Sit-up Ltd purchase Omneon Spectrum media server system

Omneon Video Networks has announced that sit-up Ltd, the UK's fastest-growing TV retailer, has brought online a new Omneon Spectrum media server system to provide a flexible and scalable production and playout infrastructure for three shopping channels, price-drop TV, bid TV, speed auction TV and two free-to-air movie channels, matinee movies and bad movies.
"We needed to replace and enlarge our video server to meet the expansion of our broadcast facilities in 2005 and beyond, and the Omneon Spectrum server system offered a uniquely modular architecture as well as a lower per-channel cost," said David Upton, head of engineering at sit-up Ltd.
"The technology behind the Omneon server system is IT-based and very open, which translates to smoother, faster, and more professional operations. The system's use of open API interfaces made integration with our Pharos automation system quite simple."
In the past year, sit-up Ltd expanded its channel portfolio from two to three live channels and launched its new free-to-air movie channels. Running under the control of Pharos automation, the new Omneon Spectrum system supports three studio-based transmission outputs for price-drop TV, bid TV, and speed auction TV; plays out material for insertion into live studio production; provides channels for backup and review of media; and supports ingest and playout for matinee movies and bad movies.
The Omneon Spectrum media server is built on an open architecture that allows it to support a broad variety of third-party applications for control and transmission, media management, archiving, and collaborative production. The scalable, distributed architecture of the modular Omneon Spectrum server system will allow sit-up to add ports easily as the company expands its channel offering. The initial system at sit-up Ltd boasts enough bandwidth to accommodate additional record or play functionality, which can be grown in small or large increments as desired.
(CD)