Volicon Observer HD logs and monitors

Volicon’s new Observer-HD broadcast monitoring and logging system will be shipping at NAB2007. Observer-HD is the broadcast industry’s first product to provide high-definition signal logging and monitoring capabilities, with support for Dolby 5.1 sound, for two or four channels recorded and stored for 30 days and longer.

“As broadcasters launch new HD channels at a very rapid rate, HD is becoming a key factor in the competitiveness of local TV stations,” said Gary Learner, chief technology officer at Volicon. “In ensuring the integrity of the on-air product, engineers at these stations face the same challenges presented by broadcasting in the SD realm. We are committed to providing monitoring solutions that not only meet the demands of evolving television broadcast standards, but also maintain full compatibility with our existing products. Thus, our new Observer-HD system gives users all the powerful logging and monitoring tools available in our SD system.”

The Observer-HD accepts signals from an HD-SDI interface with embedded audio and is optimized for the 16:9 aspect ratio of the HD signal. Similar to the standard Observer, the new Observer-HD will support large numbers of simultaneous users, with 24/7 access to live and archived HD content from desktops using a Microsoft Internet Explorer -compatible interface. Broadcasters can record, store, search, retrieve, and view HD material, in real time, from multiple broadcast sources and from any desktop within the broadcast facility. The system archives instantly accessible content via RAID-5 storage. Its easy export functionality provides for internal asset sharing or repurposing for external distribution via the Web or other platforms.

Observer-HD allows users to check not only video and audio quality, but also the presence of closed-caption information. With a real-time link to ratings data, the Observer-HD system gives users the ability to evaluate their broadcasts and even compare their content and ratings against those of competing stations. All of this functionality brings Observer-HD users a new level of responsiveness in meeting the demands of viewers, regulatory agencies, and advertisers.

Volicon will demonstrate Observer-HD for the first time at the upcoming NAB2007 exhibition in Las Vegas. More information about the Observer and other Volicon solutions is available at www.volicon.com.