@ IBC2010 …

Appear TV, a global provider of nexgen head-ends for broadcast and IP television, has launched a DVB-T/T2 modulator for SD and HD terrestrial streams. Appear TV’s full frequency agile and high density modulator module is capable of producing up to 4 DVB-T or 2 DVB-T2 modulated channels. Several of these modules can be fitted into a chassis. The product provides broadcasters with the flexibility to transmit SD and HD services on different PLPs (Physical Layer Pipes) as well as varying the Forward Error Correction (FEC) and bit rate parameters for each PLP. Terrestrial HDTV services using DVB-T2 modulation are being trialled in many countries around the world. More and more cable operators are looking for ways to distribute terrestrial bouquet via the cable infrastructure to television viewers. One of the challenges that all sides face is the bandwidth limitations. DVB-T2 modulation has been shown to offer a 30 to 50 percent increase in bandwidth efficiency compared to traditional DVB-T modulation.





At IBC2010, residents of Stand #1.C61, Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ: HLIT) and Manzanita Systems, Inc. announced they have teamed to integrate the Manzanita CrossCheck(tm) verification tools with Harmonic’s Rhozet(r) universal media transcoding solutions. Integrated under the open Rhozet Workflow System (WFS) API framework, the combined solution allows post-production studios, media companies, broadcasters and service providers to perform Manzanita’s transport stream verifications within Rhozet’s automated transcoding workflow, reducing complexity and operational costs. CrossCheck delivers fast and rigorous verification of content against CableLabs, MPEG, ATSC, and DVB profiles. Under the Rhozet WFS umbrella, CrossCheck works in collaboration with Carbon Coder™ and Rhozet Quality Control System (QCS) to unify currently disparate steps in the workflow. Rhozet QCS, together with CrossCheck’s transport stream analysis tools, provides comprehensive file-based quality testing, compliance and verification.





Netgem, a provider of connected entertainment products, has launched a new range of Internet/TV adapters. The N5000 series Netbox works with any Internet source, regardless of connection type and will be demo’d at IBC2010 in Amsterdam — in Hall 9, Stand 405 in the Connected World. Building on the NetgemTV open software platform, it is pre-loaded with a range of popular web applications beyond the standard set of services such as YouTube, Facebook and Flickr, all of which have been re-designed to best suit the TV experience. The UI can also be personalized by the operator or service provider and added-value services, such as VOD, catch-up TV, or webTV channels can be integrated to enrich their offering. The N5000 includes a HD tuner, allowing end users to switch from Internet services to TV services using the same remote control. Users can also choose to connect a detachable hard disk to the device, to allow them to permanently store video content recorded from the tuner. First European deployments of the device are scheduled before the end of the year.





Signiant(r), Inc., a developer of content supply chain solutions, announced that AETN UK, a joint venture between A&E Television Networks (AETN) and BSkyB, has selected Signiant to help facilitate its transition from tape to file-based operations. The company will be resident at the IPTV Zone at IBC2010, in Hall 8 at IP731. The new installation is part of a larger investment that also includes Avid ISIS storage with Avid Interplay database management. AETN UK broadcasts the channels HISTORY™, Military HISTORY™, Bio™ and Crime & Investigation Network™, and delivers its content to a number of partners, including BT Vision, DMC (Digital Media Centre) and BSkyB, and also to multimedia platforms including Brightcove, a video streaming platform. In order to deliver a growing amount of content more quickly and cost-effectively to its expanding network of international partners, the organisation needed to move away from a system based on HDCAM tapes and implement an integrated content supply chain management solution.





At IBC2010, in Stand 1.A27, Softel has announced an expansion of their partnership with Omneon, with the addition of Softel support for the Omneon Media Application Server(tm) (MAS). Softel and Omneon are collaborating to develop an integrated solution that will allow customers to use the Omneon MAS as a control mechanism, enabling them to monitor subtitling operations performed by the Softel Swift™ vTX subtitling and caption encoder/transcoder through a common standardized interface. Initially, the integration will allow caption and subtitle data within existing media assets to be searchable via the Omneon MAS interface. Integration will be further extended to enable the extraction, transcoding, and insertion of caption and subtitle data in all formats, with support for closed-captioning, open subtitling, Teletext and even Softel Multitext™, all through the same common interface.





Telestream has announced Vantage(tm) 2.0, a major new release to the company’s enterprise-class workflow design and automation software. This new Version 2.0, being released at this week’s IBC2010 in Stand 7.D16 in Amsterdam, adds significant new features, including a visual Workflow Portal that enables operators to easily browse assets, enter metadata, and forward media; powerful, new video analysis capabilities; and an SDK that allows seamless system integration with Vantage workflows. The new Vantage Workflow Portal enables media and entertainment companies to design and deploy an operator-facing user interface in minutes, without the need for custom web engineering. The Workflow Portal allows the use of one workflow platform to address a variety of needs that previously required several purpose-built solutions, such as extracting web highlights from news and VOD production. The new SDK enables customers and third-party systems to access and control Vantage workflows through a web services interface. Media and entertainment organizations can now integrate Vantage directly into their existing software systems. New workflow features in Vantage 2.0 include support for SQL mirrored databases, Avid Interplay 2.2, and more. British Sky Broadcasting (Sky) is installing more than 200 Wohler AMP1 and AMP2 audio/video processing monitors in its new, state-of-the-art production facility, currently nearing completion in West London. Led by the award-winning AMP2-16V-3G 16-channel audio/video processing monitor, the Wohler systems will provide unprecedented integration of audio monitoring and processing for production studios, post-production facilities, and a broadcast center housed within the new complex, code-named Harlequin 1. Wohler’s AMP2-16V-3G will deliver dedicated video monitoring, loudness metering and control, audio mixing and routing, SDI audio embedding, and instantaneous Dolby® bit stream analysis (Dolby Zoom), all within a single system. (Please see the following product announcement information…)

Wohler Technologies has incorporated several new enhancements to its AMP2-16V Series modular audio/video processing monitor. Incorporating dual 4.3-inch OLED displays, the AMP2-16V is the industry’s first 16-channel audio/video monitor to feature concurrent loudness monitoring and control together with complete mixing and routing capabilities, along with the ability to re-embed audio into an SDI signal. The latest enhancements make the AMP2-16V even more configurable and easier to use, with new features for defining and managing channel clusters and presets, managing multiple input and output formats, and accessing the system’s loudness control and other audio fine-tuning features.