Omneon's Networked Content Servers have been chosen by BBC Technology to serve as the infrastructure for their expanding Multi-Streaming Area (MSA) at BBC Television Centre in London. This is the second Omneon sale to the BBC forming part of their expansion of on-air facilities. The decision to incorporate the Networked Content Servers was comprehensively based on Omneon's ability to provide a highly fault tolerant and fully scalable solution at a cost-effective price. In the present expansion phase, the MSA system will scale from a six-stream system with 20 hours of MPEG2 storage (as used for the Wimbledon & Open Golf Interactive services) to a dual-server system with 80 hours of storage and 22 channels to deliver an additional complex BBC programme. This allows ample headroom for future development of new services.

"The redundancy and scalability of the Omneon Networked Content Server is key for this project, and the BBC's configuration takes full advantage of these attributes," said Alan Hoggarth, vice president of operations for Omneon in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "With the prospect of additional digital services being made available in the future, it was crucial that any solution implemented now could be scaled to meet that demand. An extremely high level of fault tolerance was also a primary consideration for BBC Technology. The architecture of the Omneon Networked Content Server allows redundancy to be configured into the system according to the particular needs of the broadcaster."

In order to achieve their goal for enhanced multi-channel services, the BBC required a dependable plan for redundancy eliminating any single point of failure in the system. Omneon is demonstrating this redundancy strategy in Stand 3.121 at the IBC Convention in Amsterdam this week.

The output from the MSA is managed by OmniBus' multi-channel control and automation system, Colossus. That system is also being demonstrated in Omneon's IBC stand. The overall project is being managed by ATG Spectrum, one of the UK's leading independent system integrators.

"The use of industry standard protocols was a key factor in the selection of the Omneon Networked Content Server for this project," said Alan Pimm, sales director of ATG spectrum. "Video format independence, standard interfaces, and open access to the content on the servers over standard networks are critical for future-proofing the MSA system. This will allow the facility to grow and for new services tobe added."

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

ATG Spectrum™ is a leading UK system integration company founded in 1993 which has carried out extensive work for the BBC, and other UK broadcasters as well as a number of UK post production houses including currently working with Sony Systems on a high definition facility in London for Home. ATG has also recently completed a major project for the National Icelandic Broadcaster RUV. ATG Spectrum's web site is: www.atgspectrum.co.uk.

Omneon Video Networks provides infrastructure for new media. Omneon's Networked Content Server is a highly scalable, data-type independent, shared-storage infrastructure. The solution is a platform that supports third-party software applications for control and transmission, media management, archive, and collaborative production. Omneon systems are used by content producers and distributors for simultaneous program creation and re-purposing for any type of distribution method. Omneon's products consist of server, disk controller, scalable Fiber Channel storage components, and software that together form a content server system. Channel or user scalability is achieved by using both IEEE 1394 and Ethernet networking technologies. This open systems architecture, known as a VIDEO AREA NETWORK, enables facilities to ingest, route, store, share and distribute digital media-comprised of audio, video, and any type of related data. Omneon Video Networks, headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., is privately held and funded by prominent venture capital firms. Omneon's web site is www.Omneon.com.

OmniBus Systems headquartered in Stanford-on-Soar in the UK since 1994, has rapidly established a worldwide reputation as the premier system for station automation, encompassing all aspects of operation from lines-in to transmission and from remote camera control to satellite positioning. OmniBus Systems has designed and installed automation at more than 50 sites worldwide including the BBC, ITN and MTV Europe (UK), KGO-TV (USA), NOB and TMF (Holland), NRK (Norway) and TV4 (Sweden), helping to create the world's first tape-less digital television station. OmniBus has recently expanded its products and services to the U.S. markets, opening offices in Nevada City, CA and Salt Lake City, UT, USA. For more information, visit www.omnibus.tv.

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