19 June 2006
Harris Corporation announced that VSC Design Ltd., a leading UK-based systems integrator, has completed the installation of a turnkey project for the new HD video duplication and encoding facility at the world-renowned Abbey Road Studios in London using Harris infrastructure and test and measurement products. The contract includes an SD/HD-compliant Leitch Integrator® Gold router, a vast range of Leitch 6800+ series modular products and two Videotek® TVM-950 test and measurement instruments.
“We chose VSC Design to design, build and install the equipment layout and cabling because of their proven track record in the market compounded by the excellent support we have always received from the company,” said Tom Williams, video services manager, Abbey Road Studios. “Our choice of products was based on the fact that the Harris equipment is all SD/HD-compliant and able to seamlessly integrate into our existing infrastructure.” Martyn Hales, managing director at VSC Design, said, “We worked very closely with Harris to select products that integrated the new system into the existing infrastructure at Abbey Road. This project was commissioned, designed and installed within eight weeks and was planned to allow Abbey Road Studios a seamless transition to the new facility with minimal impact to their ongoing business.”
“We are delighted to have secured an order from such a prestigious and well-respected business as Abbey Road Studios and are pleased to collaborate with VSC Design on this project,” said Dave Dougall, vice president of sales, Europe, Africa and Middle East, Harris Broadcast Communications Division. “Abbey Road is well-known for having a technically advanced facility, and this contract is a testament to the high-quality, scalability and performance of the Harris product portfolio.”
With 100 percent digital signal processing technology, the Videotek® TVM-950 provides accurate, stable display of single or multiple Waveform, Vector, Gamut, Audio, Picture, Timing and Data Analyser functions in quadrant or full-screen views for HD/SD-SDI. The TVM-950 is capable of monitoring and displaying up to four input sources simultaneously. This precision test instrument includes advanced analysis tools, an extensive alarm set with peak level reporting, metadata, EIA-608, 708 closed caption, Teletext and XDS displays. It also monitors eight channels of analog, AES/EBU and embedded audio, with CineSound® Surround display, Dolby Digital® and Dolby® E decoding. Remote interfaces include 10/100 BaseT Ethernet and USB ports, supporting frame-capture transfer and mouse control. The TVM-950 is the flagship of the TVM series, which features a user-friendly interface with illuminated front-panel controls, a streamlined, context-sensitive pop-up menu structure and an ultra-quiet cooling system, with a modular platform design for easy field upgrades.
The 6800+ is a high-quality processing platform that provides all core processing and distribution functions in analog, SD, HD, and optical formats. Products are designed with a “core function per module” concept that ensures straightforward system designs with lower costs and higher performance. Based on the renowned 6800 platform, the 6800+ platform has been redesigned to offer integrated control and monitoring and is SNMP-friendly. The 6800+ offers a modern, future-proofed solution for any core processing infrastructure requirements.
The Integrator® Gold wideband digital multi-rate router has the capability of routing signals from 3 Mb/s to 1.5 Gb/s and offers a clear growth path from lower bit rate AES, SDI and ASI to high-bandwidth, high-definition format signals. The 8RU Integrator® Gold can easily scale from 8×8 to 128×128 in multiples of 8 I/O, and features include redundant power supplies, redundant logic cards and easy-to-use, front-loading, hot-swap capability. Integrator® Gold provides complete digital format support: HD, SDI, AES, ASI and common Telco rates and an option for SDI only. Additionally, new Integrator® Gold encoder and decoder modules support analog video via high-quality 10-bit conversion.
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
19 June 2006
WRN, one of the UKs leading radio and television transmission services companies, is pleased to announce the provision of comprehensive satellite services to Virgin Radio for the launch of five stereo radio channels on Sky digital, two of which are 192 kb/s capacity.
The five stations from Virgin Radio include Virgin Radio Classic Rock and Virgin Radio Xtreme, which have previously been broadcasting on Sky via WRNs On Air and Radio channels but now have their own channel numbers. These are joined by Virgin Radio Groove and Virgin Radio 105.8, which launched on Sky on June 12th. Virgin Radio Party Classics, a brand new Virgin Radio station, goes live on Sky on June 16th.
Mark Robinson, Head of Engineering at Virgin Radio, says, We have worked with WRN for a couple of years as they hosted Virgin Radio Classic Rock and Xtreme on their existing Sky channels. It therefore makes perfect sense for us to expand our relationship with WRN in launching our five channels on Sky.
Richard Jacobs, WRNs Business Development Manager, adds, “I am delighted that WRN is assisting Virgin Radio with this extensive expansion of its stations on Sky. This builds on the excellent commercial relationship that already exists between WRN and Virgin Radio.
WRN currently uplinks almost 1 in 3 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.
