CINCINNATI,August 2,2019 — GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for radio and TV broadcasters, has added a new application to its Intraplex Ascent transport platform to support reliable and secure video over IP transport alongside audio. The new Ascent SRT Gateway, to be unveiled at IBC2019 (September 13-17, RAI Amsterdam), will especially be useful for broadcasters managing contributed video and/or audio content for point-to-multipoint distribution.
The application’s video support also brings Ascent into the television market, with an exceptional value proposition for national broadcasters feeding many destinations. Ascent will now provide transparent support of any real-time, IP-based broadcast video protocol,with applicability to ATSC 3.0 and DVB-T/T2.
GatesAir introduced Intraplex Ascent as a next-gen Audio over IP platform at the 2019 NAB Show in April. Intraplex Ascent represents an evolution in broadcast and IT convergence, and is GatesAir’s first Intraplex system to live on a COTS x86 server. Ascent provides broadcasters with a highly scalable, redundant and cloud-based transport platform for multichannel contribution and distribution. Designed for centralized control and maximum interconnectivity, Ascent is compliant with the AES67 standard, today’s leading AoIP networking solutions, and most Intraplex Audio over IP codecs.
Ascent offers two key differentiating factors for IP transport: an ability to manage many Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) streams on a centralized platform, and its integration of GatesAir’s unique Dynamic Stream Splicing (DSS) software. The latter diversifies SRT data across redundant networks, and adds protection against packet losses and network failures.
At IBC2019, GatesAir will demonstrate how the Ascent SRT Gateway supports reliable and encrypted transport of video content both in point-to-point and point-to-multipoint configurations. The addition of DSS software will support duplication of SRT streams with video and embedded audio over separate network paths, leveraging a single stream-splicing buffer for hitless protection against errors and failures.
“Since our new Ascent SRT Gateway application supports stream splicing, we can effectively reduce latency for SRT retransmission, and optimize network redundancy for video distribution,” said Keyur Parikh, Vice President and General Manager, Intraplex Product Group.“This is especially useful for our customers who are distributing real-time video and audio over microwave, fiber and IP connections, and transporting those high-bandwidth streams to multiple studios or transmitter sites.”
Parikh adds that the applications can scale to support more streams and more destinations as needed, with video bandwidth speeds of up to 200 Mb/s at the base level. “That can include multiple 50 Mb/s streams, or a much larger single stream generated through video encoders or other headend systems,” he said. “The Ascent SRT Gateway application scales very seamlessly with its multi-core hardware platform, opening a broad diversity of media transport applications to support national TV or radio networks.”
The core Intraplex Ascent platform is available in two form factors, each of which supports up to 32 audio channels (AES3, AES67, analog). Both versions will be on display at IBC2019: a 1RU server, with configurable options for physical and AES67 channels; and a software-only solution that operates in a virtualized container. Ascent adds value to broadcasters by removing the need for many separate codecs and auxiliary hardware components at the originating studio or headend. This streamlined architecture frees multiple equipment racks in enterprise-level facilities, simplifying installation and systems management.
About GatesAir
GatesAir, Inc., a portfolio company of The Gores Group, provides complete solutions for over-the-air radio and television broadcasting, leveraging wireless spectrum to maximize performance for multichannel, mission-critical services. Powering over-the-air networks worldwide with unparalleled reliability for nearly 100 years, GatesAir’s turnkey solutions enable broadcasters to create, transport and transmit radio and TV content. With customers in more than 185 countries, the company leads the industry in innovation and design breakthroughs, improving efficiency and reducing total cost of ownership with all products designed and assembled in the USA. Visit www.gatesair.com for more information, Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gatesair, and follow us on Twitter at @GatesAir.
About The Gores Group
The Gores Group, founded in 1987 by Alec Gores, is a global investment firm focused on acquiring controlling interests in mature and growing businesses which can benefit from the firm's operating experience and flexible capital base. The firm combines the operational expertise and detailed due diligence capabilities of a strategic buyer with the seasoned M&A team of a traditional financial buyer. Over its 30-year history, The Gores Group has become a leading investor having demonstrated a reliable track record of creating value in its portfolio companies alongside management. Headquartered in Los Angeles, The Gores Group maintains offices in Boulder, CO, and London. For more information, please visit http://www.gores.com.
