Solent TV, the UK's first not-for-profit commercial local TV station, went live on the SKY platform Jan. 15.
Using a new HD studio and playout center at its Isle of Wight facility designed and installed by UK-based system integrator Broadcast Networks, the station became the first community station to access the distribution potential of digital satellite broadcasting.
Solent TV already broadcasts local news, sports and information about the Isle of Wight and Solent region via its Rowridge analog terrestrial transmitter as well as Internet streaming and local cable TV.
To enable the station's transition to SKY, Broadcast Networks upgraded Solent TV's technical infrastructure with a new Sony XDCAM HD camera system; an HD-ready media server and media management system from Suitcase TV; a Miranda X-Station HD-ready playout system; and the new Miranda Kaleido multiview system for playout. To link Solent TV to the SKY platform, a new Broadcast Networks H.264 encoder system is being used to provide the live link to Globecast, which provides the uplink to SKY.
For more information, visit www.bcnet.co.uk.
