Article Overview

Snell Products at BroadcastAsia 2013

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"We are looking forward to BroadcastAsia2013, where attendees will be able to see, first-hand, why Snell is the leader in digital media solutions for the complex multi-format, multi-platform media operations of today and tomorrow. We will be showing several powerful new innovations that were just launched at the 2013 NAB Show, ranging from the 4K capabilities of our Kahuna 360 switcher to new enhancements to the ICE Channel-in-a-Box, which allow more avenues for broadcasters to share resources efficiently and explore new  business revenue streams." 
— Vanessa Ching, Vice President of Channel Marketing and Communications, Snell

In supporting a dynamic Asia-Pacific market that is demanding more integrated and flexible solutions, Snell is offering 4K at no additional cost in a range of products including select routing switchers, fiber infrastructure, and the Kahuna 360 production switcher. At BroadcastAsia2013 experts will also be on hand to discuss the latest in playout and virtualization in response to broadcasters having a need to share resources and improve efficiencies among regional channels.  Snell's powerful systems offer greater automation, improved reliability, higher quality, and more flexible media handling for today's SD/HD/1080p environments as well as future Cloud, IP, and 4K UHDTV-based operations.

PRODUCTION SWITCHING

Kahuna 360 — The World's First Native 1080p/3G Switcher
Kahuna 360 supports any format in and any format out, on any input or output including 1080p (single link), as standard for a smooth and cost-effective migration from HD to 1080p. The switcher's unique Make M/E™ technology delivers unmatched flexibility when sharing resources with multiple consoles. And now, Snell has made the functionality of the full-size Kahuna 360 available in a new, lower-cost Kahuna 360 Compact — including seven keyers per M/E, resource sharing with Make M/E technology, and FormatFusion3, which supports any format in and any format out.

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Kahuna Flare — Midrange Multi-Format Production Switcher With 1080p Standard Functionality 
Kahuna Flare is the first midrange switcher to offer standard single-link 1080p support alongside SD and HD formats at no extra cost — making it ideal for over-the-air broadcasts, IP, or Internet delivery platforms, and even large progressive-screen presentations. With versions ranging from 2 M/E to 4 M/E, Kahuna Flare offers four keyers per M/E and two channels of 3D DVE, all in a single 6-RU frame. The system comes standard with 48 inputs and 24 outputs, with the option to upgrade to 60 inputs and 32 outputs. Snell's unique FormatFusion3 technology gives Kahuna Flare users exceptional versatility in working with multiple signal formats, enabling them to mix SD, HD, and 1080p inputs and outputs simultaneously to meet any distribution need.

CHANNEL-IN-A-BOX

ICE Channel-in-a-Box — We Thought About the Channel, Not Just the Box
New features to ICE further extend Snell's channel-in-a-box cost benefits by allowing up to four channels of HD per unit depending on the channel configuration. Plus, with a focus on incorporating more of the channel into the box, Snell's ICE now includes powerful, integrated 3D and 2D graphics, CG functionality with timeline editing control, and the ability to populate fields from Morpheus automation schedule events or external data sources. Complementing ICE's HD and SD simulcast capabilities is the addition of a delay service, which provides the ability to record the output of a channel for delayed playout. ICE also boasts newly enhanced audio processing and Panoplay multi-system, multi-site redundancy to deliver a channel-in-a-box platform with unmatched functionality, usability, and reliability.

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AUTOMATION

New Morpheus User Interfaces — World-Leading Automation That Decreases Costs and Stimulates Revenue
Understanding the need for clear and simple graphical representation of multiple channels of playout, Snell has introduced new user interfaces that make Morpheus even easier to use and allow a single operator to monitor the highest number of playout channels. Morpheus v3.0 boasts full virtual machine support to allow operation in the cloud and private data centers, facilitating lower space and power requirements while improving system resilience.

MEDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT

Momentum — Powerful Workflow-Automated Media Asset Management  
Momentum is a breakthrough in workflow-automated media asset management and resource planning. With Momentum's highly intuitive GUI, users can edit and control their workflows on demand. Momentum delivers maximum control and flexibility to media and broadcast operators, enabling them to reduce operational costs by allocating resources more efficiently and making content more accessible. Momentum can deploy on standalone hardware, on virtual machines in the cloud, or in private data centers.

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CONVERSION

KudosPro MC500 — Low-Cost Signal Processing Platform
The KudosPro MC500 is the world's most affordable motion-compensated frame rate converter. The MC500 is available at an exceptionally low price point, making it ideal for the many broadcasters, news agencies, and content providers that must consider cost and space issues while also ensuring high-quality delivery of large numbers of channels to domestic and international audiences. The MC500 provides up, down, and crossconversion from any broadcast standard (50Hz or 59Hz) to any other broadcast standard, with optional composite and fiber connectivity. A wide range of audio options is available, including embedded AES, embedded analog, and Dolby® E, as well as extensive utilities such as ProcAmp, enhancer, and closed caption handling.

ROUTING

Vega Router — For Flexible Port, Fiber, and Coax Configuration
Snell's award-winning Vega is a new routing platform that allows users to configure any signal port independently for fiber or coax (copper), easing a mixed connectivity environment and helping broadcasters to migrate simply and cost-effectively. Available in 2-RU with 96 ports or 4-RU with 192 ports, its unique design also enables any port to be configured as either an input or output, providing the industry's most flexible asymmetric routing solution. Vega uses proprietary algorithms to monitor every subassembly continuously and offers a full range of options for maximum redundancy: dual crosspoints, dual controllers, dual power supplies, and dual fans — are all "hot" pluggable or replaceable.

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Sirius 800 Series Routers Add Frame Syncs to Built-In Advanced Hybrid Processing Technology — Taking Routing/Processing to a New Level
The Sirius 800 family of enterprise-class routing switchers has been enhanced with the availability of frame synchronization on the units' AHP (Advanced Hybrid Processing) input and output cards. The resulting router architecture enables independent processing of audio and video signals with no restrictions on signal formats, timing between signal types, or number of audio channels. Building on the Sirius 800 series' audio de-embedding, embedding, and audio processing capabilities, this new functionality allows all inputs to be retimed before switching, and supports synchronization of incoming lines to a local studio reference.

MODULAR INFRASTRUCTURE

IQ Modular Range of Format Converters
Snell is introducing a new IQ format converter range that provides outstanding quality conversion at an affordable price. These cost-effective video format converter modules provide high-quality conversion of common SD, HD, and 3Gbps formats for broadcast systems. In addition to conversion, the new modules can perform a host of video, audio, and metadata functions. Snell is also unveiling the IQQSM range of 3Gbps/HD/SD-SDI quad split monitors, ideal for local monitoring with LCD displays. These IQ modules enable local monitoring of four 3G/HD/SD-SDI input signals along with bar graph displays of eight channels of embedded audio. Perfect for monitoring studio or outside broadcast camera feeds, they also have an SDI output that allows the signal to be routed to other areas in the facility or to storage.

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Hyperion — New 3Gbps Intelligent Monitoring 
At BroadcastAsia2013, Snell is showing its range of 3Gbps-capable Hyperion monitoring solutions engineered to meet the need for increasingly advanced monitoring capabilities in a multi-format system environment. Hyperion is a signal monitoring technology that helps operators to monitor content more efficiently and, in turn, ensure that contractual and legal obligations are met. The technology's combination of subjective and extensive monitoring — including low-bit-rate IP video "confidence" thumbnails with user-definable graphical warnings and alarms — provides operators with live system data in a way that allows large and complex operations across multiple sites and continents to be simply and reliably monitored on a 24/7 basis.

Snell is a leading innovator in digital media technology, providing broadcasters and global media companies with a comprehensive range of solutions for creating, managing, and streamlining the distribution of content for today's multi-screen world. Specializing in TV Everywhere and Live TV applications, Snell provides the necessary tools to transition seamlessly and cost-effectively to 4K UHDTV, file-based, 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.

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