Utah Scientific Supplies Massive Routing System to Italian Broadcaster RAI

Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI), the largest television company in Italy, is relying on a large routing system supplied by Utah Scientific consisting of a UTAH-400/XL (loaded 1000×2000) video router integrated with an audio router (2000×2000) at the heart of a technical infrastructure that is being thoroughly renovated to provide full 3G/HD/SDI signal distribution.

RAI is the Italian state-owned public service broadcaster, operating three main television services and additional thematic channels as well as radio stations, WebTV, and satellite channels. Among Italian viewers, RAI’s estimated audience share is more than 45 percent.

“Utah Scientific has always been an excellent partner for RAI,” says Mr. Ubaldo Toni, RAI director of engineering. “Because the company is completely focused on routing systems, we have always found that we can rely on Utah to work closely with our engineers to develop innovative solutions to our unique operational requirements.”

For the installation, Utah Scientific and RAI engineers devised a completely new approach for managing audio and video in a very large environment. As implemented, the Utah Scientific system enables global routing control and full redundancy between RAI’s two facilities, located in Saxa Rubra and in Via Teulada, Rome.

RAI is a long-term Utah Scientific customer, having purchased its first Utah router some 30 years ago.

The UTAH-400/XL offers a 1056×1056 matrix in a single equipment rack using industry-standard BNC connectors. The UTAH-400/XL is readily scalable using a single family of matrix building blocks. Like all UTAH-400 digital routers, it includes redundant power supplies and signal format flexibility — including the ability to handle 3-Gbps progressive-scan HD signal formats.

“RAI’s technical centers in Rome have always been pioneers in broadcast technologies,” says Tom Harmon, president and CEO of Utah Scientific. “Utah Scientific has been a longtime provider of the equipment and engineering support that has made that possible. Now it’s the UTAH 400/XL, with our signature reliability and efficient design, that is supporting an innovative broadcast solution.”

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