Omneon Video Networks recently announced that the Malaysian Broadcaster, Astro All Asia Networks is using the company's Omneon Spectrum media server systems to provide playout-to-air at the company's all-digital broadcast complex in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur and also at Astro's Cyberjaya broadcast center, 40 kilometers south of Kuala Mumpur.

"The Spectrum server systems should enable our broadcast centers to manage multiple media across multiple channels using industry-standard IT-based storage and networking techniques, thereby improving transmission accuracy and reliability," said Graham Stephens, chief technology officer for Astro.

The main installation consists of four Spectrum server systems. Two of the servers provide 800 hours of 15 mbps MPEG-2 storage and the other two are configured for 350 hours of 30 mbps MPEG-2 storage. They are all connected via a Fibre Channel link.

The Cyberjaya broadcast center serves as a cold disaster-recovery and overflow facility and is equipped with two Spectrum server systems, both operating at 30 mbps MPEG-2 and providing a total of 490 hours of storage capacity. The servers are being integrated with a large media archive and asset management system provided by Front Porch Digital.