GlobeCast Taps Harmonic’s IP-Based Headend for Asian Games

Harmonic IP-based video processing solutions were deployed by GlobeCast to facilitate the live broadcast of the 2010 Asian Games being held in Guangzhou, China, through November 27. The new Harmonic IP-based headend system provides GlobeCast with high quality compression and stream processing for satellite distribution of live coverage from the Asian Games to affiliate TV stations and MSOs throughout Asia.

Harmonic says it was selected to power the live satellite distribution of the Asian Games by providing a cost-effective, high-quality solution and the responsiveness GlobeCast required. The advanced capabilities and video quality of Harmonic’s integrated IP-based headend technologies coupled with dedicated support allowed GlobeCast to efficiently and quickly launch the system in time for the demanding 16-day competition.

GlobeCast is using Harmonic’s Electra 5400 SD and Electra 7000 HD MPEG-4 (AVC) encoders, and ProStream 1000 stream processing platform with integrated Basic Interoperable Scrambling System (BISS) capabilities and DiviTrackIP statistical multiplexing technology to deliver secure, high quality services while optimizing bandwidth efficiency. Harmonic’s ProView 7000 integrated receiver/decoders (IRDs) are used by GlobeCast for content reception.

“GlobeCast wanted to work with a solution provider that could offer an integrated headend system and responsive support team, in addition to meeting the technical requirements for video compression and distribution,” says Raymond Tse, Vice President of Asia Pacific Sales for Harmonic. “Harmonic supplies the advanced compression and video stream processing technologies along with the critical support infrastructure enabling GlobeCast to deliver live coverage of the Asian Games with confidence.”

Harmonic offers a wide range of video processing solutions, including the Electra family of encoders that support HD, SD, and 3D video services in MPEG-2 or AVC formats, as well as integrated up/down-conversion, simultaneous secondary output and audio level adjustment capabilities in the latest generation Electra 8000 platform. The ProView IRDs are powerful, cost-effective solutions for decoding, descrambling and digital turnaround, and the ProStream 1000 stream processing platform is a highly versatile platform for multiplexing, scrambling and advanced processing of MPEG streams.