NETIA's NodalMaster Gives Eurosport Streamlined Control Over Audio/Video Routing and Processing
CLARET, France - July 24, 2008 - NETIA today announced that its new NodalMasterTM software is being used at Eurosport, Europe's leading sports multimedia platform, to streamline reception and routing of video and audio feeds across its all-digital broadcast center, situated near Paris. Installed in the Eurosport master control room, NETIA's NodalMasterTM provides a single interface for controlling all the routing and processing equipment in a nodal suite, from audio and video program schedules to audio and video tuning equipment and monitoring devices, while enabling operators to make links or switch from any source to any target.
"With its NodalMasterTM software, NETIA offers an intuitive solution for managing the very high volume of feeds that enter our facility," said Stéphane PIERRE, Engineering and maintenance department in Eurosport. "By addressing each element of the transmission process, NodalMasterTM simplifies our master control operations and allows our technical staff to deliver audio and video accurately and with minimal adjustment to the audio and video equipment within the delivery chain."
NETIA's NodalMasterTM, part of the company's OpenNETTM range, allows operators in the Eurosport master control room to control the entire chain in receiving a particular feed from a specific source - for example a tennis match on a designated satellite - at a set time and subsequently generating an SDI signal and delivering audio and video to the appropriate location within the broadcast center. In managing this process, NodalMasterTM pilots fixed and mobile antennas, Eurosport's HF grid, and integrated receiver-decoders (IRDs). NodalMaster streamlines handling of incoming feeds, enabling operators to receive and route multiple simultaneous feeds with efficiency.
Eurosport's master control room staff can prepare transmissions either in advance or in real time, choosing sources and their associated destinations. NodalMasterTM provides a grouped visualization of all switches related to a given transmission event, along with grouped audio and video processing for main switches. The software system, which is compatible with 5.1 audio and HD content, allows audio feeds to be handled independently of video.
To ensure that the right source material is delivered to the right destination, NodalMasterTM allows for rapid changing of sources for a given destination and also provides the option of designating a backup destination. Sources and destinations in use are automatically protected, and redundant monitoring tools provide added security for each transmission.
NETIA will be showcasing NodalMasterTM and other advanced broadcast solutions at IBC2008 , stand 8.C62. More information about NETIA and its products is available at www.netia.com.
About Eurosport
Eurosport, Europe's leading sports multimedia platform, is owned by the TF1 group and broadcasts in 20 languages to 112 million homes across 59 countries in Europe, as well as 10 countries in Asia. More information is available on the Web at www.eurosport.com.
About NETIA
NETIA is a leading provider of software solutions for managing and broadcasting television and radio content, and is a major player in the digital broadcast arena. The company's four product ranges, Radio-AssistTM (audio), ManreoTM (video), OpenNetTM(audio and video), and Media LoggingTM (audio and video), allow content holders to manage all of their processes from capture to multichannel broadcasting over terrestrial channels, the Internet, mobile devices, and other channels. NETIA's products are found in over 40 countries worldwide, with 10,000-plus users in over 200 installations including RFI, Radio France, BBC, British Sky Broadcasting, ABC, TF1, Canal+, France Télévisions Interactive, e-TF1, LCI / Orange, RAI, Radio Vaticana, HRT, SRTC, Coyote, RTM, VOV, MOI South Africa, Mediacorp, RTBF, Lifetime TV, SBS, RTL, FR3, Minnesota Public Radio. The company has offices in the U.S., Paris, Rome and Sydney in addition to a global network of professional distribution partners.