NDR Extends Omneon Media Storage and Processing Platform

Omneon, Inc. announced that German public broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), a member of the ARD consortium, has expanded its Omneon media storage and processing platform with the integration of an Omneon MediaGrid active storage system.

With this installation, the broadcaster has established a highly efficient, fully file-based workflow from ingest through to transmission. The replacement of tape-based storage with the Omneon MediaGrid system allows NDR to ingest content once and make it immediately available at journalists’ desktops for the editing of news, political, business, lifestyle, and sports programming.

"The open architecture of the Omneon platform is valuable in that it allows us to expand our operations smoothly, working with the right mix of broadcast technologies for our needs," said Michael Tissen, project manager at NDR. "With the installation of the Omneon MediaGrid system, we have been able to shift to a true tapeless workflow and benefit from significant time- and cost-savings in preparing and delivering programming to air."

Serving northern Germany with regional information, NDR broadcasts four television channels to Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In the production environment in Hamburg with its many different workflows and material, NDR is using Omneon SpectrumTM systems for ingest and playout. Now at the center of this workflow, the Omneon MediaGrid active storage system gives NDR editors and journalists a convenient, centralized source for fast access to daily program content.

Media is ingested via the broadcaster’s Spectrum media server and made available on the Omneon MediaGrid system, which in turn is connected to Final Cut Pro and Fairlight workstations. This configuration enables an edit-in-place workflow that not only eliminates time-consuming media transfers among storage and edit systems, but also gives NDR staff simultaneous access to the local material and shared elements required for production. The installation was managed by Wiesbaden-based systems integrator Netorium GmbH.

"Leading broadcasters around the world are striving to achieve greater operational efficiencies that allow them to deliver more quality programming to their audiences, and NDR is at the forefront of implementing the advanced solutions to make this possible," said Geoff Stedman, senior vice president of marketing and business development at Omneon. "The Omneon media storage and processing platform provides the functionality and performance needed by NDR to redefine its operations and establish a far more streamlined, cost-effective workflow."