Romanian broadcaster Boom builds new digital satellite facility

Romanian DTH broadcaster Boom contracted UK-based systems integrator TSL to design and build a new digital satellite facility. The facility now plays host to 10 originated channels with commercials and 31 pass-through channels, and has the capability to expand channel capacity. A new infrastructure provides a package of 24/7 channels with pay-per-view and interactive services. It reaches 7.1 million households and is broadcast in Romanian.

With a budget of less than $2.5 million, TSL devised a turnkey solution based on Pebble Beach System’s Neptune automation. The Neptune controls the entire facility and is integrated with a SeaChange Broadcast Media Library (BML). For other parts of the workfl ow, Neptune also acts a mini media asset management system and data mover, allowing simple direct media transfers between the server and a Sony PetaSite S-series data archive library.

The Neptune enables operators to ingest media to the server from videotape frame accurately. The media is then quality checked, and if it’s needed for playout, it remains on the server; if not, it is archived to data tape in the archive library. Neptune controls the robot and SAIT tape drives in the PetaSite directly to recover media back to the server when needed for playout without using an intermediate disk cache or third-party middleware.

A TransCast DVB/Isis system from Starfi sh Technologies provides subtitling. Each Isis subtitle authoring workstation has access to the browse video and subtitle databases and can work independently or collaboratively. Boom operators can open the video clips and — working in a WYSIWIG environment — create a set of subtitles to accompany the media. Or operators can import external subtitles and perform fi nal fi nishing prior to transmission. Subtitles are stored on a central server, and once the project is completed, a transmission fi le is prepared.

During transmission, Neptune instructs the TransCast to load the required subtitle fi le. Then, the subtitle playout is controlled by the VITC embedded in the video being played out. Subtitles are passed to the compression systems as IP data rather than ASI. The TransCast units need to compensate for the encoding delay, so each receives a feed of the compression system ASI output to extract the necessary PCR clock data.

The technical infrastructure is based around Harris Leitch Integrator Gold wideband digital routing switchers and a Videotek SQM system. A single monitor per channel display system provides better resilience and a substantial playout gallery. The system includes a fl at aluminium monitor wall with Videotek video inserters displaying the audio metering and the UMD for each channel.