GMA Network Expands Omneon Spectrum Systems

Omneon Inc. announced that GMA Network, Inc., the Philippines’ free-to-air media broadcast company, has expanded its Omneon Spectrum systems to establish a streamlined file-based workflow at its Manila facility.

GMA Network uses a Spectrum media server system to support its Apple Final Cut Pro edit workflow, and the company’s addition of a mirrored Spectrum playout system enables fast transfer and direct playback of QuickTime files generated by the Apple edit system without any rewrapping or transcoding.

"The Omneon media server is most suitable for our operations because of its high resilience and the seamless way in which its architecture supports file-based workflows in conjunction with third-party applications," said Jay V. Fuentes, assistant vice president at GMA Network. "The Spectrum system’s easy interoperability with our Final Cut Pro edit systems and its use of our Ethernet infrastructure speed our workflow while easing management tasks and reducing the cost of deployment."

The Spectrum server’s open architecture supports tight video format integration with Final Cut Pro, allowing finished content such as commercials and promos to be exported from edit stations to the Omneon Spectrum system using industry-standard file protocols over gigabit Ethernet. Because the Omneon media server supports QuickTime files natively, working with a DV25 QuickTime Reference format, the finished segments can be transferred and played out from the server immediately with no additional processing.

The ability to transfer material straight to playout servers from production saves GMA Network both time and money while giving staff greater freedom in making timely changes to their work.

"Omneon media server systems are designed to integrate smoothly with other best-of-breed solutions, and the installation at GMA Network demonstrates how the Spectrum system’s sophisticated format support enables seamless movement of file-based media through the broadcast workflow," said Geoff Stedman, Omneon senior vice president for products and markets. "With scalable and reliable server systems broadcasters such as GMA Network are well-positioned to capitalize on the promise and benefits of true file-based operations."