READING, U.K. — Oct. 13, 2009 — To facilitate its exclusive HD coverage of the recent Tour de France cycling event, Norway broadcaster TV 2 chose a new newsroom automation solution from Snell that integrates the Kahuna SD/HD multiformat switcher with technology from Mosart Medialab. The Snell newsroom automation solution enabled TV 2, Norway's largest commercial TV station, to combine content from two different SD sources with the principal live HD feed from France for a smooth, seamless, and high-quality HD broadcast. 

TV 2 had been broadcasting in HD for two weeks when the Tour de France began this year on July 4. But while the network was able to play out external live events and purchased programs in HD, it was still working on upgrading its internal production facilities and satellite news gathering (SNG) capabilities. This meant that its Tour de France coverage would require the ability to seamlessly combine into a single production the international live HD feed of the cycling event, the TV 2 SD SNG following the race, and SD content from TV 2's studio in Bergen. 

To solve this problem, TV 2 turned to Snell and its Kahuna production switcher. Through the integration with Mosart Medialab, the Kahuna provided TV 2 with the flexibility to mix the HD feed, HD gfx sources, SD server playback, and other SD sources within the same switcher.

The Snell newsroom automation solution takes full advantage of the Kahuna's industry-leading multiformat capabilities to bring heightened efficiencies, consistencies, and cost savings to production news and sports operations. The Mosart Medialab technology tightly integrates with newsroom computer systems via a MOS gateway and controls an array of production gear, including the Kahuna, robotic cameras, audio mixers, video servers, graphics, routers, lights, multiviewer displays, and more. The fully integrated system gives producers complete control over the newscast and enables them to drive various devices with the press of a button. The system's easy-to-use graphical interface offers clear and intuitive news rundowns, views of all story elements, and countdowns to the next story. 

"In the past we had great success with our coverage of the Tour de France, and we saw the race as a perfect sales opportunity for the distributors of our new HD channel. However, to cover the race in HD, we needed a multiformat solution that would allow us to continue to use our SD sources," said Ole Johan Skogheim, systems manager at TV 2. "In a situation like ours, where we have an SD studio where we wrap external live HD events, the Kahuna has proven to be a reliable and efficient way to move gradually to HD, and provided us with a high-quality production of the race."

"The migration to HD is still a daunting challenge for broadcasters, and TV 2's coverage of the Tour de France is an excellent example of taking advantage of less expensive solutions to ease the transition," said Neil Maycock, chief marketing officer at Snell. "With Kahuna, TV 2 was able to utilize the switcher's multiformat capabilities to achieve a top-notch production without the expense of purchasing live production equipment. We look forward to working further with TV 2 as it moves toward the next stage of its in-house HD productions" 

About Kahuna:
Kahuna from Snell is the world's first and only true multiformat SD/HD production switcher. Thanks to a Snell technology called FormatFusion, Kahuna enables simultaneous SD and HD operations in the same mainframe and on the same control panel. This vastly simplifies the HDTV transition for broadcasters by eliminating the need for external HDTV up/down/crossconverters in the live production environment, as well as the cost and the signal path delay associated with these products. Kahuna has the smallest size mainframe, lowest weight, and lowest power consumption when compared with other large switchers, and it has been integrated with dozens of third-party products including routers, servers, automation systems, and controllers. 

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

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About TV2 Norway:
TV 2 is the largest commercial television station in Norway. Over 30 percent of the time Norwegians spend watching TV is spent watching TV 2's channels. The station has over 60 percent of the market for TV commercials in Norway.

TV 2 started to broadcast on Sept. 5,1992. They have a license to broadcast national commercial television until the end of 2009 for commercial terrestrial television. The channel portfolio now consists of TV 2, TV 2 Zebra, TV 2 Nyhetskanalen, TV 2 Filmkanalen, and TV 2 Sport with four sub channels. Distribution is on DTH, DTT, cable, DMB, IPTV, and TV 2s own successful web- and IPTV-platform TV 2 Sumo. Their headquarters is located in Bergen. TV 2 has about 800 employees. In 1992, TV 2 A/S was admitted as full active member of the European Broadcasting Union. As is common with television (and cinema) in Norway, most foreign-language shows are subtitled in Norwegian, not dubbed (with a notable exception being children's programs).

TV 2 started broadcasting in HD on June 25, 2009. Initially, the channel was only available on the terrestrial RiksTV platform. The first program broadcast in HD was Allsang på grensen. Other broadcasts in HD during 2009 include Tour de France, Friday and Saturday movies, Saturday night soccer, Jakten på kjærligheten, Da damene dro, Skal vi danse, and American series such as Grey's Anatomy, The Cleaner, Scrubs, Brothers & Sisters, and Criminal Minds.

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