Omneon Video Networks today announced that WTVS Detroit Public Television (DPTV) has installed the Omneon SPECTRUM™ media server as the first step in the station’s conversion of master control to digital. The Omneon SPECTRUM is currently being used to record PBS national satellite feeds for on-air playout, and for post-production editing with Final Cut Pro. DPTV also plans to employ the server in the studio for use in program production.

“We selected the Omneon system because it best met our requirements in terms of cost, flexibility, and the ability to customize it to fit our particular needs,” said Detroit Public Television Vice President of Engineering and Technology Helge Blucher. “Because of funding restrictions, our transition to digital will be a gradual process, but with Omneon as the starting point in that transition, we are already able to record and play to air on our analog and digital channels, while also using the system in our post-production process with Final Cut Pro. The ability to use the system for our studio productions is an added bonus. We’re actually getting much more use from this system than we thought a server would be able to provide.”

The Omneon SPECTRUM media server system installed at DPTV includes support for both DVB/ASI and standard SDI MPEG channels, along with 2 TB of storage. DPTV also acquired Omneon’s RecordTool and PlayTool software, which allows the facility to schedule recording of the PBS national satellite feeds as well as scheduling events for playout to air.

Because Omneon systems are built on an open-standards approach, production applications can operate seamlessly with the server in the shared storage environment. As a result, DPTV can maximize functionality and productivity and be assured of expansion capability at a reasonable cost.

The smart, multi-dimensional scalability of Omneon SPECTRUM systems allows facilities to add or expand I/O ports, bandwidth, capacity, and redundancy in granular increments, either simultaneously or independently, without interrupting system operation.

“Flexibility is one of the hallmarks of the Omneon SPECTRUM system, in this case giving Detroit Public Television the ability to use the server for multiple applications simultaneously,” said Geoff Stedman, vice president of marketing at Omneon Video Networks. “We’re very pleased that DPTV has selected the Omneon SPECTRUM as the foundation for its broadcast, production, and post-production operations.”

About Detroit Public Television
Detroit Public Television (DPTV) began broadcasting in 1955 as WTVS Channel 56, a non-commercial, educational TV station licensed to the Detroit Educational Television Foundation. As a community licensee, DPTV now operates two broadcast channels – Analog Channel 56 and Digital Channel 43. The digital service was launched in October 2000 and currently airs full-time HDTV 24 hours a day while multicasting a second stream mix of children’s and instructional programs and a simulcast of the analog channel in prime time and overnight. More information is available at www.detroitpublictv.org.

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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