11. September 2009: IBC 2009 - SBS London Expands Playout Center

Cologne/ Amsterdam, September 11th, 2009: In a follow-up order to the playout center that went into operation in late 2007, the SBS Broadcasting Group (a wholly owned subsidiary of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG since mid-2007) has awarded Wellen+Noethen GmbH the contract to significantly expand the infrastructure at SBS London.

As part of the project, a number of Scandinavian broadcasters within the SBS Group will undergo reorganization without having to interrupt broadcasting operations. To centralize the broadcasting structure, Oslo-based TV Norge will be relocated to the playout center in London, where it will be integrated into the infrastructure as an extra channel. Both TV Norge and Danish TV station Kanal 5, which already broadcasts from London, will be converted to purely HD networks.

Playout processes will also be standardized and optimized, with broadcaster FEM (Norway) being moved from its respective platform of InfoCaster to the Grass Valley K2 playout server system controlled by AVECO TV Automation Astra. To increase the redundancy of the server system, backup channels will in future run on a parallel, independent K2 server pool. This expansion will allow much more flexibility in system maintenance. As a result of the server switchover, S4M’s workflows for AVECO Automation and VPMS (Video Production Management System) will also be expanded for the new redundancy level.

In addition to the standardization of the playout structure, the ingest process will be optimized and expanded with the VPMS for both file- and tape-based playout. SBS London is to start using the S4M application ClipJOCKEY for future tape ingest.

Once the expansion and conversion work is complete eleven networks will operate at the Chiswick Park playout center, all with redundancy backup, using a Maestro mixer and Concerto routing matrix from Grass Valley. Five other niche channels will be broadcast using the InfoCaster solution from Harris.
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About Wellen+Noethen GmbH
As specialist in innovative IT and AV solutions, Wellen+Noethen GmbH is one of the leading German retail firms in the broadcasting and media industry. With the strategic business divisions of Sales, Rental, System Integration and Service, the company offers a complete portfolio for the supply, integration and commissioning of conventional as well as complex standard and customized solutions. The range of products on offer embraces hardware and software from the world's leading branded manufacturers of media technologies, including Apple, Avid, Grass Valley, Quantel, Sony and Vizrt. Wellen+Noethen has also established a name for itself as Germany’s leading rental company, offering its customers a comprehensive equipment park. The company also sets new standards in the high definition sector: as a partner to its subsidiary HDinside, the company offers a broad and innovative HD rental portfolio. The spectrum of products and services is rounded off with professional services such as training courses, after-sales support and hotlines. With around 70 staff at its sites in Cologne and Berlin, the company looks after more than 1,800 German and international customers.
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