Discovery Television Center - Miami Selects
Omneon Spectrum™ Media Server System
Omneon media servers simplify storage and playout of multichannel, multilanguage feeds for Discovery Television Center -- Miami
SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- May 10, 2004 -- Omneon Video Networks today announced
that Discovery Television Center -- Miami, a wholly owned division of
Discovery Communications, Inc., has purchased a 54-channel mirrored Omneon
Spectrum™ media server system for storage and playout of Discovery Latin
America/Iberia program feeds for distribution to 34 countries in the
Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Iberian territories. Housed
in the Discovery Television Center -- Miami, the new system will streamline
the delivery of 17 unique feeds, customized in five languages, for all of
Discovery Latin America/Iberia's brands: Discovery Channel, Discovery Kids,
Discovery Health, Discovery Travel & Adventure, People & Arts, and Animal
Planet.
"We needed a media server system that would provide rock-solid reliability
with the flexibility to meet our unique workflow requirements," said Marcos
Obadia, executive vice president of Discovery Media Services at Discovery
Communications, Inc. "With the ability to accommodate a variety of formats,
Omneon Spectrum™ servers will help increase the efficiency of our playout
operations and provide a foundation for future growth. We were impressed by
Omneon's ability to address our current specific needs as well as deliver a
superior long-term solution capable of supporting our future needs."
Comprised of 10 MediaStore storage arrays, Discovery's new Omneon Spectrum™
implementation provides a total of 20 TB of shared storage across two
mirrored systems. Because each of the 54 ports on both systems has access
to the same material, stored in one place, operators are able to use a
single copy of each program asset for playout to different regions at
different times. The Omneon system eliminates the redundant and
time-consuming ingest and duplication processes necessary with separate
stand-alone systems, thereby simplifying the control software required,
improving on-air reliability, reducing operations costs, and making overall
media management easier.
In addition to high reliability and a standards-based platform, the Omneon
system features a unique independent file structure that offers an easy
migration path from SD to HD broadcasting in a single server system. Future
implementation of advanced audio-management tools will further simplify
Discovery's multilanguage playout processes by reducing the need to shuffle
multilanguage audio tracks.
"Discovery Latin America/Iberia's programming reaches an enormous and
diverse market, and the Omneon Spectrum™ server system provides smart,
straightforward operation that will allow the network to distribute that
content in the appropriate format at the right time with maximum efficiency
and accuracy," said Geoff Stedman, vice president of marketing at Omneon
Video Networks. "We're very pleased to play a role in bringing the unique
and often intriguing programming of Discovery and its partners to viewers
in Latin America and Iberia."
An exceptionally cost-effective and flexible media server designed for the
professional television industry, the Omneon Spectrum™ provides a reliable
and scalable infrastructure for broadcast playout and storage applications.
Omneon's server system is built on an open architecture that allows it to
support a broad variety of third-party applications for control and
transmission, media management, archiving, and collaborative production. As
a result, stored media can be shared among many users and applications.
The scalable, distributed architecture of the modular Omneon Spectrum™
server system also offers users maximum flexibility in scaling system
components and capacity in small or large increments as desired. The system
is available in a broad range of configurations to meet the specific needs
of each installation.
Learn more about Omneon's server solutions at www.omneon.com.
About Omneon Omneon Video Networks is the leading provider of cost-effective and flexible networked media server solutions 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. Visit Omneon on the Web at www.Omneon.com.
About Discovery Communications, Inc.
Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI) is the leading global real-world media
and entertainment company. DCI has grown from its core property, the
Discovery Channel, first launched in the United States in 1985, to current
global operations in more than 155 countries and territories with one
billion cumulative subscribers. DCI's 33 networks of distinctive
programming represent 14 entertainment brands including TLC, Animal Planet,
Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times
Channel, The Science Channel, Discovery Wings Channel, Discovery Home
Channel, Discovery en Español, Discovery HD Theater, and FitTV. DCI's other
properties consist of Discovery.com and 120 Discovery Channel retail
stores. DCI also distributes BBC America in the United States. DCI's
ownership consists of four shareholders: Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE:
L), Cox Communications, Inc. (NYSE: COX), Advance/Newhouse Communications,
and John S. Hendricks, the company's founder, chairman, and CEO.
