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Snell & Wilcox Compression Pre-Processors Clean Live Videophone Signals During ABC News’ War Coverage

Emmy award-winning Prefix CPP100 reduces bit-rates and improves image quality for world-leading news provider

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, May 29, 2003 -- Snell and Wilcox today announced that ABC News had used Snell & Wilcox’s Emmy award-winning Prefix CPP100 compression pre-processors during its Middle East war coverage to clean signals that originated from the region. Installed in the TV-3 newsroom operation at the network’s New York headquarters, feeds sent from the Middle East via videophone were passed to the CPP100, where artifacts were reduced to improve image quality.

As the war unfolded and the need to get on air quickly increased, ABC News had to determine the best way to clean artifact-filled images originating from videophone for the highest quality image on air. Mike Strein, Assistant Director of Technology and Strategic Planning, ABC Television Network, installed the network’s CPP100 and secured another from Snell & Wilcox to keep pace with the amount of feeds coming from across the ocean.

“These units are ideally designed for pre-processing to clean up video prior to compression,” said Strein. “Since the videophones were out in the field halfway around the world, we instead installed the units here in NY. We were then able to reduce a number of compression artifacts and broadcast a cleaner signal.”

David Cunningham, Press Relations Manager, Snell & Wilcox, Southleigh Park, Southleigh Park House, Havant, Hampshire, UK PO9 2PE, UK
Tel: +44 23 9248 9144
Email: david.cunningham@snellwilcox.com