SES ASTRA increases source monitoring capacity with Barco's multiviewer technology
NAB, Las Vegas, NV, USA, 20 April 2009 – SES ASTRA, Betzdorf, Luxembourg, has recently ordered several of Barco's SMV-116 16-channel multiviewers. With this order, ASTRA intends to increase the monitoring capacity and flexibility of its current satellite broadcast display wall system, which serves the visual control of video services broadcasted via ASTRA satellites. The SMV-116 multiviewer was introduced at last year's NAB Show in Las Vegas and is now in full production and ready for shipping.
“SES ASTRA already opted for Barco's iStudio broadcast monitoring technology in 2003 for integration into our ground control facility in Betzdorf, Luxembourg,” comments Mr. Steve Lachard, Senior Earth Station Engineer at SES ASTRA. “However, as our channel offering gradually increased over the years, so did our monitoring requirements. With the new 16-channel multiviewer from Barco, we can increase our monitoring capacity and flexibility in a cost-effective way, just by expanding on the current display and monitoring system.”The SMV-116 multiviewers ordered by SES ASTRA will be attached to the current Barco Hydra controllers and will increase the theoretical, maximum capacity of each DVI input by a factor of 16. In practice, SES ASTRA will have the flexibility to switch between more video sources by means of scenarios, as well as to display any type of video signal, ranging from analog to HD video. The SMV-116 will also allow for additional visualization of audio levels.
The system operators at SES ASTRA were able to extensively test the new configuration and also provided valuable feedback and suggestions for improvement. “The integration of the new multiviewers into the current system will be seamless,” comments Mr Stephan Heirbrant, Sales Manager Benelux at Barco's Security & Monitoring Division. “From a user perspective, anyone who is familiar with the current iStudio solution will have no problem mastering the new extended environment.”
Barco's SMV-116 multiviewer is now in full production and ready for shipping. It offers a complete video monitoring platform with 16 auto-sense video inputs and provides unmatched input format flexibility, from signals coming from servers, cameras, TV stations, and graphics up to 3G 1080p. It also provides a full suite of audio monitoring with embedded and external audio display. Up to 256 channels of embedded audio can be shown as industry standard bar graphs, and the SMV-116 can monitor up to 32 channels of unmixed audio, analog or AES/EBU.
The installation of Barco's SMV-116 multiviewers at SES ASTRA, Luxembourg, is planned for June 2009.
About SES ASTRA www.ses-astra.com
SES ASTRA is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in Europe. The satellite fleet currently comprises 14 ASTRA and two SIRIUS satellites. The combined satellite system delivers services to more than 122 million DTH and cable households and transmits nearly 2,500 analogue and digital television and radio channels. SES ASTRA also provides satellite-based multimedia, internet and telecommunication services to enterprises, governments and their agencies. With nearly 70 High Definition (HD) channels on its main orbital positions, ASTRA and SIRIUS represent the most important HDTV platform for Europe's leading broadcasters. The prime orbital positions for ASTRA and SIRIUS are 19.2° East, 28.2° East, 23.5° East, 5° East and 31.5° East.
SES ASTRA is an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG). SES owns three market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, SES AMERICOM in North America, and SES NEW SKIES which provides global coverage and connectivity. The company owns 90 percent of SES SIRIUS in Europe, as well as strategic participations in Ciel in Canada and QuetzSat in Mexico. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a fleet of 40 satellites in 26 orbital positions around the globe. Additional information on SES is available at: www.ses.com
About Barco
Barco, a global technology company, designs and develops visualization products for a variety of selected professional markets. Barco has its own facilities for Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, R&D and Manufacturing in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Barco (NYSE Euronext Brussels: BAR) is active in more than 90 countries with about 3500 employees worldwide. Barco posted sales of 725 million euro in 2008.
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