Thomson Video Networks announced that Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN) has chosen Thomson's Sapphire broadcast server for at least 18 of its 34 local broadcast stations. The installation of Sapphire servers is part of TBN's initiative to improve picture quality and provide for easier localization.
Equipped with a Sapphire server configured for record, playback, graphics insertion and emergency alert system (EAS), each local station will be able to broadcast one HD and four SD channels received from a central master control, with the ability to modify the stream to add channel branding, overlays and EAS information within the compressed domain.
TBC Integration, a Thomson Video Networks integrator that was awarded the TBN contract, will begin the station upgrades in May 2012, at the broadcaster's Columbus, OH, station.
The Sapphire broadcast server combines full-blown video server features with the functions of a master control switcher, graphics inserter and character generator, as well as multiple control interfaces to integrate with most popular automation and traffic systems.
With its advanced capture, playout and scalable storage capacities that operate frame accurately with MPEG-2 and H.264 compressed content, the Sapphire's architecture enables operators to record, store and play back multiple streams for a unique "channel-in-a-box" platform.
