NDTV Uses Envivio 4Caster Encoders to Launch the World’s First MPEG-4 Digital Satellite News Gathering Network
24 Hour News Broadcaster Now Has Largest DSNG Fleet in India
San Francisco, CA – October 29, 2003 – Envivio, Inc., a leading provider of MPEG-4 broadcast and streaming solutions, and New Delhi Television Ltd. (NDTV Ltd.), the New Delhi, India based broadcaster that produces two 24 hour news channels, "NDTV 24x7" and "NDTV-India," today announced the launch of the world’s first digital satellite news gathering network based entirely on MPEG-4 encoding. NDTV’s new fleet of news gathering vehicles have been equipped with Envivio 4Caster™ MPEG-4 encoders and are now operational around India.
The NDTV news gathering network is based around Envivio’s 4Caster real-time, full D1 resolution MPEG-4 encoder and 4View™ real-time MPEG-4 decoder. Envivio’s open standard solution offers greatly reduced bandwidths compared to MPEG-2 and can save operators up to 50 percent on their satellite bandwidth, leading to major savings in costs and improving picture quality. The Envivio encoding solution is currently being put on trial by other satellite operators and other major broadcasters around the globe.
"NDTV is the first broadcaster in the world to have successfully implemented DSNG systems incorporating MPEG-4 over satellite for live links back to the studio," said Rahul Deshpande, Systems Manager at NDTV. "The system is based on leading encoding and decoding technology provided by Envivio and a unique graphical user interface designed by NDTV, which gives us immense freedom to route signals from our 15 satellite trucks and 11 news bureaus to our two broadcast news channels. The network, RF, truck, and related designs and integration were done in-house at NDTV, using other best-in-class components, including Swe-Dish Driveaway Antennae, Paradise Satellite Modems, and CPI HPAs, to cater to the tough environmental conditions prevalent in India. Additionally, the cost savings in terms of satellite bandwidth ensure that we recover capital costs within the first 18 months of deployment."
"NDTV is leading the world’s broadcast industry with this new technology," said Rudi Polednik, Director of Sales at Envivio. "The team at NDTV understood that MPEG-2 could not provide the encoding performance they required and chose the Envivio MPEG 4 solution for its ability to provide excellent picture quality at low bit-rates and at low latencies. The system we have jointly created has given NDTV operational flexibility and very low operating costs."
The new deployment gives NDTV the largest fleet of DSNG vans in India.
About Envivio
Envivio is a leading provider of complete MPEG-4 solutions, including the world’s only full resolution, real-time MPEG-4 encoding system. The company has established itself as the most experienced creator of high-quality MPEG-4 solutions that enable broadcasters, network operators, and content developers to build new revenue streams and use the efficiencies of delivering content to the full range of MPEG-4 capable devices. The Envivio product set includes various components to create, encode, distribute, and play back MPEG-4 content: 4Caster for encoding content in real time; Trans4mer™ for real-time transcoding of MPEG-2 to MPEG-4; 4Coder™ for offline encoding; 4Mation™ for authoring complete MPEG-4 interactive applications; 4Sight™ for video on demand and interactive multimedia serving; 4View™ for professional decoding; and the EnvivioTV™ plug-in to the RealOne Player, RealPlayer, QuickTime, and Windows Media Player to retrieve and play back MPEG-4 content on PC and Macintosh systems. EnvivioTV is also being customized for various set-top box manufacturers.
About NDTV
New Delhi Television Ltd. (NDTV Ltd.), founded in 1988, is India's first and largest private producer of news, current affairs and entertainment television. NDTV is home to the country's best and brightest reporters, anchors and producers; 23 offices and studios across the country host India's most modern and sophisticated production and newsgathering facilities. As an organization, NDTV is totally committed to one cause: to use its extensive expertise, experience, technology and reach to create unparalleled coverage of the latest in domestic and international news and entertainment for viewers at home and around the world. On April 14th, 2003, NDTV simultaneously launched two 24-hour news channels, NDTV 24x7 in English, and NDTV India in Hindi, which targets the Indian diaspora across the world. Extensive technological innovations have been put into place to effect this fresh initiative.
NDTV's portfolio currently includes:
NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India - two round-the-clock English news channels,
broadcast via the far-reaching Global beam on PanAmSat's PAS-10 satellite. Entertainment programs like "Limelight," which covers the world of art, theatre, and film, and "Chuppa Rustum," the popular gag show. For various Indian channels, "Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai" - a popular weekly show on the lives of the most famous Indian personalities. Live analysis of election results and the country's annual general budget. For more information, visit www.ndtv.com
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EnvivioTV, 4Caster, 4Coder, 4Mation, 4Sight, 4View, and Trans4mer are trademarks of Envivio, Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. All trademarks used herein, whether recognized or not, are the properties of their respective companies.
Media Contact:
Envivio
Barry Strauss
+1 650 243-2718
bstrauss@envivio.com
NDTV
K.V.L. Narayan Rao
+91 11 26218621
narayan@ndtv.com
