(click thumbnail) Geoff Stedman, vice president, worldwide marketing, Omneon

Omneon Video Networks comes to NAB2007 with a twofold goal: to put its modular video server architecture in the hands of smaller-market stations, as well as debut new HD tools that create the first integrated end-to-end Omneon HD ingest and play-out solution.

“The trend toward adopting HD has long been underway, and we’re continuing to capitalize on that trend,” said Geoff Stedman, vice president of worldwide marketing for Omneon.

To do so, the company will debut several new solutions, including an integrated HD ingest encoder for the Omneon Spectrum HD media server. This new family of media interface components, known as the MediaPort 5000 series, give the Spectrum new integrated HD encoding capabilities.

The new interface components simplify the encoding process, extend the capability of the Omneon platform and offer additional value to existing owners of Omneon Spectrum technology, Stedman said. These new MediaPort interface components offer for the first time an Omneon end-to-end SD or HD ingest and play-out solution.

The MediaPort 5000 modules will be initially available as an MPEG-2 HD encoder, and will be offered in a single- or dual-channel configuration able to deliver one or two channels of HD encoding with up to 16 channels of audio.

The modules can also be connected to any existing Omneon Spectrum media server to add new HD ingest functionality, although the Spectrum will still be compatible with third-party encoders, Stedman said.

A ‘GOOD FIT’

Omneon will also launch the MediaDeck, a compact, integrated media server system based on the company’s flagship Spectrum media server technology. Designed to reach a new strata of customers—primarily smaller-market stations and facilities with smaller channel counts—the MediaDeck integrates media storage, system management, Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, and SD or HD video I/O modules in a 2 RU package.

“This solution gives customers [who haven’t owned a Spectrum before] access to an Omneon technology,” Stedman said. “It offers all the functions of a Spectrum,” but at a lower price point, he said.

The Spectrum technology has been most effective in medium to large facilities, “but this new solution is a good fit for smaller facilities with lower budgets and fewer personnel,” he said.

The impetus for moving in this new direction came from customers and Omneon channel partners, Stedman said.

Storage within the MediaDeck consists of eight 500 GB SATA disk drives, offering 3 TB of useable storage. The system also features modular I/O components, as well as HD ingest modules and SD modules for both ingest and play-out. The company said future modules will offer additional ingest and play-out channels and formats.

The MediaDeck solution can also serve as an ingest station for the MediaGrid active storage system. Omneon’s MediaGrid technology was designed to allow applications in the production and distribution chain to have simultaneous access to content.

“The underlying technology is based on a fully distributed file system and file replication scheme that maintains multiple active copies of all content at all times to ensure fast access,” Stedman said. “Processing within MediaGrid also simplifies the workflow by eliminating extra transfer steps and the complexity of having to move content from one system to another.”

As Omneon heads to NAB2007, the company is facing some big corporate news as well. In late December the firm announced to the Security and Exchange Commission that they were planning a $115 million initial public offering of common stock. Omneon was not able to disclose further details, such as the number of shares or their expected price range, although the proceeds may be used for working capital and future possible acquisitions of complementary businesses, technologies or other assets.