Fujitsu IP-9500 MPEG-4 AVC Low Latency Encoder Enables High-Definition Satellite News Gathering


Encoder Offers Exceptional Picture Quality at Low Data Rates for Low Cost Satellite Transmission

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 9 / / - Today's broadcasting industry has seen an increase in demand for High Definition (HD) news content. While many national and local news programs are being broadcast in High Definition, because of the high cost of satellite transmissions, remote news broadcasts in HD are quite rare. Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc., today announced that the Fujitsu IP-9500 MPEG-4 AVC HD Encoder is an exceptional solution for broadcasting companies that desire to transmit remote HD content through existing satellite configurations, while minimizing costs by utilizing a single satellite channel. The IP-9500, which is being showcased at HD World this week, offers broadcast quality video transmission at low bit-rates and low latency, enabling HD news content to be transmitted in the same satellite bandwidth as standard definition (SD), at a fraction of the cost of competing products.

"The IP-9500 is ideal for today's HD satellite news gathering. As a result of using innovative MPEG-4 AVC compression algorithms developed by Fujitsu Laboratories, the IP-9500 delivers HD quality at a very low latency, encoding and decoding video content at less than 300 milliseconds," said Vic Herring, senior director, new products group, Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. "Fujitsu anticipates that MPEG-4 AVC will become the industry standard to replace MPEG-2 for demanding HD applications such as SNG, pushing us to innovate products for a rapidly growing HD market. We're inviting major broadcast, satellite and cable networks to review and qualify our product."

Although the IP-9500 encoder has been introduced to the U.S. market only recently, it is in wide use today in Japan. The Fujitsu encoder supports both 1080i and 720p formats with video data rates from 4-20 Mbps in both standard and low latency. Today's DVB-S/S2 satellite technology segments a satellite transponder into multiple individual "channels". Fujitsu's IP-9500 MPEG4 AVC HD Codec encoder provides high picture quality down to 4Mbps (Mega-bits per second) allowing for high quality HD content to be transmitted in a single DVB-S/S2 satellite channel. In return, companies could save up to 50 percent in operating costs versus having to use two channels for MPEG-2 encoded data.

"When coupling the Sencore MRD decoders with the Fujitsu IP-9500 encoder, we're able to offer the broadcast industry a new best-of-breed application," said Chuck Robertson, general manager, Sencore "The IP-9500 encoder provides broadcast quality video content to be transmitted in a single satellite channel, opposed to current solutions that require twice the bit-rate to obtain equivalent picture quality. Together we combine complimentary skills and technology that enable broadcast stations to deliver to a quickly evolving market for HD satellite news gathering."

Specifications

With the IP-9500 encoder, Fujitsu addresses market-leading specifications for today's real-time, high-quality video streaming. It will feature:

o Video coding: MPEG-4 AVC High Profile at Level 4
o Video bit-rates: 4Mb/s to 20Mb/s
o Latency: 300ms to 1.6s
o Audio coding: MPEG-1 L2, MPEG-2 AAC, Dolby Pass-Through
o Network interface: DVB-ASI, 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX/1000BASE-T

Pricing & Availability

Customers can buy the Fujitsu IP-9500 encoder through authorized distributors. The encoder appliance is priced at $49,950 (U.S. list) and is available for qualification by all broadcast and cable networks. For more information about Fujitsu products, including the new IP-9500, call 800-626- 4686 or visit: http://us.fujitsu.com/fcpa

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is a leading provider of customer-focused IT and communications solutions for the global marketplace. Pace-setting device technologies, highly reliable computing and communications products, and a worldwide corps of systems and services experts uniquely position Fujitsu to deliver comprehensive solutions that open up infinite possibilities for its customers' success. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited reported consolidated revenues of 5.1 trillion yen (US$43.2 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007. See www.fujitsu.com for further information.

About Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc.

Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. conducts engineering and marketing activities in Sunnyvale, CA and sales operations throughout the United States. Fujitsu Computer Products of America currently offers products and services including scanners and scanner maintenance, hard disk drives, broadcast video products, palm vein recognition technology and 10Gb Ethernet switches. Fujitsu Computer Products of America is located at 1255 East Arques Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA, 94085. For more information about Fujitsu products and services, call us at 800-626-4686 or 408-746-7000. For more information, please see: http://us.fujitsu.com/fcpa.

Copyright 2007 Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Fujitsu and the Fujitsu logo are registered trademarks and The Possibilities are Infinite is a trademark of Fujitsu Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Statements herein are based on normal operating conditions and are not intended to create any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. reserves the right to modify at any time without notice these statements, our services, products, and their warranty and performance specifications.

Source: Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc.

CONTACT: Ayumi Sakoda of Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc.,
+1-408-746-7297, asakoda@us.fujitsu.com

Web site: www.fujitsu.com/

All Topics