TVI deploys Snell ICE ‘channel in a box’

Portugal’s most-watched broadcaster, TVI, has deployed the Snell ICE channel-in-a-box solution to support two new channels, TVI Fiction and +TVI. While the ICE systems enable fast expansion without significant changes to existing infrastructure, they also integrate seamlessly with TVI;s installed Snell Morpheus automation system, enabling it to scale from a single channel to many complex channels, controlled from just one user interface.

“Snell’s ICE gave us a straightforward, easy-to-deploy solution for adding two new channels to our existing lineup,” says Carlos Gomes, head of technical department at TVI. “While our investment in ICE systems alone enables us to reduce the time and cost of our channel launches, we will realise a further benefit in the added power and flexibility that our Morpheus automation system brings to these channel-playout boxes.”

ICE is an IT-based playout system that combines what once were multiple racks of hardware into a single system. Each ICE has multiple inputs and outputs and includes two DVEs and eight keyers per channel mixer, routing and mixing functions, SD and HD format conversion, audio processing capabilities, and closed-caption/subtitle support.

TVI currently relies on Morpheus to drive playout for its main TVI channel, its 24-hour news channel (TVI24) and TVI International. The installation of the ICE units is said to provide all the functionality that TVI needs to expand their flexible and highly scalable multi-channel system. In this environment, Snell’s unique FlexiCore architecture allows ICE to emulate the master control environment by facilitating reconfiguration of internal routing and supporting dynamic allocation of resources across all channels to meet operational requirements. Following rapid delivery and commissioning of its ICE systems, TVI successfully launched TVI Fiction in October 2012 and +TVI in February 2013.