TVIPS helps Premier Media Group pull JPEG2000 signals from venues
Premier Media Group (PMG), Australia’s leading sports producer and broadcaster, has selected a T-VIPS JPEG2000 based-system to power a new permanent national contribution network between its playout centre and key sporting venues throughout the country. The T-VIPS contribution and distribution system has been tested and deployed with the assistance of the T-VIPS Australian business partner, Gencom Technology Limited, based in Sydney.
PMG compiles and produces four FOX SPORTS TV channels, FOX SPORTS NEWS, FUELTV and How To Channel. The network will meet the increasing demand for High Definition (HD) content in Australia, while also providing seamless support for ongoing SD services, utilising high bit rate motion JPEG2000 encoding. The system is in the advanced stages of roll-out, with full deployment to be completed by the end of September 2009.
“The deployment of this network is an important step for Premier Media Group, enabling us to provide our subscribers with high quality coverage of the very best sports action in High Definition,” said Tony Scanlan, Chief Technology Officer. “Australia is a country full of sports fans and we’re delighted to be able to offer them the best of the action in the highest picture quality. We evaluated our options when selecting the ideal solution, and it quickly became clear that T-VIPS’ JPEG2000 system offered us the reliability and performances levels that we require to provide a first rate service to our subscribers.”
Once fully deployed, the PMG network will link its play-out centre with 15 major sporting venues throughout Australia, including: Subiaco Oval, Perth; Adelaide Oval; Canberra Stadium; Melbourne’s Olympic Park ,Ethiad Stadium and the world-famous MCG. The network will enable Premier media Group to extend its capability to deliver exceptional quality broadcasts of AFL, NRL, football, rugby union and more of Australia’s most popular sports in HD.
“We’re pleased that Premier Media Group has selected our JPEG2000-based technology to enhance its HD offering for subscribers throughout Australia,” said Espen Myhre, VP Sales APAC, T-VIPS. “JPEG2000 is the ideal solution for the contribution of sports programming, and this deployment by Australia’s leading sports broadcaster offers further proof of the traction that the codec is gaining throughout the industry, and of the reliability, cost-effectiveness and high performance compression levels it provides. Sports programming is an extremely valuable commodity, and therefore broadcasters need to provide the optimum quality of service to subscribers. Our JPEG2000 contribution technology offers them a highly flexible system that meets today’s needs, as well as providing a solution for tomorrow.”