NBC Universal's Local Media Group and its owned-and-operated stations have begun using an innovative automated HD playout system attuned to Thomson Grass Valley video server technology. The Thomson HD servers allow NBCU's local stations to share commercial spots and to air the 1080i content in their respective markets. The file-based playout platform relies on a dedicated IP wide-area network (WAN) connection among the affected stations.
Involved in the transformation of NBCU's Local Media Group to a HD delivery platform are Thomson Grass Valley K2 HD Media Servers—one of which is installed at each of eight participating stations—to sustain the FTP (file transfer protocol) content delivery system.
HD commercials are centrally managed at the NBCU's hub in Burbank, Calif., and subsequently forwarded to each station's K2 HD server. (Eventually, these commercial spots will playout from each K2 server in their respective market).
The delivery infrastructure was initially launched just prior to the summer Olympics in Beijing, and besides commercials, the platform also allows sharing promos and electronic billboards among the O&O's.
