Or about HWP's video servers............
broadcastingcable.com
tmo.hp.com
HP INTRODUCES TWO MPEG SERVERS
DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE,
AVAILABLE TODAY
New HP MediaStream Servers -- up to Seven or 16
Channels and Increased Storage, Reliability and
Scalability -- are Broadcast Industry's Fastest
PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 23, 1999 -- Hewlett-Packard Company, the
broadcast-industry leader in MPEG compression technology and on-air
servers, today introduces the HP MediaStream servers 700 and 1600 to its
line of digital broadcast products. The new servers offer the increased
bandwidth, channel count, storage, scalability and networking capabilities
needed for today's broadcasts and for continuing the transition to
high-quality, reduced-cost digital video (DVB and HDTV) broadcasting.
HP's new MPEG-based MediaStream servers offer immediate online
access to more than 1,000 hours of stored video material and are capable of
handling up to seven or 16 channels in one chassis, with hundreds of
channels possible in Fibre Channel networked configurations. Each server
incorporates HP's advanced Fibre Channel networking, which enables them
to deliver transfer rates up to 45 times faster than real time, making them
the fastest broadcast servers in the industry. A 30-second video clip, for
example, can be transferred between servers in less than one second.
Wide-area networking also is available using HP MediaStream Connect to
move video content efficiently from server to server, across multiple
locations.
"These new servers are the most powerful, scalable and network-ready
broadcast servers available today," said Greg Hoberg, general manager of
HP's Video Communications Division. "With three generations of
MPEG-based servers supporting thousands of channels on the air around
the world, HP has clearly proven itself to be the broadcast-industry
performance leader."
Investment Protection
The future-proof design of the new servers provides expanded bandwidth
capability to support current and future DVB and HDTV contribution and
distribution formats. The servers also are backward-compatible with HP's
earlier MediaStream servers and Disk Recorders, thereby prolonging the life
span of existing equipment. The MediaStream servers 700 and 1600 can be
integrated fully with existing installations of MediaStream servers through
HP's Fibre Channel networking connectivity.
Reliability and Performance
The servers deliver mission-critical reliability, supportability and system
management. They are equipped with state-of-the-art, fault-tolerant
subsystems that include built-in Fibre Channel-interfaced RAID (redundant
arrays of inexpensive disks) storage with hot-swappable disk drives and
redundant hot-swappable power supplies and fans. Additionally, the servers'
chassis design allows easy upgrades and configuration changes without
removal from equipment racks. Storage is expandable using external Fibre
Channel-connected storage expansion units. The MediaStream servers 700
and 1600 also support simple network management protocol (SNMP) and, in
conjunction with such applications as HP OpenView, provide powerful
system-monitoring capabilities that allow users to identify potential problems
before system failure occurs.
HP has been a leader in MPEG compression technology for the last five
years. HP was the first company to ship field-tested, feature-rich MPEG-2
4:2:2 broadcast video servers. The new servers include key features such as
HP CleanCut MPEG technology, which provides playout with jog and
shuttle functions. Additionally, the MediaStream servers 700 and 1600 can
play 4:2:2 and 4:2:0 spots or programs back-to-back seamlessly.
U.S. Pricing and Availability
Pricing for entry-level HP MediaStream servers begins at $65,000. The
seven-channel HP MediaStream server 700 and the 16-channel HP
MediaStream server 1600 are expected to begin shipping in April.
HWP could use some FC switches to move this digital data to and from the RAIDs couldn't they? |
