Public broadcaster PBS has selected International Datacasting Corporation to provide infrastructure for a satellite network to deliver non-real-time HD and SD video programming to PBS member stations across the United States. The "alpha" phase of the project includes the installation and configuration of headend transmission equipment and deployment of an initial group of receive sites.
The next phase, the rollout to the 177 public TV downlinks in the field, is expected to move forward in the first quarter of 2009. Content, including file-based HDTV programming, will be distributed using IDC's SuperFlex broadband DVB/S2-IP satellite datacasting system and the Datacast XD content management and distribution software. IDC will also be providing expanded NAS servers as part of the receive site kits.
