Tieline Launches Genie Distribution IP Audio Codec

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Tieline today announced the launch of the Genie Distribution audio codec, designed to completely revolutionize broadcast audio distribution over IP.

Tieline's Genie Distribution is one of the world's most powerful DSP-based IP audio codec for multipoint audio distribution over a wide range of managed or unmanaged IP networks. It has the flexibility to connect 6 channels of high quality audio point-to-point, or distribute stereo audio to up to 50 multi-unicast endpoints, or multicast to an unlimited number of IP codecs.

"The Genie Distribution codec is constructed using the latest technology and features dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, dual redundant power supplies, audio silence detection features, plus Tieline's proprietary SmartStream IP backup solutions to ensure you're always on the air," said John Lackness, Tieline's VP Sales, Americas.

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"The technology behind SmartStream software is built upon Tieline's reputation for reliability and is the culmination of many years of research and development invested in delivering highly reliable audio streaming over the public internet."

There are three levels to SmartStream IP backup. The codec can stream simultaneous redundant data streams from both Ethernet ports and deliver seamless redundancy by switching back and forth, without loss of audio, from the nominated primary data link to the backup link if one fails and then subsequently recovers.

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Second, when multiple redundant audio streams are sent, the decoding codec automatically reconstructs audio into a single stream on a first packet arrived basis, to minimize program latency and ensure audio integrity.

Third, SmartStream features automated jitter buffer management and Forward Error Correction (FEC) and these advanced network management tools deliver uncompromising audio quality, while dynamically responding to variable conditions over unmanaged IP networks like the internet.

"These features are critical to ensuring reliable IP audio is maintained over mission critical IP audio distribution connections, including those over the public internet," said Lackness. "The combined measures ensure Tieline is capable of offering an IP distribution solution, in which the payload capability of your network infrastructure is the only limitation to successfully distributing large numbers of audio streams economically and efficiently across broadcast networks."

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Genie Distribution is fully compatible with both IPv4 and IPv6 network infrastructures - to future-proof broadcasters as new networks and technologies emerge over time. It connects with all Tieline IP codecs, including G3 codecs, Bridge-IT and Genie STL, and is EBU N/ACIP 3326 compliant to maximize interoperability with other SIP-enabled codec brands throughout broadcast networks.

A purpose-built WheatNet-IP version of Genie Distribution will also be available for connecting directly to a WheatNet IP network and allowing the codec to distribute four channels of audio to another studio over external IP networks like the internet. This will allow you to keep your audio within the WheatNet-IP Environment at all times.

The codec can be configured using the ToolBox browser-based configuration tool and managed by Tieline's Codec Management System, which allows you to use any computer to manage your entire network of IP codecs remotely. Both software tools allow adjustment of a range of connection settings like the jitter buffer, bit-rates, algorithms and FEC.

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Genie Distribution will ship from February 2013 and the WheatNet-IP version will ship from the second quarter of 2013.

About Tieline
Tieline supplies high-quality STL, audio distribution and remote broadcast digital audio codecs. The company has won numerous awards for innovation in technology and thousands of customers around the world rely on Tieline codecs every single day for reliable broadcast solutions. The company has offices in North America and Australia, supporting a global distribution network spanning the Americas, Europe, UK, Africa, Asia, Middle East and Australasia.