Omneon Video Networks, a recognized leader in cost-effective and flexible networked media servers, announced that KNPB Channel 5, the PBS member station in Reno, Nev., has selected an Omneon SPECTRUM media server solution as its playout platform for broadcasting a new digital channel that will include both locally produced content and national material. The Omneon system was selected because of its unique scalability and flexibility, allowing easy expansion and upgrade capability as the facility’s needs change.

“We looked at a number of proposals before making a decision, and in our judgment it was clear that Omneon has the right system at the right time at the right price,” said Evie Chmura, Technology Manager at KNPB. “The Omneon SPECTRUM is designed with an advanced architecture, and that translates into scalability that is currently unmatched. With the Omneon SPECTRUM system, expansion of channels and storage can easily be done without having to swap out systems or buy expensive extras.”

The Omneon SPECTRUM media server system, which is being controlled by a Crispin automation system, will handle the playout to air of one of KNPB’s planned four digital channels. Three of the digital channels will simply pass through national feeds and simulcast the local analog programming, while the fourth, earmarked for its own digital Nevada PBS channel, will combine locally produced material with national content and playout from the Omneon SPECTRUM.

Another benefit cited by Chmura is the flexibility to use the same common storage arrays in the Omneon system for SD or HD material as needed, instead of having to rigidly allocate specific drives for each format. The system installed at KNPB includes an HD I/O, which will be used initially for time-delayed playback of network content.

“KNPB selected an Omneon system not just based on their immediate need to get a digital channel to air, but also on their long-term digital needs,” said Geoff Stedman, vice president of marketing for Omneon Video Networks. “The entire Omneon SPECTRUM line has been designed with the industry’s smartest scalability so that customers can expand their systems in a cost-effective and manageable way.”

The Omneon SPECTRUM is a powerful media server system built around a flexible shared storage infrastructure specifically designed for the acquisition, management, and playback of digital media. Omneon SPECTRUM incorporates a smart, multidimensional scalability scheme, providing unsurpassed price/performance and flexibility to customers, and enabling the expansion of I/O ports, bandwidth, capacity, and redundancy in granular increments, either simultaneously or independently, without ever requiring an expensive and disruptive overhaul to a system.

About Omneon
Omneon Video Networks is the leading provider of cost-effective and flexible networked media servers for the broadcast and video industry. The company's unique strategy integrates a strong foundation in broadcast with the best practices of information technology - giving its customers the best of both worlds. Because Omneon SPECTRUM media server systems are based on an open and advanced architecture, broadcast and video professionals are able to minimize both upfront and ongoing expenses, while gaining the flexibility to capitalize on emerging opportunities. Omneon pioneered the use of open systems in broadcast and, as a result, receives wide support from the application developer community. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Omneon has a strong global presence with customers in 22 countries on five continents. Visit Omneon on the Web at www.Omneon.com.

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