TANDBERG Television Unveils HD MPEG-4 AVC Newsgathering Solutions at IBC 2006

* EMEA Launch of MPEG-4 AVC HDTV Voyager DSNG and DENG at IBC 2006
* Responds to growing popularity of HDV format with low-cost wireless and satellite range

Southampton, UK - 30th August 2006 - TANDBERG Television (TAT.OL) will continue to build on its technology and market lead in HD MPEG-4 AVC at IBC 2006 (Hall1.461) with the EMEA launch of groundbreaking high definition (HD) digital satellite and electronic newsgathering solutions (DSNG and DENG) based on its award-winning HD advanced compression engine. TANDBERG Television will also respond to the increase in demand for HD content with a series of bandwidth-saving and cost reducing initiatives including the addition of DVB-S2 modulation to its DSNG range and support for the HDV format.



“We’re very excited about unveiling our advanced DSNG and DENG solutions at IBC 2006,” says Roger Bolton, VP of Business Development at TANDBERG Television. “Outside broadcasting is one of the toughest jobs in the business and we’ll be showing visitors to our stand how TANDBERG Television has developed a range of newsgathering products that cover everything from camera to SNG uplink. We’re confident that this is a product range that news or sports crews shooting on location can rely on no matter how demanding the situation they are operating in - or how tight the deadline.”



Advancing Satellite Newsgathering

IBC 2006 will see the EMEA launch of TANDBERG Television’s EN5940 which combines industry-leading MPEG-4 AVC HD encoding technology with TANDBERG Television’s latest generation DVB-S2 satellite modulator. The EN5940 makes it possible to transmit HD using the satellite bandwidths commonly used to transmit MPEG-2 SD. When used with the TANDBERG RX1290 multi-format decoder, the EN5940 enables DSNG operators to migrate to HD using the most efficient means of transmission available. This solves problems associated with the high bandwidth requirements of MPEG-2 HD, which often increases transponder costs and necessitates upgrades to an OB truck’s infrastructure to support the high bitrates.



“Because our latest HD DSNG offers the combined benefits of MPEG-4 AVC and DVB-S2 it is able to transmit an HD signal using the same transponder bandwidth that is currently being used for SD MPEG-2,” says David Mitchinson, Newsgathering Business Development Manager at TANDBERG Television. “In bandwidth terms, this means that the efficiency gain effectively equates to migrating to HD for free.”



HD Wireless Links

TANDBERG Television is also bringing its MPEG-4 AVC expertise to the DENG world. The new EN5950 is equipped with a COFDM modulator and offers a reduction in bit rate to allow the more robust COFDM modes to be used, increasing the range and reliability of transmissions dramatically. These transmissions can be received using a COFDM version of the RX1290 receiver, equipped with a 2-input diversity tuner card. The DR6000 6-input diversity receiver can also be used for more demanding applications, such as providing city wide coverage. All TANDBERG diversity receivers offer the advanced “Mean Ratio Combining” method which out performs the simpler packet switching methods offered by competitors, to provide improved reliability and range.



Support for HDV Format

Many operators are discouraged in migrating from SD to HD because they view the costs involved as infeasible. This is especially true within the newsgathering market, which often has a unique set of requirements. To satisfy this need, TANDBERG Television is unveiling a new range of HDV compatible solutions at IBC that combine low cost and tremendous flexibility.



To support low-cost HDV professional cameras, TANDBERG Television is introducing the CT2200HDV wireless camera adaptor for HDV camcorders. The CT2200HDV is the smallest HD wireless transmitter in the world and offers a fire-wire (DV) interface to the wireless camera to transmit the HD footage robustly to a compatible TANDBERG HD receiver, such as the TT1280. For delay critical and premium quality applications, the company will be featuring a new range of HD-SDI wireless solutions that include an ultra-low latency HD encoder.



“We expect our HD-SDI transmitters with integrated camera control to receive special interest, especially those aimed specifically at cameras that are among the most popular in the marketplace - for example we will be showcasing the first ever premium clip-on wireless adaptor with integrated camera remote control that is compatible with a wide range of Sony HD cameras,” says Reinhard Kuehn, Managing Director of TANDBERG Television AVS.



TANDBERG Television will also offer an HDV option card for the Voyager range of DSNG/DENG products. The single-slot card is designed to interface to an HDV camcorder or tape deck directly using the DV interface, and will enable the HD material to be passed to a REMUX card for transmission.

About TANDBERG Television

Whether it’s advanced compression systems, on-demand or interactive television, TANDBERG Television (TAT.OL) delivers the technology and expertise that is moving digital video forward. The company’s award-winning solutions are used by the world’s leading network operators, broadcasters and content owners to deliver new viewer experiences and advertising opportunities. With a broad suite of open, standards-based products, TANDBERG Television offers the highest quality digital TV solutions including IPTV, HDTV, video-on-demand, advertising on-demand, and interactive TV applications to customers in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa. For more information, please visit www.tandbergtv.com.

Contact Information

Dwight Witherspoon

TANDBERG Television

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