Seven Network Australia Builds Playout Facility With Harris

Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, is providing Seven Network Australia (Seven) with an end-to-end, file-based SD/HD playout centre at its Melbourne facility.
The project is part of a master purchase agreement that is intended to cover projects and activities for the facility build-out.
The facility incorporates a Harris ONE integrated broadcast workflow solution, which went on the air in June. The launch of the Seven Network's Channel 7TWO SD service was the first project completed under this agreement, with seven new channels scheduled to be added to the network's lineup.
At the heart of the new facility is the Harris D-Series playout automation system, which provides ingest, content workflow management and playout, with the ability to support from five to 1,000 channels with "take it for granted", high-availability technology. On-SAN (storage area network), high-resolution editing is enabled via Velocity ESX editors and NEXIO servers provide file interchange support for existing Quantel Clipbox media. The system also supports live program segmentation and automatic turnaround - critical for regional channel transmission. The Platinum router and CENTRIO multiviewer technologies are also key components of this end-to-end system.
Andrew Anderson, General Manager of Broadcast Services at the Seven Network, said: "This was the smoothest implementation we've ever experienced. The Harris ONE solution will allow us to update our existing broadcast systems and to further streamline the preparation and playout of content for our existing channels. We will also have unparalleled agility to implement new channel opportunities. Harris has an established team of broadcast and IT specialists in Australia, so we benefited greatly from accessible and reliable local support."
Seven is recognised as one of Australia's leading independent, commercial free-to-air television networks. The broadcaster operates primary HD and SD channels for the capital cities across Australia - including Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Darwin and Brisbane - reaching 95 percent of the population.
Joe Khodeir, Vice President of Sales, Harris Broadcast Communications, said: "Our solutions-based ONE approach provides a complete, file-based content delivery platform that will enable Seven Network to streamline its workflows and increase operational efficiency, while lower operating expenses and driving new revenue streams. The proven reliability of the D-Series automation will enable Seven Network to expand its playout facilities to incorporate new channels when needed."
(KMcA)