TV5MONDE, the global French-language broadcaster, is updating its playout center, and modernizing and adapting to the latest digital standards to ensure increased broadcast quality. The new facility includes two large Imagine Communications NEXIO® server domains to provide highly secure broadcasting, ingest and local functionality including low-resolution browse servers.

Since 2006, the French-language international TV network TV5MONDE has entrusted Ericsson with operation of its existing broadcast platform for production, playout and post-production. The new contract with Ericsson, signed in 2012, includes integration per functional blocks and operations of TV5MONDE’s new production, playout and post-production facilities until February 2018. The Imagine Communications NEXIO server domains were installed after the new contract was made valid.

The first of the two server domains is dedicated to content ingest, and acts as a backup to the playout SAN to add another layer of redundancy. This network includes 64TB of content storage, protected by the unique, high availability RAID-601 technology of NEXIO servers. The compact NEXIO Volt™ server, occupying just 1RU of rack space, provides the front end of the ingest system, with 42 baseband I/O ports on 11 NEXIO Volt servers.

Timecode-accurate, low-resolution H.264 proxies are generated automatically from content on the NEXIO SAN. The proxies are interoperable with external automation and asset management systems. Fiber connectivity between the Imagine Communications NEXIO Farad™ online storage system, the NEXIO Volt servers and the proxy systems provides 12 Gb/s of system bandwidth, ensuring the whole ingest sub-system operates without bottlenecks.

The primary playout server has 24TB of storage, again with a NEXIO Farad RAID-601 SAN for security. The system includes 9 Gb/s fiber connectivity, which supports 32 baseband I/O ports and 3 Gb/s of FTP bandwidth through the system.

“Ericsson and TV5MONDE were impressed with our ability to deliver a fully integrated solution,” said Mathias Eckert, vice president, sales and services, Europe & Africa for Imagine Communications. “This is a proven solution we have delivered to other major broadcasters around the world, and which fits the needs of Ericsson and TV5MONDE.”

The RAID-601 technology used in the latest version of the Imagine Communications NEXIO Farad SAN is based on industry-standard RAID-60 technology, which combines robust RAID-6 data protection with RAID-0 file striping for scalability, increasing bandwidth as users add storage arrays. RAID-601 incorporates Intrinsic Mirroring™, which maximizes system redundancy by automatically writing content across two identical storage systems, eliminating the need for manual backup processes and minimizing disruption.

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About Imagine Communications

Imagine Communications empowers the media and entertainment industry through transformative innovation. Broadcasters, networks, video service providers and enterprises around the world rely on our optimized, futureproof, multiscreen video and revenue enablement solutions every day to support their mission-critical operations. Today, nearly half of the world’s video channels traverse our products, and our software solutions drive close to a third of global ad revenue. Through continuous innovation, we are delivering the most advanced IP, cloud-enabled, software-defined network and workflow solutions in the industry. Visit www.imaginecommunications.com for more information, and follow us on Twitter @imagine_comms.