Snell & Wilcox IQ solutions to serve as backbone for new Turner HD network

Turner Entertainment Group, the world's largest broadcast system with integrated monitoring and control capabilities, has selected Snell & Wilcox IQ Modular intelligent infrastructure solutions to serve as the backbone for its newly launched high definition network.
Adding to the 7,000-plus Snell & Wilcox IQ Modular units within Turner's standard definition system, the new modules are being used to condition and process high definition signals at every point in the signal path. Among the range of functions handled by the IQ Modular units are synchronisation, distribution, audio shuffling, and audio embedding/de-embedding.
"The industry is moving toward high definition at a much faster pace than two, three years ago," said Ron Tarasoff, Vice President of Broadcast Technology and Engineering, Turner Entertainment Group. "Consumer electronics prices are coming down as more and more stations are coming on air with high definition signals. As a broadcast technology manufacturer, Snell & Wilcox continues to look ahead by developing high definition products in advance of television stations using that technology. We've always had great results with their products, and we expect the same success within our high definition network."
Turner has set aside space in its central equipment room (CER) to add the new IQ Modular systems, which are placed in both new IQ Modular enclosures and existing ones within the CER that will mix both standard definition and high definition modules.
The high definition signal path was added on top of the facility's standard definition layer to create a separate signal path that remains within the established chain of standard definition equipment. This allows both the high definition and standard definition equipment, including gear from other suppliers, to be controlled and monitored via a Snell & Wilcox RollCall Network Management System.
According to Tarasoff, the success of this massive installation coupled with Turner's in-depth studies of the high definition IQ modules confirmed that the entire infrastructure would scale seamlessly as high definition equipment was added.
Tarasoff added that another benefit of selecting Snell & Wilcox is the packing density of the modules. Each 3-RU IQ enclosure, capable of mixing both standard and high definition modules, features 16 slots for an industry-leading packing density of 5.33 modules per rack unit, leaving a good margin of headroom for future expansion as additional channels expand into high definition programming.
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