Omneon IBC2007 Product Preview

Company Overview
Omneon is a leading provider of flexible media server and active storage systems that optimize workflow productivity and on-air reliability for the production, distribution, and management of digital media. Omneon is a pioneer in the use of advanced IT technologies and open systems for broadcast applications, producing a modular and expandable video server architecture in the Omneon Spectrum. The company’s MediaGrid active storage system delivers centralized content storage that is scalable in capacity, bandwidth, and media-processing power. The company has an extensive global presence with customers in 45 countries on six continents. Omneon is on the Web at www.omneon.com.

New Omneon Products for IBC2007
Omneon ProXchange™
At IBC2007, Omneon will introduce to the European market ProXchange™, a high-performance transcoding system designed for high-volume, multiformat media environments. ProXchange is the first media processing application specifically designed to run on Omneon’s MediaGrid™ active storage system, taking advantage of MediaGrid’s combined storage and processing architecture to deliver scalable and efficient grid-based transcoding. The integration of transcode processing within the MediaGrid active storage system streamlines file-based workflows by eliminating the need for external processing systems and multiple file copies.

ProXchange performs conversion between a wide variety of video and audio formats, including all formats supported by the Omneon Spectrum™ media server, as well as conversion to a low-resolution H.264 format. Conversion and re-wrapping between wrapper formats also is supported (QuickTime and MXF), with preservation and accurate placement of all metadata through all conversions.

As media files move from acquisition to production to playout, these files often need to be converted in order to be in the proper format for each application in the workflow. ProXchange streamlines the process of converting files to the appropriate format for each application, making workflows faster, more efficient, and more consistent. The combination of MediaGrid and ProXchange also simplifies the process of repurposing media. For example, ProXchange can take MPEG-2 50 Mbps I-Frame content, automatically create a transmission copy in MPEG Long GOP, and concurrently create an H.264 clip for distribution to IPTV or the Web.

ProXchange works by harnessing the unique combined storage and processing architecture of the MediaGrid, and hence brings a fundamental change to the workflow, helping to eliminate separate application islands and allowing all parts of a facility to function as a cohesive whole.

Omneon MediaDeck™
IBC2007 marks the European debut of the Omneon MediaDeck™ -- a compact, affordable integrated media server system based on the proven technology of the company’s flagship Spectrum media server. The Omneon MediaDeck integrates media storage, system management, Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, and SD or HD video I/O modules in one convenient package only two rack-units high.

Omneon MediaDeck storage consists of eight 500-GB SATA disk drives with dual-parity RAID, providing 3 TB of useable storage and protection even in the event of two drive failures. The system also features modular I/O components, so users can mix and match modules to fit their needs. SD modules for ingest and playout (up to six channels per unit) and HD ingest modules (up to two channels per unit) are immediately available. Additional modules will follow to add further ingest and playout channels and formats.

Designed for small stations and other users requiring a standalone server that is affordable, reliable, and compatible with existing automation systems and workflows, the Omneon MediaDeck represents a breakthrough in price-performance for media server technology.

Omneon Spectrum HD -- Now With Integrated MPEG-2 HD Ingest
IBC2007 also will see the European debut for a new family of media interface components for the Omneon Spectrum media server, adding integrated MPEG-2 HD encoding capability to the platform. Building on the principles that have made the Spectrum so widely accepted -- scalability, flexibility, and reliability -- the new HD encoders (the MediaPort 5000 series) provide integrated HD ingest, enabling an end-to-end SD or HD ingest and playout solution from Omneon. This new generation of MediaPorts is based on a flexible architecture that allows for the use of either hardware or software codec technology, depending on format and feature requirements. The new architecture provides a high degree of flexibility for how codec technology can be integrated into an Omneon system as well as a platform that can accommodate new advanced codecs as they emerge in the market.

The new Spectrum MediaPort 5300 series will be available initially as MPEG-2 HD encoders, supporting both I-Frame and Long GOP formats in bitrates ranging from 18 to 78 megabits per second. They are offered in a single- or dual-channel configuration, delivering one or two channels of MPEG-2 HD encoding and further improving the cost-effectiveness of the Spectrum server. As with all new Omneon MediaPorts, the new 5300 series supports up to 16 channels of audio, useful for today’s surround sound and multilanguage broadcasting.

NEW Omneon Spectrum HD -- Now With DVCPRO HD Ingest
In addition to the European introduction of the MediaPort 5000 series, at IBC2007 Omneon also will launch the MediaPort 6000 series, a new line of MediaPorts that complements the Spectrum product line by adding support for additional formats via software codec technology. The MediaPort 6101 DVCPRO HD encoder/decoder is the first product available in the new line, providing real-time recording and playback of native DVCPRO HD, the most popular HD acquisition and edit format deployed today. The MediaPort 6101 offers broadcasters the ease of DVCPRO HD integration into existing workflows while protecting investments in field acquisition equipment.

With the launch of the MediaPort 5000 and MediaPort 6000 series, Omneon reaffirms its commitment to support the widest variety of HD formats, reflecting the company’s overall multi-format and HD leadership and furthering the company’s “HD-in-any-format” positioning.

The new modular MediaPorts can be connected easily to any existing Omneon Spectrum media server to add new HD functionality, and can be mixed with other Omneon MediaPorts for SD within the same system. The addition of a new MediaPort to an existing server requires no disruptive upgrade procedure and in most cases can be done while the system remains online.

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