SES chooses Telestream SDI/IP waveform monitor and QC technology for remotely operated playout centre

SES’ new Stockley Park facility

Global content connectivity solutions provider SES has selected Telestream to provide system timing, waveform monitor and quality control (QC) technology to its remote broadcast centre in Stockley Park, Greater London, which opened last year.

Telestream is providing its SPG8000A sync generators for system timing applications, while its Prism SDI/IP waveform monitor is being used for all video monitoring and QC applications throughout the centre’s distribution workflows.

SES’s broadcast centre provides playout infrastructure for linear TV channels and is capable of supporting HD formats and HDR services. Despite the data centre being based in London, the network management is operated by SES teams in Munich. Telestream products play a critical role in making a remotely managed solution viable and ensuring seamless workflow.

In order to manage and maintain accurate system timing, SES chose SPG8000A sync generators with an ECO8000 change-over unit. Newly released firmware enables full remote operation through a web user interface, critical for remote operation including clock source changes between primary and backup. This product combination enables the SES teams in Munich to switch network timing sources or GPS receivers remotely without the need to be on-site in London to perform critical management and support tasks.

Additionally, SES selected Prism waveform monitors as their main tool for monitoring SDI signal quality and deep video analysis. Telestream’s ‘NoVNC Access’ enables engineers in Munich to remotely operate and view all Prism functions through a browser connection.

“When we developed the Prism platform, the primary goal was to help our customers address the unchartered futures of UHD and IP packet-based infrastructures,” commented Charlie Dunn, senior vice president, Tek Business Unit at Telestream. “By using a software-defined approach this allowed us to adapt to the direction of the industry by working closely with early adopters like SES. Early on it became clear that remote-access was a key tenant to these customers’ IP transitions and, as a result, the remote-access of Prism’s UI over the network has become one of its most valued capabilities.”