ZDF Upgrades Live Production Operations to Snell Kahuna 60 Switchers & Sirius 840 Router

5th December 2013 ZDF Upgrades Live Production Operations to Snell Kahuna 360 Switchers & Sirius 840 Router Prominent German Broadcaster Chooses Snell Solutions to Provide Seamless Switching and Multi-format Outputting of Content for Rapidly Changing Live Programming

READING, U.K. Dec. 5, 2013 Snell today announced that Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF), Germanys national public television broadcaster, has deployed two Snell Kahuna 360 multi-format production switchers and a Snell Sirius 840 router as part of a technology upgrade for its two production studios in D sseldorf and Mainz, Germany. The new Snell systems join 13 Snell Kahuna switchers that are in use in both outside broadcast and live studio environments, including Germanys leading news magazine program, "heute-journal."

A Snell customer since the mid-1990s, ZDF was one of the first broadcasters to use Snell conversion solutions. Today, ZDF employs Snells state-of-the-art Alchemist Ph.C-HD motion-compensated standards converter in addition to numerous other Snell systems. One of the new Kahuna 360s has been installed in ZDFs regional studio in D sseldorf to drive production for smaller talk shows and a daily news program. The other Kahuna 360 was purchased for ZDFs new STB-3 multi-purpose control room in Mainz, which can be linked to any ZDF studio and also the outdoor venue on the ZDF grounds where "Fernsehgarten," a popular Sunday morning entertainment program, is produced in the summer months. The Kahuna 360 at STB-3 also enables production of content in which camera feeds are transmitted from faraway locations and then edited and switched on site.

Supplied via BFE Studio und Medien Systeme GmbH, the Sirius 840 router is the first from Snells 800 Series to be installed at ZDF, providing 336 coaxial and fiber inputs, 576 coaxial and fiber outputs, and 140 multi-viewer outputs.

"We highly value our longtime partnership with ZDF, one of Europes largest broadcasters. We also appreciate their feedback and suggestions that have helped us to refine our technology further so that it best suits the needs of our customers. In adopting Snell Kahuna 360 and Sirius 840 solutions, ZDF is ushering in a new era of flexibility, future-proof performance, and seamless multi-format broadcasting in its production infrastructure," said Stefan Geradts, Snell sales director for Central and Eastern Europe. "We look forward to supporting ZDF as it continues to adapt its operation to new and emerging formats and technologies."

More information about Snells full Broadcast Infrastructure product line is available online at www.snellgroup.com.

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About ZDF:

Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) is a public-service German television channel based in Mainz. With 3,600 employees plus a similar number of freelancers, around 900 types of production resources, and 30,000 stocked items at the ZDF broadcasting center in Mainz and 17 other sites in Germany, ZDF is one of Europes largest broadcasters. ZDF is well-known for its original programming including "Heute," a newscast established in 1963, and "Wetten, dass. .?," an entertainment program launched in 1981 that has become the most successful Saturday television show in Europe. The network is run as an independent nonprofit agency established by joint contract between the German federal states. For more information, visit www.zdf.de.

About Snell:

Snell is a leading innovator in digital media technology, providing broadcasters and global media companies with a comprehensive range of solutions for creating, managing, and streamlining the distribution of content for todays multi-screen world. Specializing in TV Everywhere and Live TV applications, Snell provides the necessary tools to transition seamlessly and cost-effectively to 4K UHDTV, file-based, and 3Gbps operations, while enabling broadcasters to monetize and deliver their media assets across multiple distribution platforms. Headquartered in the U.K., Snell serves more than 2,000 broadcasters, post facilities, and global media companies in more than 100 countries through its worldwide team of sales and support personnel. More information is available at www.snellgroup.com.

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ENDS

LINK:	http://www.snellgroup.com/news-and-events/press-releases/2685/zdf-upgr...
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