• Capacity to play out up to eight HD channels with Dolby 5.1 stereo
• Sixth suite enables Arqiva to play out up to 70 channels
• Greater flexibility and efficiency for customers

Arqiva's Satellite Media Solutions division has today announced the installation of a new HD ready television playout suite. Building of the new facility, which will play out combinations of HD (high definition) and SD (standard definition) channels, has already commenced and it will be ready for action from April 2008. Arqiva currently plays out over 60 channels and the new suite will further increase that capacity to include up to eight HD channels. The significant investment in the infrastructure has been prompted by increased interest in the HD market.

The key differentiator between HD and SD is the size of bandwidth required to carry each signal: 1.5Gb for an HD channel compared to 270Mb for an SD channel. HD's equally high requirement for satellite bandwidth has contributed to the limited number of HD services available, although Arqiva's position as one of the largest independent purchasers of satellite capacity is set to make it easier for its customers to secure the necessary satellite space for distribution in the US and Europe.

The new playout suite will accommodate HD bandwidth requirements, provide for the addition of HD-level graphics and incorporate Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Arqiva's experience in delivering live HD outside-broadcast content contributed to the design of the suite. Each channel has full redundancy, with two architecturally independent play outs of each single channel.

The new suite will incorporate the Arqiva designed and built WorkFlow tool which delivers a wider range of applications and greater efficiency across the broadcast process. This enables Arqiva's customers to make the most their own content, by streamlining their production processes and by making distribution to multiple platforms more cost effective than ever. 

Content, including HD, can be delivered and ingested in any file type according to the customer's preference. The electronic ingest is fully managed by the WorkFlow tool and removes the expense of tape based delivery, ingest and storage. The playout suite is connected to a digital archive which allows ingested content to be electronically stored for immediate access, adaptation and re-use. It also enables HD content to be easily converted to an SD format.

The facility will feature a dynamic monitoring system which provides greater flexibility and control by allowing transmission controllers to manipulate their monitoring configuration. This includes removing from the screen channels that are off-air, dragging and dropping a channel onto a separate monitor or dedicated facility for special attention, and locating faults simply by clicking on a particular channel to see associated points in the transmission chain.

John Bozza, director of sales at Arqiva's Satellite Media Solutions division, said: "The new playout suite will put Arqiva in a strong position to service the growth of the High Definition broadcast market. Our investment in this new technology demonstrates our commitment to supporting broadcasters in their ambition to upgrade to High Definition channel playout and distribution. This, and other recent developments in the US and European HD distribution market, will make it significantly easier and more viable for our customers to launch High Definition channels in the future."

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