Snell Drives India's First All-HD News Channel

Snell's Kahuna SD/HD multi-format production switcher, Pyxis router, and IQ Modular broadcast infrastructure modules are driving production for News Express TV, India's first all-HD news channel.
With Snell partner Transs Technoconsultants providing technology and systems integration, News Express TV launched in 2012 with a 24-hour lineup of news and political reporting in the Hindi language.
"In launching India's first HD news channel, we placed a top priority on technologies that could provide 24/7 reliability and built-in features for redundancy. We also required the ability to handle many different functions, such as still stores and RAM recorders, but we looked for systems that could provide these capabilities without requiring us to purchase peripheral equipment," said News Express TV's head of technology and operations, S.K. Salvi, who designed and implemented the news channel.
"The Snell Kahuna switcher, working in tandem with the IQ Modular components and Pyxis router, delivers all of the advanced functionality of a broadcast-quality switcher in a highly flexible and extremely easy-to-use system."
With the Kahuna switcher, News Express TV producers can add complex, multi-layered effects.
Kahuna's multi-format capabilities powered by FormatFusion technology enable mixing of SD and HD broadcasts.
News Express TV has deployed more than 40 modules from the Snell IQ Modular broadcast infrastructure line to support master control and playout functions.
Snell's RollCall network management system provides integrated monitoring and control capabilities for all Snell products as well as third-party IT and broadcast equipment, enabling News Express TV engineers to perform comprehensive monitoring of the entire network from a single PC.
The Pyxis 72 x 72 router enables reliable signal distribution prior to transmission from the playout facility.
"Express News TV plays a critical role in the Indian broadcast landscape by meeting viewers' demand for around-the-clock access to the latest developments in current and breaking news," said Naresh Subherwal, president, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, at Snell.
"With Snell's advanced switching, routing, and monitoring systems supporting HD operations, News Express is well-positioned to maintain its leadership in a competitive environment."
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(IT/CD)