World Broadcast News 09/30/98
Copyright 1998 by PRIMEDIA Intertec, a PRIMEDIA Company. All rights reserved.
Avid Technology Inc. (UK) and The CNN News Group (USA) announced that CNN/U.S., CNNfn, CNN International and Headline News will upgrade more than 1300 existing newsroom workstations throughout its news gathering operation to the AvidNews Newsroom Computer System (NRCS). The upgrade will begin with the installation of AvidNews NRCS at Headline News and then move on to include the majority of the CNN News Groups' international networks and bureaus.
Avid also announced that ARD Aktuell (Germany), the organization that produces news and current affairs programming for Germany's first public TV channel, ARD1, has also chosen the NRCS for its main editorial office in Hamburg. In all, 160 existing Avid NetStation newsroom computer seats will be upgraded to AvidNews NRCS. The roll out phase will start in October, and the first news programs created on NRCS will go on-air in November. This will include Germany's TV news program, Tagesschau. A further 80 systems will be upgraded by next April to coincide with ARD's move to a new building.
NDS Asia Pacific Ltd (UK) announced that they are setting up a new company dedicated to selling NDS end-to-end digital broadcasting systems in China and servicing the needs of existing clients in that market. The new company, NDS China, is dedicated to supporting PRC customers through three regional offices located in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. NDS China will have a dedicated sales engineering support team of more than 12 people in China.
Tadiran Scopus Ltd (Israel) and Extel Engineering (Argentina) have signed a further extension of their contract for the supply of CODICO equipment with Pramer Argentina. The first (US)$1 million contract was awarded in November 1997 for Tadiran Scopus to supply the CODICO line for a large satellite operated digital transmission system. The latest extension is for the provision of CODICO equipment for an expansion of Pramer's digital transmission network via satellite. The contract includes several E-110 encoders and additional hundreds of IRD-250 integrated receiver decoders.
Foxcom Ltd (USA) announced that Star Choice, the Canadian direct-to-home digital satellite service provider, will connect numerous Multiple Dwelling Unit (MDU) subscribers in Canada using Foxcom's SDTV fiber-optic distribution system. SDTV simultaneously delivers DBS, local off-air TV, cable and high-speed Internet services. Service providers deploying SDTV can capture the MDU market by offering multiple services to subscribers.
Neutrik (Germany) announced that it has acquired the UK company Rean Products and the U.S. company Rean Inc. Rean is a manufacturer of a wide variation of control knobs, jack connectors and 1/4-inch and Bantam long-frame patchbays.
Drake Automation has been chosen by DIRECTV Inc. to supply extensive multichannel automation systems for the DIRECTV Los Angeles Broadcast Center. The broadcast facility will be the second state-of-the-art U.S. broadcast center for DIRECTV and is secheduled for completion in the second quarter of 1999. DAL will supply automation management that will initially support the digital transmission via satellite of more than 200 channels. The Drake technology will also play a role in the future expansion of the broadcast center to support new DIRECTV programming services.
As part of its strategy to reinforce its presence in Latin America, Sony Broadcast Export Corporation (SOBEC) announced that it has implemented a new sales initiative for Latin America and renamed the company Sony Broadcast & Professional Latin America (BPLA). Under the new sales zone strategy, Sony's BPLA branch offices in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Bogota, Colombia will enhance their roles by extending local-level sales support to neighboring countries. Sony BPLA Argentina will become Sony BPLA Southern Region and oversee the sales for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. Sony BPLA Colombia will make a similar transition in 1999.
PAG (UK) announced that Expotus has confirmed an order for eight Klark Teknik DN514 quad auto gates from Radio Difusao Portuguesa. The latest shipment adds to a package of KT DN360 EQs, which were delivered to RDP, a national radio station broadcasting out of Lisbon.
Philips (UK) announced that post-production house VTR (UK) ordered a second Spirit DataCine, for installation into its Dean Street complex. The Spirit DataCine, launched at NAB97, was a co-development with Kodak that was designed to meet all future market demands, whether for standard television at 625 or 525 lines or for any future standard high-definition television.
RT-SET (UK) announced that the BBC has purchased a multicamera Larus virtual studio system. Currently installed at the BBC's virtual studio facility in London, the Larus system has been integrated with the BBC's new "free-d" technology, which is an advancement in virtual studio systems camera tracking. In addition, RT-SET and the BBC are cooperating on mutual research and development of advanced virtual studio technology.
Tele Danmark has selected the digital video Movie System from SeaChange International (USA) to anchor its 15-channel TV pay-per-view service, which will offer feature-length movies to 765,000 subscribers throughout Denmark. This Movie System installation meets the emerging DVB standard and is SeaChange's first installed system for Copenhagen-based Tele Danmark.
Antenna Hungaria Rt. (Hungary) is using the CyberStream data-over-broadband system from Harmonic Lightwaves' (USA) New Media Communications subsidiary for the delivery of its AntenNet high-speed Internet access and Intranet services. The recently launched services operate over Antenna Hungaria's Multichannel Multipoint Distribution System (MMDS) wireless cable network, which reaches three million Budapest-area households and businesses.
Suddeutscher Rundfunk (SDR) one of the TV affiliates of Germany's ARD network, has awarded the contract for its new newsroom computer system to The Associated Press (USA). SDR will manage all phases of its news production, from story assignments to live broadcasts, with AP's Electronic News Production System (ENPS). ENPS features a fully integrated search engine, complete offline and remote access capabilities for field staff, and the ability to work in any language.
Channel 5, The Royal Thai Army Channel, has placed an order with Tekniche (UK) for four IXION motion adaptive standards converters. The IXIONs will be used primarily for conversion of incoming composite NTSC material to serial component PAL within the dubbing area of the installation. The converted material will also be used for contribution feeds within Channel 5.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) selected DiviCom Inc. (USA) MPEG-2 compression and multiplexing equipment for distribution of its TV and radio program services from Sydney to ABC stations across Australia. This digital distribution system will replace the aging analog B-MAC TV service in stages, commencing in August with Western Australia. The Optus Aurora system, on the B-3 satellite, will be the platform for the new ABC distribution system. Once fully installed, the population of Australia, with the exception of Sydney, will receive part of its ABC programs via the digital distribution system and almost 500 National Transmission Authority UHF and VHF transmitter sites. Many remote area homesteads will also receive the digital service direct via Aurora.
The German state broadcaster ZDF purchased Panasonic's (UK) DVCPRO and DVCPRO50 equipment. The latest order is for the main broadcast center in Mainz and follows an order from earlier installations of DVCPRO equipment in its Frankfurt Stock Exchange studio and one of its international offices in Nairobi, Kenya. The investment is part of the major digital upgrade by ZDF replacing its current analog component formats in all its domestic and international broadcast studios. As part of the latest order, ZDF is taking delivery of AJ-D800 2/3-inch camcorders, AJ-LT75 laptop editors and studio AJ-D750 VTRs. It is also taking DVCPRO50 equipment, including the AJ-D900W widescreen switchable camcorder and the AJ-D950 studio VTR.
Thomson Broadcast Systems (France) won a contract in Spain through Siemens Redes Corporativas with Telefonica Cable, the national cable operator belonging to Telefonica of Spain. The contract is part of an overall project to create a multimedia cable platform to provide a wide choice of services. The contract covers supply and integration of a complete cable transmission center, including all equipment for the MPEG-2 chain (encoders, professional decoders, multiplexers and ATM transmitter adapters), the equivalent of eight transponders. This system will feed all regional network head-ends where receiver ATM adaptors will be installed, along with mediation equipment and network interfaces required to control transactions with the decoders for interactive applications. The system is expected to be operational this month.
Universal Studios has installed eight TASCAM (USA) MMR-8 Modular multitrack recorders and eight TASCAM MMP-16 modular players into its motion picture and TV dubbing facilities, plus has several more MMR-8s on order for use in many upcoming projects. Introduced last year, the MMR-8 is a digital audio random access hard disk-based production product designed to function as a digital dubber, replacing the traditional 35mm sprocket magnetic tape used in film sound mixing.
TV/COM International Inc. (USA) announced that it has signed a contract with SkyCable Inc. to supply the TVC-3100 QAM set-top box for SkyCable's digital multichannel, multipoint distribution service (MMDS) video network. SkyCable currently operates a 60,000 square mile digital MMDS network in the Canadian province of Manitoba, covering Winnipeg, Brandon and 220 municipalities.
SkyStream (USA) announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with one of Asia's largest distributors, Ideal Systems. Ideal Systems will sell SkyStream's Integrator series of video and data networking products into Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, China and other Southeast Asian countries. WBN
|
