Lifetime Television has selected a Scientific-Atlanta PowerVu digital video compression system to power its West Coast affiliates for the digital switch starting this fall. The network also plans to deploy the PowerVu Program Receiver (Model D9850) and has arrangements with S-A for its affiliates to buy additional receivers for back up.
The new encoding system, scheduled to be operational in July 2003 for a 45-day analog/digital simulcast transition period, will include PowerVu encoders, statistical multiplexers and modulators controlled by the PowerVu Network Centre management software.
The PowerVu system is 1RU, supports NTSC, DVB/ASI and MPEG-2 and provides for automatic ad insertion for local advertising and Dolby Digital balanced audio. For West Coast affiliates using Lifetime's satellite feed, S-A's SciCare Broadband service is providing PowerVu receiver deployment and database management systems.
According to S-A, more than 400 PowerVu digital video compression systems are transmitting over 2,000 channels of digital programming to 175 countries.
