Harmonic to demo Ultra HD advances, flexible architectures

Harmonic will be at IBC with everything from virtualized video infrastructures to Ultra HD encoding and delivery as it looks to enable operators to deploy lower-cost, flexible video architectures. “All of the technologies and solutions we’ll be highlighting at IBC2014 are designed to bring simplicity, flexibility, scalability, and efficiency to broadcasters, which is becoming increasingly important as video production and delivery get more and more complex,” says Peter Alexander, chief marketing officer at Harmonic. “Attendees can stop by the booth to see how the Harmonic VOS software-based architecture and Electra XVM virtualized media processor bring unprecedented efficiencies to broadcasters through intelligent function integration and the ability to leverage an IT-centric infrastructure.

Featured demonstrations at Harmonic’s booth will include:

• A virtualized video infrastructure featuring the new Harmonic VOS architecture. The powerful, extensible platform enables virtualized media processing, such as Harmonic’s new Electra XVM integrated software package, the industry’s first software-based, fully converged, broadcast-ready media processing platform. Integrating real-time encoding, high-quality branding and graphics, and transport stream playout for broadcast and multiscreen services, Electra XVM offers users unparalleled function integration, increased operational flexibility, and unlimited scalability.
• Contribution and distribution solutions including the expanded Ellipse 3000 family of contribution encoders, which now features the industry’s first DSNG encoder to support the new DVB Carrier ID (DVB-CID) standard for reducing interference between satellite signals, and the new DVB-S2X specification for improving performance of DVB-S2 satellite digital broadcasting.
• A range of Ultra HD demonstrations, including a real-time Ultra HD encoding and streaming workflow demonstration, powered by Harmonic’s HEVC-ready VOS platform, as well as interoperability demonstrations with leading chipset vendors of 2160p50/60 HEVC Main 10 profile encoded Ultra HD streaming.
• IP video innovation with ProMedia Origin stream packager/server, highlighting simplified delivery of live, VOD and time-shift TV services to all screens.
• Production and playout with collaborative editing and 4K editing on the Harmonic MediaGrid shared storage system, as well as new developments in the Spectrum media server product line which provide higher channel counts and storage density, improved caption support, monitoring and scheduling capabilities, and integrated management tools.

In addition to the demonstrations, Thierry Fautier will be presenting his paper “Ultra HD Deployment Perspectives” at IBC2014 on Sept. 14 at 8:00 a.m. at the RAI in Amsterdam.