FRISCO, Texas—MediaKind is the choice of The Switch to provide the next-generation IP infrastructure and content delivery services for New England Sports Network (NESN) as it transitions from satellite distribution to an IP-based terrestrial distribution system.

MediaKind’s Cygnus Distribution product will be a key piece to this transition, which combines video processing and content protection technology from MediaKind and The Switch’s hybrid fiber network to help NESN deliver live 4K UHD, HDR quality content.

The Cygnus Distribution platform controls the workflow, which consists of the MK Stream Processing software-based stream processing application for ensuring high availability and delivery efficiency on broadcast and multiscreen platforms; the System Multiplexer to support NESN’s stream processing applications in terrestrial central headends, which can be updated for future expansions; and RX1 Receivers for delivery of NESN’s content at low-latency. The workflow is also supported by SRT open source transport specification.

“NESN now benefits from a flexible video distribution network, and guaranteed delivery of superior live sports feeds for Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins games, as well as hundreds of other live college sports events,” said Robert Szabo-Rowe, senior vice president of engineering and product management, The Switch.

AMSTERDAM—Global media technology company MediaKind has announced a slate of new cloud-based systems that make up its MediaKind Universal portfolio that will be on display at IBC 2019: the Aquila Streaming, Cygnus 360-Degree Events, Cygnus Contribution and Cygnus Distribution. These systems are designed to help with core broadcast needs like delivering immersive OTT streaming services, multichannel HD or single channel UHD, remote production and 360-degree video content.

The Aquila Streaming system is a convergent, cloud-based OTT and broadcast headend platform that is designed to allow content to be received, transcoded, multiplexed, packaged, encrypted and managed on- and off-premise, or as a channel-as-a-service or cloud native offering.

With Cygnus 360-Degree Events, operators and content owners can complement existing live services with additional 360-degree video. The system can process and deliver live 360-degree video into resolutions up to 8K and format for simultaneous live publishing over a public CDN or social media platforms. There is also 24/7 technical support and monitoring throughout the staging and broadcasting of the event.

Cygnus Contribution is tasked with providing high-quality, low-latency point-to-point live contribution links via satellite or IP networks, including ingest into a public cloud. Live contribution links include HDR support via satellite or over fiber, allowing for support of the latest IP interfaces and content production standards. Cygnus Contribution can also help enable remote or at-home production using HEVC.

The Cygnus Distribution model, meanwhile, enables operators and broadcasts to distribute live content via satellite and IP networks. It provides ingress and egress of live video and audio from public cloud instances. Cygnus Distribution can be paired with MediaKind’s modular receivers and MK director to secure content across all distribution networks.

MediaKind will have all of these products available at stand 4.A01 during IBC 2019.