Digital 3&4, the joint venture company run by ITV and Channel 4, is moving its broadcast network into the cloud.
BT Media and Broadcast’s new smart broadcast network, Vena, is delivering regionalised TV services to the 18 million viewers watching on the DTT platform Freeview.
The multi-million pound contract has seen BT switch on start-to-finish cloud processing for regionalised TV content across all of D3&4’s Freeview channels – ready for distribution to 28 regions across the UK. Its seen as a landmark move away from hardware-based services and is the first time that cloud processing of digital terrestrial TV channels has been completed on this scale.
The benefits of processing digital terrestrial TV via the cloud include improving overall operational efficiency, cutting costs, lowering energy consumption, and enhancing flexibility for both production and distribution.
“This launch marks a major development for the TV industry as a whole. It will offer more possibilities for broadcasters to connect and interact with their audiences,” said Faisal Mahomed, Director of BT Media and Broadcast & Portfolio Businesses.
D3&4 is using Vena to deliver digital coding and multiplexing, combining multiple content streams into one before distribution regionally. This means taking content from six playout centres and distributing it to nations and regions across the UK securely and reliably, via two of BT’s resilient datacentres. In addition, BT is providing a full end-to-end, round-the-clock monitoring service from its International Media Operations Centre.
Greg Bensberg MBE, Managing Director at Digital 3&4 Limited, said: “Our partnership with BT has enabled us to take a giant leap forward in delivering Freeview TV for 18 million regular viewers across the UK. This was a challenging project that required meticulous planning and execution, and we’re proud to have worked with a company that shares our passion for innovation and excellence.”
The new network also uses Ateme’s virtualised software video processing and delivery solutions.
