SGL Partners Pharos For HBO Asia's Archive Project

Software Generation Ltd (SGL), a leading provider of content archive and storage management software for media and entertainment, has announced a major contract with HBO Asia, which sees the first installation of a new technology integration between SGL FlashNet and Pharos Mediator.
SGL and HBO Asia have a longstanding relationship that has continued to develop and evolve as the facility has grown.
Singapore-based HBO Asia chose SGL to archive both its transmission and post-production content. FlashNet, SGL's flagship archive system, sits between the new Pharos Mediator content management and workflow systems and a Sun StorageTek tape library.
Media is delivered to HBO Asia as tapes and increasingly electronically as files. Following QC, a hi-res copy is archived and then reworked for various markets. When HBO Asia needs to re-edit content, SGL recalls both the media and project for re-edit. All these movements are under the control of Pharos Mediator.
Russell Grute at Pharos said: "Pharos Mediator uses FlashNet to manage and maintain the data tape archive subsystem, which helps support the complex lifecycle of HBO Asia's multi-lingual programming from ingest through to transmission.
"Using FlashNet and Meditator's integrated transfer management, the archive system is seamlessly integrated with the other storage subsystems. These include Omneon Spectrum ingest servers and MediaGrid online storage, new Apple XSAN storage for compliance and promotions editing and the Omneon transmission servers. The existing FlashNet installation already served the busy multi-channel workflow at HBO Asia and it was expanded whilst live on air and during the network's recent HD migration."
Vincent Teo, Senior Vice President, Technology and Operations, HBO Asia, said: "We have been working with SGL for a number of years and have been impressed by the flexibility of the FlashNet system. The integration between FlashNet and Mediator is the perfect solution for our server workflow and the current archive will continue to expand as the facility grows."
Bernie Walsh, SGL's Director Worldwide Sales & Joint Managing Director, added: "We are delighted to announce this latest sale to HBO Asia and highlight our continued relationship. The integration with Pharos Mediator is testament to the open systems approach that SGL adopts and provides HBO Asia with a fully integrated archive for both transmission and post production. It also shows that the SGL FlashNet system can seamlessly grow within a facility that is constantly evolving."
(KMcA/BMcC)