Red Bee Media selects Nevion’s Flashlink solutions for Channel 4’s content transport

Red Bee Media has selected Nevion, formerly Network/VPG, a leading video transport solution provider for broadcasters, telecommunications service providers and government entities worldwide, to supply a range of scaleable video transport and monitoring technology to enable transmission of content for one of the UK’s leading broadcasters, Channel 4.

Content from Red Bee Media facilities at Channel 4’s Horseferry Road is being transported to its dedicated Broadcast Center in White City using dedicated diverse redundant optical circuits made possible by extensive use of Nevion Flashlink fiber transport modules. Carrying video and Ethernet traffic over DWDM wavelengths, the circuits incorporate both SD and 3G HD capabilities and 10 Gigabit Ethernet in both directions.

“Red Bee Media passes on over 150 video signals to Channel 4’s coding and distribution suppliers, so this project was always set to be complex and dynamic,” said Nick Pywell, MD UK operations, Nevion. “A dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) dark fiber solution was the best choice as it would provide cost savings as well as the requirements for additional services, which can be accommodated with the minimum of time and for minimal additional capital outlay. Only the supply time and cost of the cards would then need to be taken into account.”

To aid the migration from Channel 4’s transmission facilities at Horseferry Road to the purpose built playout facilities at Red Bee Media’s Broadcast Center, the selected Flashlink products also incorporated time division multiplex circuits to position four SD-SDI video signals onto one HD-SDI carrier.

A browser-based graphical and SNMP monitoring system known as Multicon-GYDA offers comprehensive monitoring with remote firmware upgrades and customizable system overview for visual monitoring. A spare card set is also included for the most efficient main, secondary and third level backup.

As a choice for many broadcasters worldwide, Flashlink features one of the broadest ranges of 3G-SDI products on the market, distinguished by their ultra low-power consumption, extensive control capabilities and reliability. Recent innovations include a world-record breaking error-free signal transport of 120km and the introduction of even smaller form factor modules. Low power consumption that significantly lowers operational costs has been a Flashlink hallmark since the product line’s inception more than a decade ago. Flashlink also has no fans to clean or replace, eliminating noise and the time required for engineers to service units.

About Nevion

Nevion is a video transport solution provider for broadcasters, telecommunications service providers and government entities worldwide. With the most flexible and scalable video transport over any network, Nevion puts power, reliability and quality behind global media transport solutions. Its Ventura, Flashlink and VikinX product lines deliver the full range of content transport, signal processing, and routing solutions, with comprehensive system management and control. With the lowest carbon footprint in the industry, Nevion products are the greenest of their kind, reducing customers’ operational expenses and benefiting the environment. Nevion maintains world headquarters in Sandefjord, Norway and U.S. headquarters in Oxnard, CA, with global offices in Singapore, Dubai, and the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.nevion.com.

About Red Bee Media

Red Bee Media is a world-leading media management company providing technology and creative solutions that helps channels, broadcasters, content rights holders and brand owners reach and engage with their audiences in traditional and new ways.     

In the rapidly changing media landscape consumers are exerting greater control over the content they watch and how they choose to engage. Red Bee Media is finding innovative ways to enable companies to unlock new revenue streams and build audience share on multiple platforms including traditional TV channels and on demand services.

Red Bee Media provides a compelling range of integrated solutions and technology (including brand strategy, integrated video workflow services, content management services, as well as production and interactive services) across three main areas:  

Services that help clients reach the broadest possible audience:

• Integrated video workflow
• Multi-platform delivery and promotion
• Content management and enhancement  

Services to develop more engaging audience experiences:

• Localization for over 40 geographies/languages.
•               Access services (subtitling, signing and audio description)

Listings

• Production of content, promotions and idents.
• Brand identity           

Interactive services enabled by metadata technology include: