Moonlink Completes Transition to 16 Channel Audio-HD with ADTEC Digital

Using two brand new Adtec EN-81 encoders, operator Steve Rowe made the connection to ESPN’s Bristol, Connecticut headquarters, landing the 720p video and all 16 channels of phase-aligned audio for a successful qualification.  Steve and Truck 2 then headed down to Ohio State University that very weekend to bring Big Ten college basketball to a national audience in ESPN HD with all the audio necessary for 5.1 surround sound.

With SNG 2 now online, all of Moonlink’s trucks are fully HD MPEG 2, MPEG 4, DVB-S/S2 QPSK/8PSK capable, and each one can now transmit 16 channels of audio. The complete top-to-bottom upgrade includes a 40 x 40 3G/HD/SD-SDI router, two Adtec EN-81 encoders, over 11,000 feet of cable and 18 HD capable displays.  And to be sure that all that High Definition video and audio is correctly compressed and transmitted, a pair of Adtec RD-60 IRDs with Newtec demodulators have been employed for their ability to catch anything the well-equipped EN-81s can throw at them.

In addition to the national sports broadcasters, the newly-rebuilt truck is expected to serve a variety of clients, ranging from news to entertainment to corporate and more.

“The EN-81 is a perfect choice for this truck because of its ease of use and wide array of capabilities.” said Dan Dinneweth, principal designer for the new truck, “It can be used to backhaul a national sporting event in MPEG 4 HD on the weekend and then turn right around and do a satellite media tour in MPEG 2 Standard Definition the next day.”

The EN-81s support MPEG-2/MPEG-4 4:2:0/4:2:2 encoding and DVB-S/S2 QPSK/8PSK Modulation.  They can be upgraded to 16APSK and 32APSK modulation schemes with the simple turn of a software key.  “We know when those modulation formulas become more commonplace, Moonlink will be ready,” Dinneweth said.

But Moonlink’s choice to partner with Adtec is about more than just the equipment.  

As owner Jeff Moon points out, “The customer service that they provide is a huge reason why we chose Adtec this time around.  Having someone take your calls and listen is so important in our business.  When I contacted Brian Adair to let him know we wanted to do this upgrade, he was right on it and he hasn’t stopped answering the phone since.”

About Moonlink Satellite:
Moonlink Satellite is a full-service C/Ku band satellite uplink provider based in Michigan with trucks in Michigan and Tennessee.  Established in 2000 as a companion company to Jeff Moon Production Services, Moonlink Satellite provides satellite services as well as fiber encoding to sports, news, entertainment and corporate clients across the eastern half of the United States.

About Adtec Digital:
Established in 1985, Adtec Digital is a global market leader providing hardware and software solutions for contribution, distribution, studio, commercial insertion and professional video playback applications. Adtec develops equipment and solutions for standard and high definition MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 AVC compression, multiplexing, decoding, ad insertion, playback and data management. Adtec products proudly serve the global broadcast and professional audio-visual markets. Adtec Digital is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, with product and development solutions in Jacksonville, Florida. Among other accolades, Adtec Digital is a three-time Superior Technology Award Recipient (STAR) by TV Technology Magazine.