NAB 2013: Harmonic announces new contribution encoder

The Ellipse 3000 employs MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC 4:2:0/4:2:2 8- and 10-bit compression technologies to enable transmission of pristine real-time video over satellite and broadband contribution networks.

Yaniv Sibony, product manager for contribution and distribution at Harmonic, comments: “Offering broad codec support and simple in-field firmware upgradability, Ellipse 3000 is a future-proof platform spanning from MPEG-2 SD 4:2:0 8-bit to AVC HD 4:2:2 10-bit. The combination of Ellipse 3000 and ProView 7100 IRD, which we introduced at IBC 2012, enables a highly flexible and easy-to-use solution for end-to-end 4:2:2 10-bit contribution workflows.”

Very low latency, in conjunction with multiformat and multicodec versatility, makes the Ellipse 3000 suitable for digital satellite news gathering (DSNG) operations and live sports coverage — or any application in which premium image quality and high performance are primary considerations.

To assure universal compatibility, the Ellipse 3000 supports DVB-S, DVB-DSNG, and DVB-S2 modulation schemes, and provides QPSK/8PSK/16QAM/16APSK constellation support. Simultaneous L-band, IP, and DVB-ASI outputs assure reliability by providing alternate distribution channels in the event of link failure.

The new contribution encoder is expected to ship in June 2013.