WorldCast Systems News

KOBA 2013 - Seoul, Korea

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200

WorldCast Systems will be present at KOBA 2013 on Sanam Technology booth

Audemat Secure DVB-T2 Monitoring Deal with South African Network Provider

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 +0200

SENTECH Select GOLDENEAGLE DVB-T2 for Large-Scale Roll-Out

Bordeaux-Mérignac, France, May 2013 - Audemat have announced the sale of 45 GOLDENEAGLE DVB-T2 monitoring platforms to South African network infrastructure provider, SENTECH.

The GOLDENEAGLE DVB-T2 units are to enable SENTECH to monitor its DVB-T2 transmissions at more than 30 high power sites throughout the network and to conduct off-air monitoring from Control Centers at various locations throughout the country. This includes Single Frequency Network (SFN) monitoring.

As a state-owned company, SENTECH’s role is to provide signal distribution services for South Africa’s licensed broadcasters and ensure that communication coverage reaches the furthest and most remote places. When they first rolled out DVB-T in metropolitan areas in 2008, SENTECH held a competitive tender process for monitoring receivers and Audemat’s GOLDENEAGLE DVB-T was selected as the most appropriate. The unit performed well in the field and, when the network was converted to DVB-T2, the DVB-T units were exchanged for the GOLDENEAGLE DVB-T2. A further SENTECH tender for DVB-T2 monitoring receivers recently closed.

Within the South African network infrastructure, each GOLDENEAGLE DVB-T2 provides RF monitoring of two multiplexes and analysis of an MPEG 2 transport stream. The units also measure all relevant T2 (MPLP) parameters such as MER, BER etc. and maintain logs of measured values as well as any alarms or deviations for future analysis. The NMS software of the GOLDENEAGLE also interfaces via SNMP so that all information can be incorporated into SENTECH’s entire monitoring infrastructure.

Marius Scheepers, Manager of Transmitter Systems within SENTECH is responsible for the roll-out of all transmitter-related equipment and systems and was involved in the selection and supervision of the roll-out of the GOLDENEAGLE DVB-T2. Commenting on the unit’s operation and installation, he said: “It is SENTECH’s experience that the GOLDENEAGLE DVB-T2 units were easy to install and configure. In service, we find that measured results are recorded and presented in a clear, intuitive and logical manner. Overall, the units give powerful and accurate performance with minimal fuss.”

SureStream enables Infallible AoIP Transport for Vatican Radio

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200

APT, the audio codec specialists within the WorldCast Sytems’ Group recently announced the sale of IP audio codecs incorporating the latest SureStream technology to Vatican Radio (Radio Vaticana), the official broadcasting service of the Holy See.

Purchased in January 2013, the codecs enable the transfer of audio from the main Rome studio to a DAB transmission site in Milan.

Prior to the acquisition of these units, Vatican Radio had been interested in using the public internet for audio delivery but was discouraged from doing so because of the quality problems caused by continual packet loss. This meant they had to maintain expensive leased lines for audio transport.

Through APT’s Italian distributor, Vatican Radio was introduced to APT’s SureStream technology which enables the use of the public internet for broadcast-quality audio transport. It is based on a redundant streaming approach and implements several advanced technologies to combat the problem of lost or delayed packets and ensure reliable delivery of all the audio content.

Vatican Radio’s technical team performed a series of tests to assess the performance of SureStream on their network. In terms of hardware, they selected the Silver Stream-In encoder and Stream-Out decoder which offer the functionality of SureStream and the reliability of the APT codec range on an easily affordable, entry-level platform.

Installed in the studio in Rome, a Silver Stream-In was used to send the audio to the Silver Stream-Out installed in the Milan transmitter site for the Vatican Radio DAB broadcast.

The tests were an overwhelming success. The technical team commented, "Through the control screen on the unit’s web browser, we were able to monitor the performance of the IP streams. We could see that the line was continually suffering from lost packets but SureStream’s advanced resequencer ensured that the audio output always remained perfect!”

The engineering team of Vatican Radio was also keen that any new solution found would not only ensure audio quality but also not require excessive amounts of bandwidth. By utilizing the apt-X algorithm, a non-destructive psychoacoustic approach, they were able to ensure that bandwidth requirements were kept to an acceptable level with no sacrifice to the audio quality.

The solution was supplied to Vatican Radio by APT’s distributor in Italy, Enrico Pietrosanti

2 Awards for WorldCast Systems at NAB 2013

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200

Ecreso's 10 YEAR WARRANTY won the Cool Stuff award 2013 from Radio World Magazine thanks to WorldCast Systems’ new proactive maintenance service EMR (Expert Maintenance Reporting).
APT's WorldCast Horizon NextGen won the Pick Hit Award 2013 from Radio Magazine at the 2013 NAB show.

NAB 2013 - Las Vegas

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0200

WorldCast Systems will be present at NAB 2013

Booth# C2546

http://www.nabshow.com/

New Remote Monitoring Packages from Telemetry Experts Audemat

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Audemat, the monitoring and telemetry experts within Worldcast Systems, will celebrate the launch of several new remote monitoring packages at NAB 2013.

Based on their highly regarded facility remote control units, the new Audemat monitoring packages provide complete, pre-configured and ready-to-install solutions that include all the sensors, accessories and software required for specific applications.

Christophe Poulain, Group VP Sales commented, “With our new Remote Monitoring packages, it is not necessary for a customer to spend hours, sourcing and configuring a whole range of equipment. We have done this work on their behalf to ensure that we can offer them a comprehensive monitoring solution with tried and tested components, that operates optimally and that is available at a reasonable price.”

Existing packages are available for basic environmental monitoring and for Server Room monitoring and customized packages tailored to the exact needs of the customer can also be made available.
The environmental monitoring kit enables the user to keep an eye on the climate and general environmental conditions of their facility. As such, it will monitor temperature, hygrometry, smoke and door contact.

As the residence of not only a lot of expensive IT equipment, but also the central resource of a company’s intellectual property and communications, the conditions in the Server Room should be closely monitored. Problems there can cause costly downtime, damage expensive equipment, and even lead to loss of critical data. Audemat’s Server room monitoring kit contains many of the same sensors as the environment kit but also includes motion detection and IP Power monitoring.

All these packages can be made available with any of Audemat’s facility remote control devices; from the compact and affordable Mini Control Silver, to the fully featured Relio or IP2 Choice.

Crucially, all the packages also include Audemat’s Scripteasy software suite. Currently utilized in hundreds of broadcast facilities worldwide, Scripteasy is a powerful and innovative graphical application that makes it easy and intuitive to configure, control, monitor and automate even the most complex and challenging of facilities.

A selection of Audemat’s Remote Control packages will be on display at the WorldCast Systems’ Booth C2546 at the NAB Show in Las Vegas from the 8th-11th April 2013.

About WorldCast Systems

WorldCast Systems is a highly respected provider of professional, reliable and innovative solutions to the Radio & TV industry worldwide.

Encompassing the industry-leading brands of APT, Ecreso & Audemat, WorldCast Systems offers high-performing broadcast systems including audio codecs, FM transmitters and RF signal monitoring designed to meet the needs of both large international broadcast networks and small private stations alike. WorldCast Systems’ products are deployed throughout the networks of many major public and commercial broadcasters such as the BBC, ARD, the EBU, RTE, TDF, RNE, Teracom, RAI, ORF and Clear Channel Radio.

APT Codecs deliver audio over IP, T1, ISDN & Leased Lines. Our award-winning SureStream technology enables high quality audio transport over cost-effective IP links.
Ecreso offers highly efficient FM transmitters with extensive inbuilt functionality and highly competitive Total Cost of Ownership.
Audemat provides a range of professional monitoring and measurement tools, complemented by an extensive range of professional software solutions for management, configuration and monitoring of broadcast networks.

Industry-Leading TEN Year Warranty Announced on Ecreso FM Transmitters

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Bordeaux-Mérignac, France – Ecreso / WorldCast Systems, have announced a ground-breaking and unrivalled warranty of up to 10 years on their range of compact Helios FM Transmitters. As the only manufacturer in the industry to offer such an extensive guarantee, Ecreso is demonstrating its confidence in the design quality and reliability of their transmission systems and the comprehensive and proactive nature of their new maintenance service.

10 Year’s Peace of Mind for Broadcasters

“We are extremely proud to be leading the field with our offer of a 10 Year Warranty on Ecreso FM transmitters,” commented Bruno Rost, President of the WorldCast Systems group. “We are able to do so not only because our product design is industry-leading but because the innovative features and services we have incorporated enable us to ensure that performance remains optimal throughout the lifetime of an Ecreso transmitter.”
“As we have the highest confidence in the reliability of our FM transmitters, we can now offer our customers a warranty of up to 10 Years that also gives them total confidence in their purchase and peace of mind for significantly longer than any other manufacturer.”

Quantum Leap in Transmitter Warranties

Given that industry-standard transmitter warranties typically offer cover for a maximum of five years (and often fewer), this recent announcement by Ecreso represents a quantum leap in the type of guarantee that radio broadcasters can expect from their transmitter manufacturer.

Innovative, Proactive Maintenance Service

Ecreso’s unique 10 Year warranty is currently available with all compact FM Transmitters which are supported by just one year’s subscription to the company’s proactive maintenance service, EMR (Expert Maintenance Reporting). Enabling broadcast engineers to keep on top of maintenance issues, EMR delivers regular reports on the status of key parameters such as temperature, current, voltage and on the performance and lifespan of components such as the fan and power supply of the transmitter. A map-based display of current statuses and detailed, user-friendly reports and graphs are also available at any time via the secure, encrypted EMR web interface.

With detailed logging and trend analysis, EMR can identify slow-burning problems and issue warnings well in advance to allow for corrective action to be taken, further enhancing the reliability of the system. Broadcasters availing of one year’s EMR costing less than $600 will not only receive access to this innovative service but also Ecreso’s exceptional 10 year warranty.

Fully-Featured & Reliable

The Ecreso FM Transmitter range features a “direct to frequency” digital modulator for crystal clear audio quality, overall efficiency of up to 74%, management by TCP/IP and SNMP and integrated functions such as a stereo encoder, FM limiter and RDS encoder. The Helios FM Transmitters equipped with a network interface also feature Ecreso’s new Advanced Measurement Interface (AMI). This unique feature offers the broadcast engineer a detailed presentation of transmitter performance with a clear and easily accessible viewing panel displaying the output of on-board instrumentation that includes RF spectrum, MPX spectrum, and audio spectrum analyses as well as peak meters.
Ecreso also offers transmitters in Dual Drive, 1+1 and N+1 configurations, and power levels from 20W to 5000W.
Further information on Ecreso FM Transmitters can be found at www.ecreso.com

CABSAT 2013 - Dubai

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

WorldCast Systems will be present at CABSAT 2013

Booth#: C5-34

http://www.cabsat.com/

10 year warranty on Ecreso compact FM Transmitters

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Ecreso are delighted to announce that we now offer up to 10 Years, yes TEN YEARS, Warranty on our excellent range of compact FM transmitters. No other FM Transmitter Manufacturer even comes close to that commitment or confidence!

NRB 2013 - Nashville, TN

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0100

WorldCast Systems will attend at NRB convention 2013

Booth#: 921

More : http://nrbconvention.org/

Le RADIO 2013 - Paris

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0100

WorldCast Systems sera présent au salon Le RADIO 2013 à Paris

Stand: 21

http://www.le-radio.com/

BES 2013 - New Delhi

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0100

WorldCast Systems will be present at BES 2013

Booth#: 94C

http://www.besindia.com

CSTB 2013 - Moscow

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0100

WorldCast Systems will be presnet at CSTB 2013

http://www.cstb.ru/en/cstb/

APT�s Oslo Delivers Olympic Audio to Korean Broadcasters

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Belfast, 29thNovember 2012 – APT, the codec specialists within the WorldCast Systems group, have supplied a total of 8 WorldNet Oslo multi-channel audio codecs to Korean telecoms giant, LG U+, for coverage of key sporting events including the London Olympic games.

LG U+ is a key supplier of telecom infrastructure to Korea’s major broadcasters such as KBS and SBS and had originally purchased several Oslo units from APT’s Korean distributor PI International for the 2012 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

For the Olympic games, additional Oslo units were purchased, this time with APT’s SureStream technology which ensured that LG U+ were able to provide a guaranteed seamless service to their broadcast customers for this event. Despite using a fiber network to deliver their 4 Mbps of audio data, they still suffered occasional Loss of Connection events but, as they had enabled SureStream on their WorldNet Oslo units, they were able to ensure that the service was not interrupted.

SureStream also provided ultimate peace of mind for the broadcaster as the always-on redundant technology meant that, even with a main link fiber failure, delivery of the audio content continued uninterrupted and the performance appeared completely seamless to the customer.

A spokesperson for LG U+ explained, “Supplying services to important customers at such high-profile events, it was extremely crucial that we could provide high quality, low latency audio and seamless service to our customer. That is why we selected the WorldNet Oslo from APT and we are very satisfied with the units’ performance and how easy they were to install and operate.”

APT’s WorldNet Oslo platform is deployed worldwide for the contribution and distribution of multiple-channels of audio and data over IP and E1/T1 links. It has been selected by broadcasters such as the BBC, EBU and Clear Channel as a core component to their audio networks. As highlighted in the LG U+ application, it now also features SureStream, APT’s multi-award-winning technology that enables broadcasters to use inexpensive IP links and still maintain professional broadcast-grade audio quality and reliability. It delivers the audio quality and reliability you expect from a T1/E1 link at a fraction of the associated cost.

AES 2012 - San Francisco

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Worldcast Systems will be present at AES 2012 - San Francisco on BGS booth.

Stand#: 734

http://www.aes.org/

New Video SlideShow for Audemat�s GOLDENEAGLE ATSC

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Miami, 2nd October 2012 – Audemat have announced a significant update to their powerful Signal Monitor for Digital TV, the GOLDENEAGLE ATSC. The Goldeneagle enables monitoring of RF & MPEG performance on up to 40 ATSC channels from RF or ASI inputs.

In addition to some minor updates and bug fixes, the new upgrade, available free to all existing GOLDENEAGLE ATSC customers currently running v3.0.3 or v3.0.4, also delivers two great new features.

The first of these is the ability to view a slideshow of video content from any monitored channel. A bandwidth-friendly alternative to video streaming, the slideshow provides reassurance that the relevant content is being received with the desired quality in the coverage area. This content can be viewed both on the graphical interface and on the front panel of the GOLDENEAGLE ATSC itself.

Another superb addition to the feature set of the GOLDENEAGLE ATSC is the ability to obtain an overview of all TS services and content at once. An operator can see at-a-glance that all services are properly declared along with their PID number.

This new update shows Audemat’s commitment to continually offer broadcasters the most comprehensive and easy-to-use monitoring equipment. We aim to make it as effortless and affordable as possible to ensure that a transmission continually complies with both current regulations and listener expectations.

The GOLDENEAGLE ATSC is part of Audemat’s suite of Signal Monitoring platforms available for many different Radio & TV technologies that offers powerful performance, powerful control and powerful savings.

Existing customers interested in upgrading or those with a requirement for ATSC monitoring should contact Tony Peterle in the WorldCast Systems office in Miami, peterle@worldcastsystems.com or (305) 249 3110.

NAB Radio Show 2012 - Dallas

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Worldcast Systems will be present at NAB Radio Show 2012 - Washington

Booth#: 506

http://www.radioshowweb.com/

New MasterView Web Enables Anytime, Anywhere Remote Control

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Enhances Audemat’s Popular Scripteasy Software

Bordeaux-Merignac, 13th August 2012 – Audemat, the monitoring specialists within the WorldCast Systems group, will be showing an exciting new web-based application for their revolutionary ScriptEasy software suite, at their IBC 2012 stand.

ScriptEasy lies at the heart of all Audemat’s remote control devices, enabling customisable and comprehensive management of many devices at the remote site. It is currently utilised in hundreds of broadcast facilities throughout Europe and worldwide to configure and control every aspect of a studio or transmitter site. The intuitive interface consists of the ScriptEasy Designer which supports easy development and the MasterView module which allows real time status display and management.

Now, with MasterView Web, the user can access the Masterview application via any internet-enabled device to see at-a-glance the status and performance of their network. This information is essential for maintenance and management of the remote site as it enables the user to carry out periodic checks, respond to alarm notifications, remotely diagnose faults and trigger any necessary changes.

Masterview Web is currently available on the IP2Choice remote control unit and will be rolled out throughout the rest of the remote control and monitoring ranges in the coming months.

Nicolas Boulay, WorldCast Systems’ Chief Technical Officer commented, “We see this as a truly significant enhancement to our hugely successful offerings in the field of facility management. Our equipment has been selected by leading broadcast networks such as Televisa, Clear Channel and Abertis and we are committed to continuing to supply our customers with solutions to improve the efficiency and ease with which they operate.”

Audemat’s MasterView Web will be available for demonstration at the WorldCast Systems’ stand 8.B50 at IBC from the 7th to 11th September 2012.

New Compact Oslo Unveiled at IBC2012

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +0200

Belfast, 2nd August 2012 - An exciting new addition to APT’s range of Audio over IP codecs will be unveiled at the IBC 2012 trade show in Amsterdam. The new 1U Oslo chassis offers unprecedented channel density, supporting 16 channels of audio within a single unit of rackspace.

The multi-channel Oslo codec platform has long been a flagship product for APT, with several hundreds of units installed in the networks of public and commercial broadcasters worldwide. Now, in response to evolving broadcaster requirements, APT has developed both an alternative format for the Oslo and a new Audio over IP (AoIP) module.

Despite the smaller footprint, the new 1U Oslo retains many of the key characteristics which have led broadcasters such as the BBC, EBU, the ARD Group and Clear Channel, NYC to select the Oslo as their platform for national and international audio distribution. Fully DSP-based with dual power supplies and hot-swappable modules, the 1U Oslo provides a solid and reliable base for mission-critical studio-to-studio and studio-to-transmitter links.

The 1U Oslo also retains the modularity of its larger 3U counterpart, offering the ability to add up to 4 AoIP modules. Each AoIP module is, in itself, equivalent to a stand-alone stereo duplex audio codec combining audio, dual IP transport and auxiliary data on board. Simplex, quad-channel modules will be available by the end of 2012.

A key advantage of the AoIP module is its ability to deliver independently-clocked IP audio streams, eliminating the issues of clock drift associated with streaming multiple channels over IP to a single decoder. The card can therefore decode any channel, in any audio format, from anywhere. The AoIP module can also generate many more streams per stereo or mono signal using multiple unicast or multicast technology.

The AoIP module supports APT’s award-winning SureStream technology, which enables broadcast quality audio over public internet links, thus creating huge operational savings for broadcasters.
Commenting on the launch, Kevin Campbell, Sales Director for APT stated, “For broadcasters without the available space or budgets of the major networks, the 1U Oslo offers a cost-effective and compact codec platform for state-of-the-art IP audio distribution. Now, with both 1U and 3U formats available as well as the new AoIP module, the Oslo product offering remains unrivalled in the industry in terms of performance over IP, audio quality, stability and channel density.”
APT’s 1U Oslo with AoIP module and SureStream technology will be demonstrated on the WorldCast Systems’ stand 8.B50 at IBC 2012.

AMITRA - Acapulco

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0200

WorldCast Systems will participate to AMITRA (Mexican Association of Broadcast Engineers and Technicians) conventionon August 9-11, in Acapulco Mexico at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.