New Omneon Products at IBC2005

New Omneon ProBrowse™ System

Extending the usability and functionality of the Omneon Spectrum™ media server system, Omneon will introduce at IBC2005 a new system for creating and viewing low-resolution versions (proxies) of full-resolution material contained within an Omneon Spectrum™ system. The new Omneon ProBrowse System monitors content directories within an Omneon Spectrum™ server and automatically generates low-resolution versions of all material, including any new material being ingested or copied into the Omneon Spectrum™ system over FTP. The proxies are then immediately available for viewing by any networked PC using an MPEG1-based viewer, including Windows Media Player and QuickTime Player. The proxy files created by the Omneon ProBrowse System are also immediately available to any broadcast application such as automation systems, newsroom systems, and content management systems.

The Omneon ProBrowse System includes the new Omneon ProBrowse Player, which, in addition to allowing users to view proxies on a standard PC, allows them to add or change metadata and mark in and out points on clips for playback from the Omneon Spectrum™ server. An integrated synchronization capability ensures that all metadata modified or added by users in the low-resolution proxies will be applied to the full-resolution versions within the Omneon Spectrum™ server. The ability to easily browse low-resolution proxies and modify metadata with the new Omneon ProBrowse System gives Omneon Spectrum™ users and application developers an integrated tool for efficient content selection, previewing, and management.

Native HDV Support

At IBC2005 Omneon will introduce the capability to ingest and playback HDV material with the Omneon Spectrum™ media server. For the first time, users will be able to ingest HDV material — either directly from a camera or deck over IEEE 1394 or from a network attached editor, such as Final Cut Pro — and play back HDV material stored in the system directly to air. Via a simple software upgrade, Omneon Spectrum™ media servers will be able to play HDV material directly from the recently introduced MultiPort 4100 Series products. Upon ingest, HDV material is stored in its native format, available to any HDV-capable editor. For playback, the HDV content is automatically scaled to a full 1920-line HD signal. This approach allows both native HD material and HDV material to be mixed on a single timeline for back-to-back playout. HDV support is the latest advancement that continues Omneon’s tradition of providing an open system that easily accommodates emerging formats.

Omneon Spectrum™ HD

Following a successful introduction at NAB2005, Omneon will show at IBC2005 the latest version of its media server, which features integrated capability for the simultaneous playback of HD and SD content on either the same channel or independent channels. The advance is made possible by the new MultiPort 4100 series, a family of interface devices for MPEG2 decoding that can support simultaneous playback of both SD and HD MPEG2 material. Incorporating built-in up- and downconversion capabilities, the MultiPort 4100 series gives broadcasters the benefit of having SD and HD on the same timeline. Not only can they mix SD and HD material to create a single output channel, but they also can mix SD and HD material to create two simultaneous output channels — one for their SD feed and another one for their HD feed — all from one timeline.

The MultiPort 4100 series modules for the Omneon Spectrum™ feature outputs for two synchronized channels, one for HD and another for SD, each one having been built from a single timeline that can originate from either SD or HD material (or both). In addition to outputs for SDI video, HD-SDI video, audio, timecode, and control, each MultiPort 4100 also includes connectors to allow for the use of external up- and downconversion equipment if desired. When an external conversion device is used, the MultiPort 4100 series has built-in adjustable frame-delay compensation to maintain audio/video synchronization. With this unique capability, Omneon server systems give customers the freedom to choose either the integrated functionality or a preferred external device for up- and downconversion.

The MultiPort 4100 series can be added to any existing Omneon Spectrum™ media server to add integrated HD playout capabilities easily. These new interface units further extend the HD capabilities of the Omneon Spectrum™ media server product line and provide broadcasters with a media server solution that can simultaneously store and play back both SD and HD content.

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About Omneon
Omneon is a leading provider of flexible media server and active storage systems that optimize workflow productivity and on-air reliability for the production, distribution, and management of digital media. Omneon is a pioneer in the use of advanced IT technologies and open systems for broadcast applications, producing a modular and expandable video server architecture in the Omneon Spectrum. The company's MediaGrid active storage system delivers centralized content storage that is scalable in capacity, bandwidth, and media-processing power. The company has an extensive global presence with customers in 45 countries on six continents. Omneon is on the Web at www.Omneon.com.

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