Cologne Broadcasting Center builds ingest, playout system with Harmonic media server

German TV producer Cologne Broadcasting Center (CBC) has installed the Harmonic Omneon Spectrum HD media server system for ingest and playout for its RTL HD and VOX HD channels from a new broadcast center in Cologne. The server will support RTL’s Austrian and Swiss channels. Material for these channels, as well as for live Deutsche Bundesliga soccer matches, will be ingested through CBC's media management systems, a Sony cart machine and either DigiBeta VTRs or HDCAM SR VTRs. CBC was already using an Omneon media server at its Munich facility for sports and other domestic channels.

The Omneon Spectrum supports the MXF codec, which enables it to integrate with CBC’s IBM archive system.