Arqiva And ST-GE Deliver MPEG-4 HD Platform To Asia Pacific

Arqiva's Satellite Media Solutions division has announced that it is joining forces with SAT-GE, a subsidiary of General Electric, to provide an Asia Pacific satellite-based High Definition (HD) video platform.
Collaboration and co-ordination by both parties has already begun on the new platform that will enable broadcasters to distribute and contribute HD and Standard Definition (SD) channels to Asian-Pacific broadcasters and cable head-ends.
From Arqiva's Digital Media Centre and teleport facilities in Los Angeles, California, the new HD platform will be uplinked onto GE 23 at 172 degrees East, which is ideally positioned to provide a broad satellite footprint for coverage from the US into key locations including Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.
MPEG-4 encoding will be employed in a fully flexible range of bit rates, including 12 and 8 megabits per second for HD and 4 megabits per second for SD. The HD Video platform offers a state-of-the-art and cost-effective solution for customers wishing to reach the Asia Pacific.
The Multi Channel Per Carrier (MCPC) signal is transmitted using High Order DVB-S2 8PSK modulation for maximum bandwidth efficiency and performance, while providing customers with a high-quality solution that optimises satellite space segment capacity on the 36 MHz C-band transponder. Arqiva will also offer a wide range of key value-added services including backhaul, standards conversion, local connections and remote cable head-end antenna placement.
Andrew Jordan, SAT-GE President and CEO, said: "We are excited about working with Arqiva to deliver video services to the growing market. The MPEG-4 technology behind the new platform will enable broadcasters to deliver HD content at an extremely cost-effective price and will encourage SD broadcasters to enter into progressive HD delivery. Arqiva's global infrastructure and international reputation for delivering exceptional levels of reliable connectivity makes them the ideal partner for this project."
Simon Thrush, Senior Vice President for Arqiva in the US, added: "The Asia Pacific market offers tremendous opportunities for broadcasters and Arqiva is excited to be facilitating this growth with SAT-GE. The available capacity on GE 23 makes it a particularly attractive proposition for broadcasters with an eye on future expansion, while its extensive footprint provides access to key growth markets including China."
The company has its headquarters in Hampshire, with other major UK offices in London, Buckinghamshire and Yorkshire.
Major customers include ITV, Channel 4, Five, the BBC, BSkyB, Classic FM, the five UK mobile operators, the RNLI and the Metropolitan Police.
Further information is available at: www.arqiva.com.
SAT-GE provides satellite capacity on GE-23 across the Pacific basin, encompassing 6 individual beams, 5 Ku-band and 1 C-band, that give almost total coverage of both land mass and ocean from Perth in Australia to Los Angeles in the USA and from Alaska to South New Zealand. Further information is available at: www.sat-ge.com.
(KMcA/JM)