LAS VEGAS—Jason Land has joined PSSI Global Services in the newly created role of vice president of business development, the transmission services provider said.

The new role marks a return to PSSI for Land, a 25-year industry veteran who will be tasked with leading business-development efforts with a focus on expanding the company’s reach into new verticals, strengthening its client relationships and identifying strategic growth opportunities.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jason back to the PSSI family,” PSSI Global Services CEO and Chief Financial Officer Derek Blount said in a statement. “His wealth of industry knowledge, strategic insight and deep understanding of our business will be invaluable as we undertake major steps to grow and adapt to the ever-evolving media business landscape.”

Land rejoins the company from Intelsat, where he most recently was senior principal project manager for media services, tasked with shaping project strategy and driving innovation in media service delivery via that company’s global satellite, fiber and IP network. Land’s tenure at Intelsat broadened his expertise in the critical realm of managed media services, PSSI said.

“I am excited to return to PSSI and be part of this dynamic team under legacy and new leadership,” Land said in a statement. “PSSI has the expertise, engineering, assets and the nimble, entrepreneurial spirit to be an integral part of the success of its loyal and growing customer base, and I look forward to driving new business opportunities and contributing to its continued success. It’s great to be home.”

PSSI Global Services is a specialist in the coordination, production and distribution of domestic and international programming. For more on the company, visit psiglobalcom.

BURBANK, Calif.—PSSI Global Services has enhanced its dual-dish CK27 truck to support the evolving transmission needs of the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).

The upgraded vehicle made its debut in late September for “Friday Night Smackdown” “Extreme Rules PPV” and “Monday Night Raw.”

The upgrade includes a larger 3G HD video router to handle more video inputs and outputs, an expanded ASI router, new Evertz 3067VIP multiviewers with X-link to allow monitoring of up to 64 sources and additional IPGs to accommodate more video sources to and from production trucks, PSSI said.

The expanded technical lineup also includes redundant Evertz Magnum control servers for management and control of additional routing and multiviewers. New MediaKind AVP4000 encoders with MPEG-4 and HEVC support were added, as well as transport stream multiplexers to support multichannel distribution and 1080p HDR and SDR feeds, it said.

PSSI also included new RX1 and RX8200 decoders on the receiver side to support inbound feeds and for confidence monitoring. An IP backbone was added to allow all compressed transport streams to flow seamlessly through compression, muxing and monitoring platforms and out to data distribution, it said. 

The company also installed dual Eaton Blade UPS systems for technical power and utility/HVAC power. The UPS system included ASCO automatic power transfer switches, it said. 

PSSI also incorporated a 4.6-meter, four-port C-band antenna with hub-mounted 2:1 Advantech solid state amplifiers. The antenna, paired with the SSPBs, delivers the linear power necessary for today’s higher-modulation schemes, allowing the most efficient use of the satellite bandwidth. Hub-mounted solid state amplifiers also were added to the existing 2.4-meter Ku-band antenna, it said.

Upgrades to the truck also include redundant computer controls, Dante-based audio and comms systems and additional air conditioning. The design and layout of CK27 also make single engineer operation easier and provides more workspace. 

“We have partnered with WWE on countless events over the years, and as their needs grow and change, we continue to find innovative ways to modify our equipment to support their goals,” said PSSI executive vice president Brian Nelles. “The upgraded CK27 offers a customized, cutting-edge solution to address WWE’s complex transmission projects well into the future.”

More information is available on the company’s website. 

VAN NUYS, Calif.—Last week’s Democratic National Convention got a helping hand in bringing multiple remote elements together from PSSI Global Services’ live transmission systems. Multiple modes of transmission were used to deliver live remote content from the DNC production hub in Milwaukee.

PSSI provided live satellite uplinks for many of the most prominent speakers at the convention, including Jill and Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Bernie Sanders. The PSSI International Teleport (PIT) enabled access to multiple transponders of the Eutelsat 113 West A satellite. Other remote locations were managed and coordinated through satellite uplinks and LiveU technology. A partnership with Nextologies also provided backup IP pathways for remote feeds.

There was an engineer and a strategic television project manager on-site in Milwaukee to handle encoding and decoding services, as well as manage the satellite, LiveU, Nextologies, The Switch and AT&T GVS pathways in and out, with PIT as the hub gateway.

PSSI also provided tech management and multicamera production services at remote media sites where Obama and Jill Biden gave speeches from through a collaboration with Patin Media Ventures and Gravity Media.

For more information, visit www.pssiglobal.com.  

BURBANK, Calif.—PSSI Global Services is stepping into the ring with Top Rank boxing to bring the organization’s live broadcasts of fights to TV screens for the first time since the pandemic began. To support the broadcasts, PSSI is providing both traditional and IP-based transmission services from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

PSSI has both on-site and off-site engineering services, as well as off-site monitoring and management to meet the production needs and safety protocols amid COVID-19. This includes using Nextologies equipment to deliver primary pathways via IP transport.

Each fight has had PSSI generate an IP feed to Paragon Media, where the company’s engineering team is on-site providing two-way remote ringside commentary services. A separate feed goes to a Nextologies server for IP distribution to worldwide broadcast partners.

The PSSI International Teleport in Pittsburgh has been used as a gateway for live international distribution and as an oversight layer for the full network, including satellite, fiber and IP elements.

According to PSSI, the collaboration with Top Rank is the first all-IP origination for a major boxing event and the first IP live international distribution to several countries.

For more information, visit www.pssiglobal.com.  

VAN NUYS, Calif.—Helping to bring one of the first major live sporting events back to TV, PSSI Global Services used C-band transmission vehicles to provide primary and backup paths, data and internet via satellite for “The Match II” charity golf event.

PSSI worked with Turner Sports to provide C-band transmission and data services for the event. PSSI says that it provided 420 mbps of service simultaneously via four Eutelsat C-band satellite transponders and utilized earth stations at PSSI International Teleport to back up the Turner teleport due to bad weather on the day of the event.

There were two C-band transmission vehicles at the golf course that worked in collaboration with PIT to transmit two separate paths of video and 16 channels of audio from each of the vehicles. PSSI also provided 100 mbps of bidirectional data and 50 mbps of bidirectional internet.

All satellite capacity was provided by Eutelsat and accessed via PIT.

“The Match II” featured Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning playing against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady over Memorial Day weekend. The even raised $20 million for COVID-19 relief and drew 6.3 million viewers.

For more information, visit www.pssiglobal.com.  

VAN NUYS, Calif.—PSSI Global Services was responsible for the set-up for an at-home transmission for NASCAR’s Rolex 24 event from Daytona Beach, Fla., to NASCAR headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. PSSI utilized 32 video paths and 150 audio paths through satellite and AT&T Global Video Services fiber for the production.

PSSI used two-and-a-half transponders and one amplifier to transmit three different modulation schemes simultaneously. The primary multiplex featured DVB-S2X/32APSK, while the secondary program multiplex was modulated using DVB-S2X/16APSK; each operated at 125 Mbps. The third multiplex was 40 Mbps and used DVB-S2/8PSK modulation.

Together the three multiplexes totaled 290 Mbps and occupied 90 MHz of satellite bandwidth.

PSSI International Teleport provided hub services between the racetrack and NASCAR headquarters.

PSSI says it also provided comms and internet for the production.

More information is available at www.pssiglobal.com.  

VAN NUYS, Calif.—Alongside the race cars revving their engines at a recent NHRA event at the Atlanta Dragway, PSSI Global Services had a single transmission vehicle that served as a center for event coverage. Via satellite, the truck provided high-speed internet, AWS/Sony web streaming and broadcast transmission services. To do so, PSSI used one of its large-aperture C-band trucks to transfer and receive across two transponders of Eutelsat 113.

Throughout the four days of the event, and without an available fiber infrastructure, PSSI provided video backhaul services via satellite for the broadcast on Fox Sports 1.

The high-speed internet needed for the event came through PSSI International Teleport (PIT) in collaboration with Eutelsat to create a two-way IP over satellite system. The internet provided NHRA with the desired bandwidth and customized upload and download speeds.

Encoders at PIT helped provide AWS/Sony web streaming, taking in the feed from the event and distributing it to the appropriate streaming platforms. The encoders were able to accommodate all video formats and protocols, received feeds from any delivery mechanism and push content to any CDN or streaming site.

This was part of a continued relationship between NHRA, as PSSI also works with AT&T Global Video Services for other races where there is fiber infrastructure.

VAN NUYS, CA--PSSI Global Services has partnered with OB vehicle builder Frontline Communications to build 16 new, state-of-the-art Ku-band SNG vehicles for use by PSSI News Group in exclusive partnership with CNN. The trucks replace 16 vehicles previously owned by CNN, which — having been absorbed into the PSSI Global Services fleet — are in the process of being upgraded and will soon be available to all PSSI Global Services clients.

The new PSSI News Group trucks include nine full-size Freightliner trucks and seven Mercedes Sprinters. Each is fully equipped with top-shelf broadcast equipment, including Ericsson AVP encoders and IRDs, Evertz Microsystems terminal equipment, Xenon digital routers, Hitomi MatchBox lip-sync systems, Panasonic video production switchers, and Vislink wireless RF camera systems. The new trucks are now in use by PSSI News Group engineers for CNN coverage in regions across the country, including Washington D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, New York City, Dallas, Columbus and Miami.

The additional trucks PSSI Global Services acquired from CNN are already built for multipath news transmissions, with production switchers, extensive comms infrastructure, multichannel audio mixers, multipath encoding and decoding equipment, and more. 

Once PSSI Global Services’ upgrades are complete, the trucks will also have advanced compression, multiplexing and IP capabilities to support sports and entertainment projects, as well as news coverage. Each truck will be outfitted with high-throughput satellite modems with dedicated satellite capacity to enable a wide range of IP services, including internet access, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), enterprise connectivity, and bandwidth for backhaul and multicasting.

Many of the upgraded trucks are already complete and in use, including a Sprinter based in Los Angeles and several full-sized trucks with extensive production capabilities in Atlanta, Boston, Denver and Las Vegas. As the upgrades continue, PSSI Global Services plans to deploy trucks in Phoenix, Portland, Kansas City, Nashville, Charlotte and several other cities across the country.

VAN NUYS, CALIF.—PSSI Global Services has recently been coming through in the spotlight of some of the big sporting events in the country, the College Football National Championship game and a recent NASCAR race at Daytona, Fla.

PSSI was on hand to support ESPN’s 125-camera broadcast of the CFB National Championship game between the University of Alabama and University of Georgia in Atlanta. PSSI transmitted two 180-megabit streams using one transmitter on two 54-megahertz transponders. A third 36-megahertz transponder was used to transmit a total of 500 megabits of data out of the single C-band antenna.

At the NASCAR race, the Rolex 24, the broadcast consisted of 28 video paths and 75 audio paths for 32 consecutive hours. PSSI transmitted all 28 video paths to NASCAR’s production facility in Charlotte, N.C., using a single antenna, one transmitter and two transponders. The company also simultaneously delivered all 28 paths via AT&T fiber for redundancy.

For each project, PSSI used its C27 mobile teleport, which was equipped with Newtec modulators and GaN SSPB amplifiers from Advancetech Wireless.

VAN NUYS, CALIF.—Eat your heart out Usain Bolt, because PSSI Global Services has reportedly successfully transmitted a 10-path, multiplexed, HD feed via satellite from Toledo, Ohio, to Charlotte, N.C., and back in 1.09 seconds. PSSI claims that this low-latency transmission tops any previously known speeds via satellite.

The transmission occurred for NASCAR Productions during a live broadcast of an ARCA Racing Series event. The transmission involved two satellite hops, production switching, two HD encode sessions and two HD decode sessions. PSSI used encoding and decoding technology from Ericsson for the transmission.

With this result, PSSI says that it can achieve a one-way transmission in less than 500 milliseconds, including the inherent delay of 240 milliseconds for the signal to travel to the satellite and back.

Brian Nelles, PSSI’s senior vice president, says the transmission shows that satellite can compete with fiber in both reduced latency and multi-camera timing.

VAN NUYS, CALIF.—PSSI Global Services has assumed the full operation and control of Pittsburgh International Teleport’s satellite facility upon acquiring the company on June 16.

Renamed PSSI International Teleport, the Pennsylvania-based teleport will feature 50 Ku- and C-band antennas that facilitate transmissions to locations throughout the U.S., as well as Europe and Asia. It will also support worldwide connectivity via fiber, IP, microwave and mobile uplink. PSSI Global Services intends to continue to serve the teleport’s existing clients and keep a majority of the legacy staff in their current positions.

With PSSI International Teleport, the company will provide support that includes direct-to-home, uplink, downlink and turnaround services; disaster recovery; co-location and quality control engineering; and syndicated television programming distribution services.

Another part of the acquisition is the Pittsburgh Videotech Center, a full-service studio located in downtown Pittsburgh. The facility features a multi-camera production studio and audio recording studio with domestic and international connectivity. PSSI will use the facility to provide videoconferencing, live network news inserts, remote production capabilities and webcasting services.

PSSI Global Services is a provider of mobile, satellite transmission, production and streaming services for both domestic and international clients.

VAN NUYS, CALIF.—The College Football Playoffs National Championship game concluded in thrilling fashion back in January and viewers got to watch in part thanks to PSSI Global Services. PSSI multiplexed, encoded and decoded a total of 74 paths at unmatched data rates as the transmission service provider for ESPN’s College Football Playoffs on all of its associated networks.

PSSI managed all inbound and outbound paths for the College Football Playoffs, which was done through both satellite and fiber. Specifically for the National Championship game between Clemson and the University of Alabama PSSI used its C27 dual-antenna mobile teleport to engineer 24 outbound paths and six inbound paths via satellite. PSSI also provided encoding and multiplexing over fiber for an additional 44 paths at the stadium, including 24 outbound paths over three multiplexed circuits at a total of 600 Mbps and 20 inbound paths over two multiplexed circuits at 400 Mbps.

Other ESPN programming received uplink and encoding services from PSSI, including “SportsCenter” and “Mike & Mike.”

VAN NUYS, CALIF.—A large number of the networks that will be bringing college football to fans this season are taking a play from the same playbook, utilizing PSSI live transmission services. PSSI Global Services says it is preparing more than 40 trucks and uplink systems to assist satellite transmissions for CBS, Fox, ESPN stations and DirecTV’s Mobile Studio.

Networks will rely on PSSI for multi-channel transmission services, as the company has the ability to transmit 10 channels on a single satellite transponder. PSSI is also upgrading its C-Band and multiplexing-capable trucks, offering at least 12 at-home-ready C-Band trucks for the upcoming season.

In addition, PSSI has announced it has worked in collaboration with Intelsat on the PRISM technology, for simultaneous transmission of two-way data via satellite, providing Voice Over Internet Protocol and accelerated high-speed IP data. PRISM has been equipped in PSSI’s fleet of trucks and offers connectivity to the IntelsatOne fiber network.

Networks that will receive PSSI’s services include CBS, CBS Sports, Fox, Fox Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN News, ESPN 2, ESPNU and SEC Network.

VAN NUYS, CALIF.—PSSI Global is crossing the aisle, announcing that it will provide satellite transmission and digital encoding services for both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions in July.

Two flyaway uplink systems were installed on the roof of the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland for convention coverage.

Three clients are receiving PSSI services during the RNC, including WETA, GOP-TV and Eurovision. For WETA, PSSI is providing frame accurate, multi-channel encoding on its flyaway satellite and fiber circuits, allowing the WETA facility in Washington D.C. to remotely produce and switch its coverage. The ad hoc system at WETA facilities receive and decode the multiplex while also sending three return paths of audio, video and communication via satellite and fiber back to Cleveland. The system, which can support up to 10 hours of transmission a day, will also be used for the DNC.

GOP-TV is utilizing a 2.4m flyaway uplink system at the convention for deployment of full coverage. The systems are certified for operations on all Domsat, Intelsat, Eutelsat, Defense Services Communication Systems and other international satellites. GOP-TV plans to supplement its coverage with inserts from PSSI uplink trucks across the U.S.

Eurovision will use a Ku-Band truck from PSSI for coverage on the final day of the RNC. A second Ku-Band truck is expected to be used during the DNC to offer two separate paths of audio and video via satellite. One path will provide full coverage of the convention, the other will offer interviews and additional coverage; both will be distributed as a webcast.

The 2016 RNC is currently underway in Cleveland and will wrap up on July 21. The DNC will take place in Philadelphia from July 25-28.