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SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 18/Satnews Daily/
¾ Omneon Video Networks said
its Omneon Spectrum media server system is being used by Tokyo-based NHK
Technical Services (NTS) to operate Mobile.n channel programming on
Mobaho!, which it claims to be the world's first multi-channel satellite
service broadcasting to mobile viewing terminals.
Mobaho!, a fee-based service from Japan's Mobile Broadcasting Corp. (MBCO),
was launched Oct. 20, providing individual subscribers with almost 40
channels (seven video channels and 30 audio channels), plus 60 data
services. Mobile.n is the all-around video channel delivering programs
in a variety of genres. Programming includes NHK's eight-hours-a-day
offering of general news programs from Japan and overseas, sports, and
documentaries, as well as the service's own programs. MBCO has given NTS
responsibility for the Mobile.n channel transmission system design and
operation. Mobile.n's content is being ingested and played out via NTS's
six-channel Omneon server and distributed to viewers through MBCO's
MBSAT satellite.
Kenzo Muroi, director of digital technologies development for NTS's
Business Development Center said their Omneon system can be expanded in
many ways without interrupting server operation and they plan to take
advantage of this capability in the future as the service grows.
He said the Omneon Spectrum media server system is
a good fit for their on-air transmission system and since actual on-air
operation started Oct. 20, the system has lived up to expectations and
provided the best infrastructure for our efficient workflow.
The fully redundant Omneon Spectrum media server system at NTS features
438 gigabytes of storage, giving it a capacity of 120 hours MPEG-2 4:2:0
content at 8 megabytes per second, with three channels configured for
ingest and another three for playout. The Omneon server system will
ingest and store program contents in MPEG-2 format. News and live
broadcast material are transferred directly to MBCO's master control for
playout to air, while scheduled programming is ingested to the Omneon
server and played out to the master control at Mobile.n at broadcast
time.
All content, including Mobile.n's content is encoded to MPEG-4 (with
MPEG 2 AAC audio) in real time for airing via the MBCO master room.
Mobaho! broadcasts are delivered at a much lower frequency -- about 2.6
GHz, close to the 2.1 GHz band used by 3G telephone services -- than are
conventional satellite broadcasts. MBCO estimates that within three
years, 1.5 million subscribers will use handheld and in-car terminals to
connect to Mobaho! for audio, video, and data services. |
