Harmonic’s Electra 8000 delivers on ‘any content on any device’ strategy

Gomo 1-to-1: Harmonic from Cian Gomo on Vimeo.

The DiviCom Electra 8000 universal broadcast encoder, Harmonic’s newest platform, is designed to reduce bit rates without compromising video quality, enabling broadcasters to free up spectrum for advanced services such as mobile video delivery. Harmonic’s solutions were featured in live mobile video demonstrations of Sinclair's KVCW-TV mobile TV signal at the Sinclair Broadcast Group, Acrodyne and Harmonics booths at NAB2009.

The DiviCom Electra 8000 is a 1RU encoder with multiresolution, multistandard, multiservice and multichannel capabilities. It significantly enhances bandwidth efficiency, providing up to four SD or HD channels of superior constant bit rate or variable bit rate video using either MPEG-2 or AVC encoding.

An encoding platform for all cable, satellite, IPTV or terrestrial applications available today, the DiviCom Electra 8000's architecture and feature set are designed to optimize density and power efficiency, as well as facilitate the launch of new value-added video services as. Among its features are:

• Multicodec support capable of MPEG or AVC encoding of SD or HD video
• Ultra-low bit rate encoding with hierarchical look ahead and preprocessing
• Support for all SD and HD formats (hardware capable up to 1080p 50/60)
• Up to four channels per chassis (1RU)
• Integrated decoding with FLEX technology option capable of multiple output streams per input channel for such applications as PiP, SDV or HD time shifting
• Built-in broadcast-quality up/downconverter
• Integrated statmux with DiviTrackMX

Harmonic has also been working closely with LG Electronics, a co-developer of the ATSC Mobile DTV standard. LG and its U.S. R&D subsidiary Zenith are also technical contributors to the development of ATSC Mobile DTV capabilities in Harmonic’s encoders.