Media Access Project Goes Live

Channel 4 Television's Media Access Project, a new installation centred on the Pharos Mediator media management system, is now live.
The Media Access Project empowers Channel 4 to migrate from videotape to fully file-based operation. A landmark development in Channel 4's 25 year history (the network went to air in November 1982), the contract also represents a major achievement for Pharos on its 10th anniversary.
"Our objective was to create and maintain a tapeless store of all our programmes so that we could make them available in any format the market required, including the recently-launched 4oD television and film on demand service," said Kevin Burrows, Chief Technology Officer at Channel 4.
"We have used Pharos Pilot as our technical control system for several years. A Pharos MPEG1 video browse system was installed in 2003, replacing a VHS library. The browse system worked very well and Mediator was a natural extension, effectively adding all the facilities the channel needed for file-based ingest and playout in a single architecture.
"We chose MXF 50i as the generic file format so that we can maintain optimal quality. If the need arises to send content elsewhere, recipients will be able to use MXF 50i relatively easily. Mediator was initially deployed for SD and will soon be handling HD content. It controls the ingest server, content store, archive server, Sony Petasite tape robotics and transfer management. The system provides enough storage to archive up to 18 months of MXF 50i programmes."
"The Media Access Project at Channel 4 incorporates a Petasite data tape system which, at the time of delivery, was the largest installed for a European Broadcaster," added Spencer Rodd, Technical Director of Pharos.
"Incoming programmes and interstitials are ingested at full 50 Mbit/s I-frame MPEG2 transmission resolution to a 36 terabyte Isilon server storage cluster. An MPEG1 browse copy is made simultaneously. Content is held on an Isilon disk cluster before being automatically transcoded to 15 Mbit/s Long GOP MPEG2 for playout via the existing Pinnacle server system. Using Mediator, Channel 4 is able to perform the entire broadcast operation from its online digital library store."
Pharos Mediator is a fully scalable broadcast management system which can be configured to co-ordinate single or multiple workflows in any broadcast environment. It allows all ingested content to be catalogued, researched, loaned and shared between users, providing true collaborative working.
Content can also be outgested to any selected format, such as complete programmes on DVD for internal distribution or music compilations for post-production. Multiple client libraries can be configured to provide security and privacy for clients without the expense and complexity of separate hardware for every client.
Pharos is focused on developing software architecture to deliver better broadcast process management for service providers in television broadcast, radio, IPTV and telecommunications.
For over 10 years Pharos has continually developed its unique Mediator, Playtime and Pilot desktop broadcast management solutions to offer a next-generation platform to better manage the flow of media through broadcast facilities.
Accompanying image: Pharos Mediator being used in conjunction with Tektronix signal analyser for desktop ingest and quality control at Channel 4.
For further information:
www.pharos-comms.com
(DS)