Chile’s Telefónica del Sur, part of the Grupo Gtd telecommunications group, has deployed a VideoBRIDGE end-to-end monitoring and analysis system which includes Bridge Technologies’ VB220 probes for advanced digital media monitoring of its IPTV services. Chile’s fourth-largest telecommunications company and the country’s first to introduce IPTV services, Telefónica del Sur offers Internet, cellular, and fixed line telephony, together with its pioneering IPTV channels. The VideoBRIDGE system provided to Telefónica del Sur includes multiple VB220 probes with ETR290 monitoring capability and a VBC controller server for analysis functionality and sophisticated graphic presentation of complex live data. The expanded ETR290 monitoring functions of the VB220 probes are part of the VideoBRIDGE version 4.9 software release, which adds powerful SQL database features, advanced graphic displays, probe auto discovery, enhanced device control, and support for the widest range of standards and formats. The VideoBRIDGE satellite-to-set-top-box system is the most advanced and comprehensive monitoring and analysis system available to digital media organizations. Its features include seamless integration between broadcast and IP standards, support for all major industry standards and formats, including DVB-T2 MI, and sophisticated data probes for every location. From the satellite downlink, through high-traffic core network, to the viewer’s living room, VideoBRIDGE offers unrivalled control over maintenance costs and quality of service to subscribers.
Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS) will transition eight West Virginia Media Holdings television stations in four markets to an integrated Harris media software solution by the end of 2011. The complete solution provides each market with a well-rounded business software platform for traffic, billing and advertising sales that will simplify operations and help the broadcaster drive new revenue. West Virginia Media Holdings is transitioning to Harris from a business software system that relied on separate platforms for traffic and billing, and broadcast advertising sales. The integration of Harris® OSi-Traffic™ (traffic and billing) and OSi-AdConnections™ (advertising sales) simplifies business operations in all four West Virginia Media Holdings markets, three of which operate more than one station from a centralized facility. Charlie Dusic, chief financial officer for West Virginia Media Holdings, said that the single-platform Harris media software solution is an ideal match for their operation, noting that all eight stations interconnect and often work together.
SES S.A. (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) has announced that the QuetzSat-1 satellite is fully operational and ready for service as of November 10th. QuetzSat-1 was successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on board an ILS Proton Breeze M booster on September 30th, 2011. QuetzSat-1 is fully contracted to a subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation. The spacecraft is an all Ku-band high-powered (20-kilowatt) communications broadcasting satellite with coverage of Mexico, USA, and Central America. QuetzSat-1 is based on Space Systems/Loral’s highly reliable 1300 satellite platform and carries 32 Ku-band transponders. It provides the flexibility to support a broad range of applications and technology advances and provides high power for advanced DTH television. The satellite is designed to deliver service for 15 years or longer.
Additionally, SES has also signed a capacity agreement with High TV 3D, a worldwide 3D general entertainment channel, primarily for cable distribution. High TV 3D will be distributed via the ASTRA 23.5 degrees East orbital position (11778.00 MHz, vertical), benefiting from its optimal European footprint coverage and household reach. ASTRA 23.5 degrees East is the home of various international 3D channels such as Brava 3D, Penthouse 3D and the ASTRA 3D demo channel. The 3D programming of High TV 3D ranges from entertainment news and travel programmes to drama, comedy, fitness and movies as well as a slate of in-house productions such as reality shows. High TV 3D will broadcast 400 hours of native 3D content during its first year and is creating more than 500 hours of quality 3D content for each year to come.
Wohler Technologies has released a new software interface for the company’s MADI-8 in-rack audio monitor that allows for control and quick reconfiguration of channel presets from any PC. With the new software, operators now have the ability to name any or all of the 64 available channels and then assign them up to eight available presets. Configurations can be saved as files on the set-up application, so operators can instantly recall channel names and presets from previous events and assign them to other MADI-8 units. Giving users the option of creating presets via a PC and keyboard rather than on the MADI-8 unit itself, the firmware upgrade and software application download significantly reduces the time required to configure a MADI-8. For installations with numerous MADI-8 units, using a simple device server adaptor for each of the serial ports can enable all of the MADI-8 units to be controlled via an Ethernet network. This capability allows users to switch MADI-8 units between sport- or event-specific presets over the network, taking very little time to shift channel names and presets from one broadcast to the next.
