(16 April 2007 5:00 pm)

MUMBAI: US media firm Warner Bros. and Pathfire have teamed up to create a full-service, end-to-end high definition (HD) programming distribution network, capable of delivering
content to over 1,400 broadcast facilities.

This partnership enables Warner Bros. to deliver High Definition (HD) Syndication via Pathfire's Digital Media Gateway (DMG) network of servers.

The service was launched a few days ago when Warner Bros. delivered long-form programming encoded at its Los Angeles-based Global Digital Media XChange facility (GDMX) to WSB-TV in Atlanta. The delivery utilised the existing Pathfire infrastructure to enable the satellite delivery of the programming. The content arrived on the Pathfire DMG Server located at WSB, and was transferred to a Grass Valley Group K2 Media Server via Pathfire's DMG HD Server Connect for Programming.

This strictly file-based process enables stations to benefit from a streamlined workflow by cutting the time and hands required to get a program ready for air.

Pathfire chairman and CEO Mike Eckert says, "An HD store-and-forward delivery platform capable of delivering long-form programming is a first for our industry. This is a tremendous
accomplishment for Pathfire and our partners. We continue to hear a growing demand for HD programming and ads from the stations we serve. This announcement demonstrates that we are listening and delivering a solution that is ready for the ever-increasing appetite for HD content."

GDMX senior VP and GM Paul Saccone says, "Global Digital Media XChange is proud to highlight our ability to distribute long-form syndicated programming along with ads via the Pathfire DMG platform. Our customers are looking for a way to efficiently and affordably deliver HD programming and our GDMX facility can provide the required service.

"We are pleased to be working with Pathfire in this area. This test served as a proof of concept and we will continue to work with Pathfire in order to maximize our HD/SD work flow processes."

Utilising the Pathfire DMG HD delivery network, GDMX delivers file-based HD content on-demand, virtually without delay. Pathfire provides end-to-end technology to enable this delivery all the way to the station's play-to-air server, providing delivery confirmation to the providers.

Pathfire enables native integration into play-to-air servers, as well as providing transcoding to either 1080i or 720p to match a station's infrastructure. Pathfire's DMG HD product line has been shaped, developed, and released with guidance from the industry's top technology leaders. The Pathfire-led, HD Conclave -- comprised of experts from content providers, content distributors, and broadcast groups -- has provided Pathfire with industry validation in the form of technical guidance for the Pathfire DMG HD product roadmap.

The successes so far in HD distribution are a direct result of the industry working together to create a standard platform for HD distribution. The Conclave's efforts enabled a superior solution for the challenges associated with HD content distribution.