Czech TV Expands Live HD Studio and OB Operations With Snell Kahunas

Czech TV currently broadcasts four terrestrial and satellite channels, including a 24-hour news channel and a dedicated sports channel. The new Snell switchers join two other Kahunas already being deployed in the broadcaster's studio and in an additional HD truck.

"As we continue to make our transition to a fully HD-capable broadcast operation, we're looking for cost-effective solutions that will enable us to deliver the highest-possible quality output to our viewers across the country. With five Snell Kahunas in our operation now, we know we can count on the reliability, flexibility, and multi-format capabilities that have made this switcher technology renowned throughout Europe," said Bajtoš Dušan, engineer, Czech Television. "As we gradually expand and upgrade our OB fleet, we will continue to turn to Snell and Kahuna to meet our live broadcast requirements."

Czech TV's newest OB truck was designed to capture mainly sporting and cultural events. The new vehicle is the second completely HD-equipped vehicle in Czech TV's fleet and provides the entire technical infrastructure needed to deliver OB content in full HD.

In addition, Czech TV has installed a new Kahuna 360 to supplement a pre-existing Kahuna for live production in its studios 1 and 2, as part of a recent upgrade to full HD production. The Kahuna 360 represents the first Kahuna installation in central Europe that uses multiple panels on a single mainframe for shared operation.

In the studio as well as outside broadcasting, Kahuna 360's FormatFusion3 technology is enabling Czech TV to make a smooth and cost-effective transition to full HD production by enabling operators to continue accepting feeds from SD sources and SD archival content, which can be converted seamlessly to high-quality HD and even single link 1080p for both the A and B level.

"As the Czech Republic's public broadcaster, Czech TV is committed to delivering a premium viewing experience for its audience and constantly strives to deploy the latest technologies to optimize its operations. Czech TV's choice of Kahuna and Kahuna 360 as it upgrades its OB and studio operations to HD is a perfect example of this commitment," said Stefan Geradts, sales director of Central and Eastern Europe at Snell. "We look forward to working with Czech TV as it continues to expand its HD capabilities and keep its operations on the cutting edge of broadcast technology."

About Czech TV
Czech Television was established Jan. 1, 1992, based on the Czech Television Act (Act No. 483/1991 Coll.) as a television service for the citizens of the Czech Republic. Czech TV broadcasts four channels: CT1, a general purpose, family-oriented channel; CT2, broadcasting documentaries and nature-oriented shows; CT24, a 24-hour news channel; CT4, broadcasting sports programming; and CT1 HD and CT4 HD.

About Snell
Snell is a leading innovator in digital media technology, providing broadcasters and global media companies with a comprehensive range of solutions to create, manage, and streamline the distribution of content for today's multi-screen world. Specializing in TV Everywhere, Broadcast Infrastructure, and Live Production applications, Snell provides the necessary tools to transition seamlessly and cost-effectively to HDTV, stereoscopic 3D, and 3Gbps operations, while enabling broadcasters to monetize and deliver their media assets across multiple distribution platforms. Headquartered in the U.K., Snell serves more than 2,000 broadcasters, post facilities, and global media companies in more than 100 countries through its worldwide team of sales and support personnel.