PHILIPS ENTER ON-LINE VENTURE WITH NOW

PHILIPS Digital Networks is entering into a new on-line venture with London UK broadcast provider NOW (Network of the World).
It will initially broadcast live via satellite to cable distribution on AsiaSat 3S in 63 countries which will offer viewers synchronised delivery of both web and television programming. The Philips contribution includes digital broadcast cameras and switching, routing and control equipment.
This on-line venture will broadcast initially live via satellite-to-cable distribution and free to air on AsiaSat 3S to a potential 135 million households whilst simultaneously being available on the World Wide Web.
NOW’s London facility will initially generate four hours of live on-line content seven days a week.
Transworld International (TWI) in partnership with the Pacific Convergence Corporation has purchased seven Philips LDK100 cameras, three for the virtual studio and four for the main studio. The most comprehensive demands of the larger studio are met by the provision of a fully featured top-end Philips DD35-3switcher. This switcher is tightly integrated with a 64x64 Philips Venus Router ensuring that at all times source mnemonics to the under monitor displays are transparently transferred through the system.
Two further 64x64 Venus router fulfil essential tasks in the editing and line-in areas all controlled by a Philips Jupiter facility control system that offers leading-edge path finding software. The association of the three routers and Jupiter control ensures that all the routers are continuously and intelligently integrated into the switcher control and central resources.
Mick Kinsella, head of operations at NOW said: “We chose Philips because of the completeness of the package, the DD35 switcher together with the Venus router is the most flexible combination available and best suited to NOW’s ambitious project.”