Harris Corporation to Show Full 3 Gb/s-Ready Portfolio at IBC2008; Enables Broadcaster to Affordably Migrate From SD to HD and 1080p

Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, will show a complete portfolio of 3 Gb/s-ready technology at the 2008 International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) that enables broadcasters to easily and affordably transition from standard definition (SD) to high definition (HD) and all the way to 1080p broadcasting.

“Wherever customers are in their transition to digital, Harris can provide future-proof solutions that will take their facility seamlessly and cost-effectively from analog all the way to 1080p,” said Tim Thorsteinson, president of Harris Broadcast Communications. “With the Harris portfolio, even broadcasters who haven’t yet migrated to HD can afford to consider implementing 3 Gb/s-ready technology. Since most Harris 3 Gb/s products are software-keyed, customers do not pay for 1080p support until they need it. It simply provides broadcasters with an insurance policy for their future.”

At IBC2008, visitors to the Harris stand who are building a new facility from the ground up, or simply adding products to their existing operation, can see the full scope of Harris 3 Gb/s technology — including signal processors, multiviewers, test and measurement, routers and servers — in one convenient, central location.

Harris is showing support of 1080p I/O for its NEXIO AMP™ advanced media platform at IBC2008 — making it the industry’s first 3 Gb/s-ready broadcast server. This functionality enhances the broad range of HD and SD video formats the NEXIO AMP platform already supports, and enables broadcasters to more easily and affordably migrate to the emerging 1080p format.

In signal processing, Harris is extending the market leadership of its acclaimed X75™ with the worldwide debut of the X85™ enhanced all-in-one processor. The X85™ adds all-new features into its space-saving 1RU frame: a linear frame rate conversion option converts 59.94 Hz and 50 Hz-based signals; dual-channel processing provides maximum efficiency; and a 3 Gb/s upgrade capability allows for an easy, economical move anytime a broadcaster is ready to make the transition to 1080p.

Harris also is unveiling the SFS6800+ — the industry’s first 3 Gb/s embedded audio/video synchronizer. The SFS6800+ provides both video and audio synchronization and delay for SD-SDI (and optionally HD-SDI and 3 Gb/s), integrated audio and video processing amplifiers, and support for four-AES audio embedding, de-embedding, and insertion/removal of Dolby® metadata. Other highlights in signal processing include NEO® XHD-3903, the world’s leading HDTV converter available with built-in 3 Gb/s 1080p 50/59.94 processing and conversion capabilities, and a range of OPTO+™ fiber products in the 6800+™ platform, which offer 3 Gb/s electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion capabilities.

In routing, IBC2008 marks the worldwide introduction of the Platinum MX™ 3 Gb/s router series in a space-saving 5RU frame. Offering high-quality signal routing up to 72x64 and high-end options such as integrated CENTRIO™ multiviewer and mux/demux, the 5RU Platinum MX™ provides customers with a high-capacity, small-footprint routing solution that supports a mix of any signal — video and audio, from analog to 3 Gb/s HD-SDI — all in the same frame.

For test and measurement applications, Harris will show a new 3 Gb/s dual-input module for its popular Videotek® VTM and TVM series. Already the most cost-effective test product of its kind on the market today, the flexible VTM Series™ now adds the new 3 Gb/s module to provide a combined package offering SD, HD and 3 Gb/s performance — including integral 3 Gb/HD/SD signal source for complete system testing — at an affordable price. Also 3 Gb/s-capable is the new Videotek AVM-717-3GB, a versatile, space-efficient and self-contained test and measurement solution that supports all existing HD formats including 1080p, as well as standard-definition SDI and optionally, composite analog.

Harris Broadcast Communications offers products, systems and services that provide interoperable workflow solutions that span the entire media delivery chain. The Harris ONE™ solution brings together highly integrated and cost-effective products that are ideal for emerging media business models and for customers upgrading media operations to digital and high-definition services.