NASA selects Telestream for digital delivery

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., has purchased and received 16 Telestream ClipMail Pro digital video delivery systems. This purchase is the first in a two-part initiative to transition all NASA centers to a digital television (DTV) infrastructure. The Telestream systems will be used to replace mailing of videotapes between NASA centers with more timely and efficient digital exchange.

The Telestream ClipMail Pro systems will be used to provide faster, more efficient transfer of broadcast-quality content over existing NASA data networks.

Phase One of the two-part implementation provides for non-realtime video/audio exchange using the Telestream systems. NASA DTV program specialists expect to have the Telestream systems deployed to NASA centers across the country and operational by the end of October 2003. Phase Two will provide for live content exchange. Completion of that phase is anticipated next summer.

The Telestream ClipMail Pro systems will be used to provide faster, more efficient transfer of broadcast-quality content over existing NASA data networks. Typical content will include engineering and science video, human space flight activities and general documentation of NASA activities.

Format consistency was a key objective for the NASA DTV program specialists. Telestream systems provide a common exchange platform, namely encoding to the MPEG-2 broadcast standard for transmission over standard IP-based data networks. Since ClipMail Pro supports acquisition from a wide range of analog and digital tape formats, it also provides flexibility for the individual centers. This enables each of the NASA centers to continue working with existing tape formats and devices.

Telestream's ClipMail Pro is a mature technology that has been successfully deployed by other U.S. government agencies. These include the Department of Defense, the Naval Media Center and the Joint Combat Camera Command Groups. Once implemented, the NASA centers should be able to use the common Telestream platform to exchange content with these agencies via existing government networks.