READING, U.K. — Oct. 27, 2009 — Snell today announced that Arena Television, the U.K.'s largest privately owned mobile TV production company, has chosen state-of-the-art routing equipment from Snell to drive production for its next-generation HD vehicles. Snell's Sirius and Cygnus routers have provided high-performance, cost-effective routing for all incoming and outgoing video signals onboard Arena's VT6 truck since its commissioning last December and the technology has been chosen again for the company's new VT7 vehicle, currently in development. 

"Snell, and Pro-Bel before it, has a well-deserved reputation for product excellence, reliability, and customer service. Based on our success with the Snell routers in VT6, as well as our excellent long-term experience with the Sirius, it was an easy decision to outfit VT7 the same way," said Peter Love, senior vision engineer, Arena Television. "The Snell routers offer the dependability and high-quality output we need to seamlessly produce large, high-profile events with complex requirements and many feeds."

In operation since 1988, Arena Television is a specialist broadcasting contractor offering U.K. broadcasters a full range of solutions for multicamera coverage of large, outside live events. Arena's four Sirius and two Cygnus routers each provide up to 512x512 video and audio inputs and outputs, which offers ample room for growth as the company continues to expand its operations. Most recently, the Snell routers have provided complex signal routing for the BBC's production of the 2009 Glastonbury Music Festival, operating in five Arena trucks and supplying main feeds for six BBC channels — including one HD and two interactive channels. Also for the BBC, Snell routers have driven the world's first HD broadcast from inside the Buckingham Palace Garden, the British Grand Prix, and the world's first HD transmission from Centre Court at Wimbledon.

"Arena Television's routing strategy illustrates the versatility of our product line for meeting any type of outside production requirement," said Neil Maycock, chief marketing officer at Snell. "The Sirius units provide the large-scale, multiformat, expandable routing capabilities required for top-of-the-line HD productions, and the Cygnus routers offer excellent price-performance and versatility for large-scale 3G, HD and SD applications." 

More information about Snell products is available at www.snellgroup.com.      

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About Arena Television:
As the U.K.'s largest privately owned outside broadcast company, Arena Television produces more than 1,000 hours of mainstream TV programming every year. The company offers state-of-the-art filming in SD, HD, and 3-D and covers events for major broadcasters including the BBC, ITV, Sky, and Channel Five. Arena Television operates eight OB scanners and four VT trucks, all backed by a large and experienced staff. For more information, visit www.arena-tv.com. 

About Snell:
Established in 2009 through the merger of Pro-Bel and Snell & Wilcox, Snell is a market-leading player in the global film and broadcast market. The company provides customers with a comprehensive range of solutions for the creation, management, and distribution of content, as well as the tools necessary to transition seamlessly and cost-effectively to digital, HDTV, and beyond. Headquartered in the U.K., the company serves more than 2,000 active customers in more than 100 countries through a worldwide team of sales and support personnel. For more information, visit www.snellgroup.com.              

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ENDS