TV New Zealand Launches HD/SD Digital Terrestrial Service with Harmonic

Television New Zealand (TVNZ) has deployed Harmonic's DiviCom Electra 7000 high definition (HD) and Electra 5400 standard definition (SD) MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) encoders for a new Freeview digital terrestrial television (DTT) service launched this week. The new service is New Zealand's first HD digital service, and is currently available to approximately 75 percent of homes nationwide.

Harmonic's Electra 1000 MPEG-2 SD encoder is also utilized by TVNZ for its digital satellite pay TV service, launched in May 2007.TVNZ also utilizes Harmonic's ProStream 1000 stream processing platform with DiviTrackIP distributed IP statistical multiplexing to further enhance bandwidth efficiency by dynamically adjusting bit-rates based on content complexity. Magna Systems, a leading system integrator in the region, implemented the system and will provide ongoing support and maintenance.

Harmonic noted that TVNZ's Freeview service is one of the world's first live HD and SD MPEG-4 AVC DTT services.http://www.harmonicinc.comhttp://tvnz.co.nz/