- Miranda Technologies Inc. (TSX: MT) has won an Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for its part in the development and standardization of the aspect ratio control technology called Active Format Description (AFD).. The Emmy Award for Technology & Engineering will be presented to Miranda at the CES show in Las Vegas in January 2012. This is in recognition of the company’s work in pioneering, developing and deploying aspect ratio control technology for television facilities worldwide. Active Format Description (AFD) was developed to simplify and automate aspect ratio conversion of 16:9 and 4:3 programming to ensure optimal on-air presentation. It avoids the need for complex co-ordination of broadcast automation and traffic systems to manage the aspect ratio of programs. AFD has now been adopted and standardized by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). Another Emmy Award has recently been won by Miranda’s Alex Gallico, Senior Project Manager, for his on-site development and technical support at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. He will receive a 2010 Sports Emmy in the Outstanding Technical Team Studio category.
- Sencore has revealed that NES Communications has installed two SMD 989 DVB-S/S2 satellite modulators in its newest HD digital satellite uplink vehicle. NES Communications, a provider of high-quality video and data communications services to major network and sports broadcasters, selected the SMD 989s in order to provide its clients with the full range of modulation options for C-band uplinking. Capable of single or multistream modulation of MPEG transport streams, the Sencore SMD 989 provides frequency-agile IF output, as well as an optional L-band upconverter, which eliminates the need for an external upconverter in L-band distribution scenarios. The SMD 989 chassis has two bays for housing one or two independent modulators, and provides state-of-the-art modulation quality while saving rack space and cost. In addition, the unit’s support of multistream with variable coding and modulation (VCM) allows each transport stream in the single RF carrier to have its own modulation parameters. Multistream modulation reduces overall equipment needs by eliminating external multiplexers, while increasing the efficiency of transponder use.
- SES has made a special donation of satellite capacity to ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition TV series, allowing construction crews and show producers to communicate during an extreme renovation project in rural Kansas. Together with Spacenet, which donated vital equipment and support, SES provided satellite-delivered Internet access to the production team during the transformation of a deserving military family’s home in the town of Ottawa. Staff Sergeant Allen Hill, wounded by a massive roadside bomb in Iraq, and his family were nominated for a makeover and got the coveted knock on the door and famous “Hello, Hill family” greeting from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition host and team leader Ty Pennington. The Hills were whisked away on a seven day vacation, while Pennington, designers, local builders and volunteers built the Hill’s brand new home. The episode, which will air this month, required an extremely fast Internet access installation and connection to meet the demands of the lightning quick renovation crews. “Behind-the-scenes communication is the key to success for ABC’s hit series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Together with Spacenet, SES enabled the show’s production and construction teams to stay in touch throughout the remarkable renovation of the Hill family’s special home in rural Kansas,” said Steve Bunke, vice president of North America sales for SES. “SES is honored to play such an important role in delivering the satellite broadband that helped ensure a successful home build within the show’s trademark timeframe.” Spacenet CEO Andreas Georghiou added, “We were excited to be part of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition series and pleased to assist the production team with the communication services they required for the filming of this heartwarming program. This type of application, requiring quick set up, rural access and broadband speeds, is ideal for VSAT satellite connectivity. The Spacenet team is thrilled to be able to participate in this project and give back to the community.”
- Telestream® has announced that Steve Ellis was named Vice President of Emerging Markets and Kevin McCartney was named Vice President of Sales for Telestream’s enterprise products. These changes will allow the company to better address growth markets in the Asia Pacific and Latin America regions, while continuing to maintain strong momentum in North America and EAME (Europe, Africa and the Middle East). In his new role, Ellis will lead a team to drive enterprise business in growth markets in Asia Pacific and Latin America. In his former position as VP of Sales, Ellis successfully developed these markets which are now positioned for accelerated growth through sale channel initiatives and continued customer focus. McCartney will expand his role as VP of Agility business to drive the company’s enterprise business in North America and EAME. While McCartney and Ellis will collaborate on worldwide key accounts, McCartney’s primary efforts will be devoted to growing the company’s enterprise business in these two regions of the world. McCartney joined Telestream in September 2010, when the company acquired Anystream.
- Verimatrix, the specialist in securing and enhancing revenue for multi-screen digital TV services around the globe, has announced that its Verimatrix Video Content Authority System (VCAS™) for IPTV has been deployed on the Post and Telecommunications of Kosovo J.S.C. (PTK) network. VCAS for IPTV enables the secure delivery of live, on-demand and interactive video services, as well as offering a solid upgrade platform that PTK can use to cost-effectively enhance its competitive advantage. The Verimatrix security solution was integrated with an end-to-end IPTV platform developed in partnership with BeeSmart, the interactive TV solution provider for service operators and hospitality market, which provided the IPTV middleware solution, and Harmonic’s leading head-end solutions. This marks the eighth IPTV project Verimatrix has implemented together with BeeSmart. VCAS for IPTV is a fully integrated component of the umbrella VCAS 3 architecture, which enables secure video delivery across a broad range of networks and device types. VCAS 3 shifts the value proposition beyond content protection, towards the broader perspective of revenue security. Digital TV operators are able to address new opportunities in the accelerating convergence of video delivery over various types of networks to a multitude of devices. VCAS for IPTV offers flexibility in choice of client devices, broad middleware interoperability and proven scalability.
- Kenya’s Globe Track International (GTI) is using the Volicon Observer® digital video monitoring and logging system to offer market intelligence solutions for individuals and organizations seeking to make sense of information in the public domain. By streamlining the monitoring, recording, clip extraction, and export of video content from multiple channels, the Observer system allows GTI to provide its clients with custom services including on-demand clips, editorial electronic monitoring, and commercial electronic monitoring. As the first company in sub-Saharan Africa to employ automated advertisement tracking technology, GTI is redefining accuracy and speed of delivering media tracking results in the Kenyan market. The company uses its Observer system to automate both news and ad monitoring and to deliver video streams to specific customers securely via IPTV. The Volicon Observer family of products captures, stores, and indexes broadcast content from multiple channels, offering users simultaneous 24/7 access to video from their desktop computers. The Volicon system also facilitates audio/visual content identification, live and archived content detection, matched clip export, and alerting via SNMP, SMS, and email, all of which allow GTI to offer services including the monitoring of competitive networks and brands, regulated advertising, and rights and royalties
SatBroadcasting™ — This report includes Miranda, Sencore, Telestream, Verimatrix, and Volicon.
[SatNews] For those involved in the SatBroadcasting™ environment, here is important market segment news that could well be of interest to you…
