Singapore MediaCorp Select Omneon Spectrum Server For HDTV Channel Trial

Omneon Video Networks have announced that Singapore's MediaCorp has deployed an Omneon Spectrum HD server system to support playout of its trial channel, MediaCorp HDTV, via a terrestrial network covering the entire city-state.
The Omneon server system, supplied by systems integrator Ascent Media Network Services, provides MediaCorp with a highly reliable, flexible, and scalable platform for its first HD trial television broadcast service, which was launched on Sept. 1.
"Omneon demonstrated an excellent track record with respect to reliability and performance as a playback server in major installations all across the world," said Yeo Kim Pow, senior vice president at MediaCorp. "The system also features a highly scalable architecture that will allow us to expand our HD services when the time is right."
MediaCorp is the first broadcaster to conduct an HD trial and deliver HD services via a terrestrial network in Southeast Asia. The Omneon Spectrum HD server system in use at MediaCorp is a mirrored system that supports a total of six channels. HD content for MediaCorp HDTV, which focuses mainly on documentary and entertainment programming, is being ingested from a tape machine via a Snell & Wilcox Memphis HD encoder. The 50-Mbps HD MPEG content is stored on the server system with a QuickTime wrapper. Harris D-Series automation controls the Omneon server system.
The Omneon Spectrum server provides a reliable and scalable infrastructure for broadcast playout and storage applications. The scalable, distributed architecture of the modular Omneon Spectrum server system also offers users such as MediaCorp maximum flexibility in scaling system components and capacity in small or large increments as desired.
(SP)