Live HD Football Set to Kick-Off As CANAL+ Adds Envivio Encoders

Polish Broadcaster Drafts Envivio HD30 Encoders for HD Sports Contribution
South San Francisco, CA .– Envivio Inc., the leading technology provider of IP video convergence encoding solutions from mobile to HD, today announced that after extensive competitive testing its 4Caster HD30 video encoders have been purchased by CANAL+. The systems are to be deployed both in mobile trucks and at the CANAL+ broadcast center in Warsaw, Poland to support contribution of live high definition (HD) football programming over both fiber and microwave links. CANAL+ recently won the rights to televise live football for the next three years.

“Live HD football is one of the most eagerly anticipated items of programming for CANAL+ viewers and we want it to meet their expectations. Video quality and low latency were therefore our top concerns, as these will most directly influence our audience’s satisfaction,” said Jaroslaw Kordalewski, Technical Director for CANAL+ Poland. “Side-by-side testing showed us that the Envivio HD30 combines excellent video quality with the lowest latency we found for both low and high video bit rates.”

The 4Caster HD30 HD encoder enables broadcasters to contribute high quality HD video in the same satellite bandwidth they currently use for SD contribution. This means that for the first time HD news and sports contribution is feasible within almost any sized market. End-to-end latencies as low as 300 milliseconds make the HD30 an excellent choice for bi-directional applications such as studio anchors interviewing reporters in the field. Outstanding video quality at below 8 Mbps combined with advanced DVB-S2 modulation means that broadcasters can cover local sports events in HD for the same per minute price they typically pay for SD feeds encoded using MPEG-2.

A number of additional features were of critical importance to the CANAL+ evaluation team. The HD30 has built-in two way voice intercom capability as a standard feature to provide easy communication between stadium and playout center staff. The system can be easily and completely configured via a web-based interface or from the system’s front panel which gives operators access to all features and settings.

Kordalewski continued, “Of course, broadcasting from the field is particularly demanding on equipment. The Envivio HD30 proved to be rugged and reliable—an excellent fit for OB operations.”