Astro brings HD to Malaysian homes with EVS technology

The newly launched Astro B.yond service in Malaysia is using 28 EVS XT[2] servers under the control of EVS AirEdit/IPDirector software to manage a growing number of tapeless HD on-air channels in both of Astro’s Kuala Lumpur facilities: Bukit Jalil and Cyberjaya. For each HD channel, there are redundant systems based on the newly released AirEdit module of IPDirector.

Astro TV is Malaysia’s leading multimedia broadcaster and producer of Malay, Chinese, Indian and English language programming content. It owns and operates the only direct-to-home satellite TV service with access to some 14 million viewers in over 2.93 million homes, representing 49 percent of TV homes in Malaysia. It is one of the biggest pay TV operators in Southeast Asia.

AirEdit allows operators to modify incoming HD channels to comply with Malaysian broadcasting regulations. A delay is applied to the incoming signal so the operator can make the modifications while the video is buffered within the XT[2] server.

Astro currently offers over 125 TV channels, including eight HD channels and 32 Astro-branded channels of original and aggregated content of various genres in multiple languages. It is also the first provider to introduce high-definition broadcasting in Malaysia through Astro B.yond.