J.F. Broadcasting’s KWSD and KAUN Achieve Workflow Benefits with Harris Corporation’s Digital Turnaround Processor

DTP-300 Compressed Stream Server Helps Stations Increase Revenue by Capitalizing on the Full Potential of DTV

CINCINNATI. — Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, announces that J.F. Broadcasting, LLC is using the Harris® Digital Turnaround Processor™ DTP-300™ to localize encoded network feeds carried by two of its TV stations — KWSD-DT and KAUN-DT — without leaving the compressed domain. KWSD-DT, which is affiliated with The CW Television Network, and KAUN-DT, which is KWSD’s DTV secondary channel affiliated with RTN (Retro Television Network), both serve the Sioux Falls, S.D., market.

The DTP-300 compressed stream server enables J.F. Broadcasting to insert local commercials and infomercials directly into its stations’ respective, compressed, ASI network feeds as they’re received via satellite in real time. With the DTP-300, all signals remain in the compressed domain, without the need to decode them back to baseband SDI or to subsequently re-encode them. The compressed domain preserves original encoding decisions for uncompromised signal quality. The DTP-300 has an on-board server with a running playlist that works in conjunction with SCTE-35 triggers to insert pre-encoded content into the compressed program stream frame. Content insertion occurs accurately, without operator intervention or monitoring.

“The DTP-300 is a very economical way to handle the insertion of local content into the network feeds carried by our stations,” said Jim Simpson, president and chief executive officer of J.F. Broadcasting, in Sioux Falls. “As we roll out our secondary DTV channels, the DTP-300 system’s automated insertion capabilities will expand with our needs and become even more indispensable to us. The system gives us the opportunity to expand our on-air product and advertising revenue without increasing our manpower and operating costs. For broadcasters in small to mid-size TV markets, that capability helps us implement a better business model and realize the full potential of DTV.”

As the nation’s 114th Designated Market Area (DMA), Sioux Falls is a growing, robust, mid-size television market. In the future, Simpson anticipates that KWSD will use the DTP-300 to cut into the nationally syndicated morning news show, “The Daily Buzz,” to provide local weather updates.

“The DTP-300 was designed specifically for DTV broadcasters who need to localize multiple channels of MPEG-2 or H.264 compressed HD/SD programs,” said Tim Thorsteinson, president of Harris Broadcast Communications. “While this would be a daunting challenge if done manually, the DTP-300 automates the insertion of all locally relevant content, services and channel branding to multiple pre-encoded HD and SD streams in a real-time, frame-accurate and cost-effective manner.”

DTP-300 Features
The DTP-300 compressed stream server is a broadcast-quality, general-purpose computing platform with patented, upgradeable software for compressed video processing built on a real-time operation system. Its features — designed to manage compressed signal processing, while adding crucial local branding and programming — include:

* Full compliance with Emergency Alert Systems (EAS) regulations with character generation, crawls, message overlays and audio switchovers for every HD and SD stream in the multiplex;

* Local station branding through logo overlays, as well as still or animated graphics, in user-selectable fonts and transparencies, with dissolve effects and pixel-perfect on-screen positioning;

* Digital Program Insertion control from network, program or commercial clips stored internally or on network attached storage for MPEG-2 and H.264 content;

* Remux functions, such as PSIP multiplexing and rate control/re-statistical multiplexing, to generate the ATSC-compliant transport stream;

* Seamless integration with broadcast automation;
and

* Demultiplexing, which allows the pass-through of only programs of interest, while dropping all others from the multiplex

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.