Media Links Launches IP Video Last Mile / Edge Platform at NAB 2013

Media Links Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Global Links, officially launches its new MD8400 video transmission platform at NAB2013 booth SU3002. The MD8400 solution expands upon the field-proven, high-performance MD8000 platform.

The new MD8400 is targeted at last mile applications and is designed to leverage and further enhance a worldwide installed base of MD8000 series platforms. The MD8000 solutions are known worldwide for driving technological change, and are used globally for the distribution and transmission of content of major events including The World Cup, Super Bowl and the 2012 Games Summer Olympic.


The MD8400 platform minimizes the costs and challenges experienced when providing high-bandwidth, high availability services, enabling service providers to efficiently deliver content to the end user. The MD8400 is designed to serve smaller locations where only a handful of services are required, allowing service providers to increase their overall return on investment in short order.

The MD8400 is a modular, multi-media IP based transport platform designed to interoperate seamlessly with legacy MD8000 core networks. It offers service providers and broadcasters a reduced level of cost-of-entry based on their specific required functionality and price per circuit installation. Media Links’ proven ‘hitless switching’ technology, standards based SMPTE 2022 Forward Error Correction and current and future compression technologies are offered on an ‘as needed’ basis, resulting in a truly evolutionary solution. The MD8400 offers an ‘a la carte’ based feature set – buy what you need now, buy what you need later.

This competitive and cost-effective platform delivers Ethernet data traffic, 3G-SDI, HD-SDI, SD-SDI and DVB-ASI video signals natively or with JPEG2000 and H.264 compression. Built around a 60 Gigabit non-blocking IP switch fabric and packaged in a space and power savings 1RU footprint, the MD8400 is positioned to maximize edge and last mile network connectivity.

The ingenuity surrounding the MD8400 expansion modules creates a future proof design capable of supporting broadcast technologies, offering broad expansion and integration possibilities for current and future requirements.

The platform offers remote software upgrades, built-in self-test functions, performance information and monitoring for ease of service.

All MD8400 and MD8000 platforms are intelligently managed and controlled by the Media Links NMS network management software for unified network management.

The Media Links team will be available for questions about the new MD8400, Media Links NMS software, as well as the entire Media Links portfolio at NAB2013 booth SU3002.