MediaCorp TV (MCS), a large terrestrial broadcaster in Singapore, has installed a Miranda HD system for its new Channel 38, which is South East Asia's first HDTV trial on a terrestrial platform.
The Miranda HD installation includes interfacing, master control and channel branding equipment, as well as signal and facility monitoring. The new channel will be available to more than 1000 Singapore households, community clubs, libraries and retail outlets during a six-month trial. The new channel provides an average of 14 hours of HD content per week during prime time hours.
As part of the Media Development Authority's initiative to speed up the adoption of HD technology in the region, MCS developed the system to determine the viability of HDTV over this free-to-air platform. The HD system includes Miranda's Imagestore HDTV master control and branding processor, the Kaleido-K2 multi-image display processor, the iControl facility monitoring system, and a range of interfacing products.
MCS' eight analog transmission channels and much of its SD programming has been upconverted using Miranda XVP-811i up-, down- and crossconverters. These signal processors can automatically detect the input format and perform the appropriate up-, down- or 720p/1080i crossconversion to provide consistent HD and SD outputs. Miranda's DAP-781i audio processors are also used at MCS for Dolby 5.1 decoding.
In addition, Miranda's iControl facility monitoring over IP system is used at Channel 38 along the entire HD transmission path. The iControl system offers customized, graphical representations of the facility, helping operators to easily identify potential problems.
This, coupled with the built-in signal probing within Miranda's Kaleido-K2 multi-image display processor, has meant that MCS doesn't need additional boxes or people for probing and taping into the signal paths.
MCS uses the Imagestore HDTV master control and channel branding processor for playing out animated and still branding graphics to enhance HD program presentation.
For more information, visit www.miranda.com.
