to easily integrate Intelsat EpicNG into its existing network with minimal upfront capital expenditures. This will result in increased efficiencies and allow Axesat to focus on growing its business and expanding into new geographic areas.
“We reviewed many high throughput satellite (HTS) options and committed to Intelsat EpicNG because it provides the improved efficiency and hardware independence that we considered vital to our plans,” said Mauricio Segovia, President of Axesat. “Intelsat will allow us to seamlessly integrate HTS into our existing network, deliver more bandwidth and cost-efficient commercial solutions to our corporate and cellular backhaul customers, as well as support our growth strategies in the countries where we operate.”
“We designed Intelsat EpicNG to bring more power, better economics and make satellite more accessible to existing and potential customers. This enables companies such as Axesat to easily scale their existing infrastructure and take full advantage of HTS to meet the burgeoning demands for broadband connectivity in the region,” said Kurt Riegelman, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Intelsat. “With 3G networks on the rise in Latin America and the need for rural connectivity never greater, the Intelsat EpicNG platform will allow Axesat to capture growth in existing markets, expand their services into new locations and, importantly, improve broadband connectivity in the areas they wish to serve.”
Supporting Resources:
2 July 2015
This week, RFE/RL marked its 20th anniversary in the Czech Republic in an event convened under the auspices of Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and attended by dignitaries from over 22 countries.
In his keynote remarks, Prime Minister Sobotka recalled listening to RFE/RL as a student in Czechoslovakia.
“I want to thank RFE/RL not only for the last 20 years, but…for the indispensable help in difficult times of oppression, for being a fixed point in space of objectivity in a universe of disinformation, for providing a sense of direction for so many listeners, and for disseminating the voices of freedom,” he said.
Sobotka announced the award of two Karel Kramar medals for national service to former RFE/RL Czechoslovak Service Director Pavel Pechacek and former RFE/RL President Kevin Klose. Pechacek was the only independent journalist to report to audiences in their native Czech language directly from Wenceslas Square during the 1989 Velvet Revolution. Klose led RFE/RL during the move to Prague in 1995. The medals will be presented to the recipients during the Prime Minister’s visit to the U.S. this fall.
Representing the Broadcasting Board of Governors at the event, Ambassador Ryan Crocker paid tribute to the importance of informed media in conflict zones, and the courage of RFE/RL journalists working on the front lines in Ukraine, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic Andrew Schapiro expressed the United States’ deep appreciation for the U.S.-Czech bilateral relationship and their partnership in supporting RFE/RL.
RFE/RL began broadcasting from Munich to the former Soviet Union and eastern and central Europe in 1950, moving its operations to Prague in 1995 at the invitation of then Czech President Vaclav Havel. Sixty-five years after its first broadcast, RFE/RL is a leading innovator in international media, reaching an audience of 23.3 million people in 24 countries and 28 languages on TV, web, social networks, and mobile platforms.
About RFE/RL
RFE/RL is a private, independent international news organization whose programs — radio, Internet, television, and mobile — reach influential audiences in 21 countries, including Russia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus. It is funded by the U.S. Congress through the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG).
1 July 2015
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s multimedia expansion and rapid growth was the focus of today’s Broadcasting Board of Governors meeting held in Prague, Czech Republic. The Board traveled to the RFE/RL headquarters to tour the facilities, meet the staff and learn more about the network’s operations.
With 18 bureaus and more than 1,000 journalists on the ground, RFE/RL continues to expand its traditional media outlets while also creating new, innovative ways to distribute the news to more than 23.3 million people a week – a 13 percent increase since the previous fiscal year.
“It’s been a demanding and exciting year for RFE/RL,” said Nenad Pejic, Editor-in-Chief and co-interim manager. “Our top priority was launching new Russian-language programming providing fair and balanced independent reporting on Russia and the region; We did this.”
He went on to detail the growth of Current Time, a popular news and information program jointly produced with Voice of America. Launched in October, Current Time now airs on 15 private and public television channels throughout the Russian periphery. In May, RFE/RL and VOA began producing weekend editions, and next month a Central Asian version of the program is expected to launch.
Governor Ken Weinstein noted the pace of change at the network, adding that the “energy level is impressive.”
Many of the changes outlined in the network’s presentation included a new video production capability fueled by extensive training and the construction of television studios, as well as a robust television affiliate outreach effort. A revamped digital strategy to engage audiences on multiple platforms was also discussed in detail. RFE/RL’s Russian Service, for example, operates on four key platforms: its website (average around 6 million visits per month), Facebook page (340,000 followers), Twitter (more than 120,000 followers) and YouTube (more than 1.6 million views monthly).
Governor Michael Kempner opened the meeting by reporting on the numerous threats journalists in the BBG networks have faced. He echoed the State Department’s urging for the release of Radio Free Asia Uyghur Service reporter Shohret Hoshur’s brothers who have been arrested by Chinese authorities in retaliation for Hoshur’s reporting. Additionally, Kempner called for the release of imprisoned RFE/RL contributor Khadija Ismayilova, who has been detained since December 2014. Kempner also noted the dangerous situation for VOA stringers in Burundi, one of whom had a grenade thrown at her house, and for independent Cuban journalists who contribute to the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, three of whom were arrested on World Press Freedom Day.
“It’s been an honor to be able to meet with the motivated and dedicated team here at RFE/RL,” said Kempner. “We’ve been incredibly impressed with the work we’ve seen. Your work is critical to democratic success.” (BBG press release)
