BBC Technology purchase two Edifis Stings for UK Gold

BBC Technology have purchased two Edifis Sting digital disk systems (pictured), to provide a time-delayed mirror service of the UK Gold satellite and cable channel.
Each of the Stings can store four hours of full uncompressed video and stereo audio and is equipped for main and standby roles. The Stings are configured to carry data in the vertical interval to maintain an interactive facility for the delayed channel.
Visible on-screen interactive logos can be activated by UK Gold viewers to generate additional information such as news of forthcoming programmes.
With this latest contract, the BBC now have 16 Edifis systems operating in applications as varied as programme restoration, editing, national news, playout to air and sign language studio keying.
Edifis sales director, Richard Lilley, said: "Being based on standard off-the-shelf disk drives, Sting is so cost-efficient that we are able to deliver main and backup channels for less than the cost of a compressed server and additional RAID back-up system. This has the further advantage that one or both Stings can be deployed in a wide variety of other roles when not required for time-shifting."
A dual channel recorder, Sting is capable of playing out an incoming programme feed after a predetermined delay. An integral HTML interface supports the use of standard PC Web browsers on any connected network, including clip selection, playlist generation and EDL upload/download. Transport controls allow remote operation without need for a local panel. The user interface can easily be created using standard HTML commands. Support of standard IP protocols, over Gigabit Ethernet, allows rapid transfer of data files between the Sting and host computers. With the Gigabit Network option, this file transfer can take place faster then real-time. Sting-to-Sting networking can expand the capabilities still further.
Sting is a key component in a broad family of Edifis broadcast and post- production tools. These include Scratchbox HD and SD, Graduate, Telecine Brick and Gearbox, all of which are already working very profitably with post houses and major transmission networks.
(GB)