Nordic NHL fans get quality experience courtesy of Snell, TeliaSonera

Nine of Snell’s Alchemist Ph.C-HD TX50 motion-compensated HD standards converters are helping ensure that National Hockey League (NHL) fans in the Nordics who are watching the matches on Viasat have a top-quality viewing experience. The systems, used by telecom provider TeliaSonera and supplied by Snell’s Swedish channel partner, Danmon Svenska AB, are handling 60-Hz to 50-Hz frame-rate conversion of live ice-hockey matches from the United States for distribution to Nordic territories in partnership with Encompass Digital Media.

“We invested in the Alchemist Ph.C – HD TX50 systems because they provide the sophisticated motion compensated processing necessary to deliver live high-profile sports events with perfect clarity,” says Steve Collett, global product manager, media services, at TeliaSonera International Carrier. “As we leverage our extensive fiber network for distribution of HD content worldwide, the Snell standards converter ensures that through the conversion process, we can maintain the exceptional visual quality of that high-end content.”

TeliaSonera International Carrier’s customised “blue and red” network concept routes feeds on two geographically recognised, diverse paths so that even if there is unexpected network disruption on one path it is invisible to the broadcast customer regardless of the distance between the location of the original transmission and the play-out.

The Alchemist Ph.C – HD TX50 systems are remotely housed in New York, but control and configuration are handled in Stockholm via dedicated Centra control screens. Centra provides integrated, scalable control and monitoring, along with a variety of features that simplify use and further unify control and monitoring across all media operations. The system’s graphical user interface is complemented by features including a salvo snapshot, graphical editing of tie-lines, and a variety of drawing and navigation widgets.

“TeliaSonera International Carrier is a global leader in providing IP network infrastructure, which the company now is employing to become a leader in high-end video delivery as well,” adds Mark Gardner, regional sales director at Snell. “The company’s decision to build out a broadcast infrastructure based on Alchemist Ph.C – HD TX50 HD standards converters will enable it to provide an even broader range of global transmission services while maintaining the high quality for which TeliaSonera International Carrier services are known.”

Erik Hallberg, president of TeliaSonera International Carrier says the company is proud to be involved in bringing the first North American sport to Scandinavia using a fiber-based media platform.

“Over the next five years it will enable Viasat to broadcast almost 6000 hockey games and it is a reflection of Viasat’s trust in our superior solution that they have chosen to go with TeliaSonera,” he says. “We are working with some great partners to ensure a complex solution of the best possible quality is delivered to hockey fans in Scandinavia.”