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Snell & Wilcox Announces Comet - Cost-Effective, Open Standards Ingest for a New Era in IT Broadcasting

Comet Leverages Recent Advances in File and Metadata Standards

Advanced Video Compression and Metadata Annotation Tools Advance Workflow

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Hampshire, England April 7, 2004 -- Snell & Wilcox announced today that it will publicly demonstrate for the first time its Comet Open Standards Ingest System at NAB 2004 (Booth #C6421). Comet was developed for broadcasters and post-production operations that want to use the latest advances in compression and metadata technologies in conjunction with open standards-based storage and asset management systems.

Comet takes advantage of the recent standardization of the MXF (Material eXchange Format) and SMPTE RP-210 metadata dictionary as well as the latest AAF Edit Protocol to empower broadcasters to create multi-vendor systems with complete interoperability, and to begin a move away from costly proprietary storage and asset management systems.

"Comet's open standards approach will revolutionize the economics of broadcasting because it frees users from the tyranny of proprietary storage, news and asset management systems that today must often be purchased from a single vendor to ensure interoperability," said Simon Derry, chief executive of Snell & Wilcox. "The lack of interoperability between systems from different vendors and the inability to move files among them has been one of the most significant challenges facing broadcasters. Comet changes this by enabling broadcasters to pick and choose products from vendors who adopt newly available open standards such as AAF and MXF. The result will be easy file exchange between systems; lower cost generic computer hardware for use in broadcast facilities; and new opportunities for our customers to revolutionize their workflow for more efficient, profitable operations."

Comet offers an extensive set of tools for operators who must ingest large amounts of program material into a file-based form. These include:

• Interoperability: Interoperate with storage and asset management systems through the exchange of MXF, AAF (including the new Edit Protocol), and XML files


• Intuitive User Interface: Simple and robust operation


• Template-based: Customized workflow to address any specific framework
• Ingest: SDI sources using built-in high-quality MPEG compressor or via pre-compressed SDTI streams from D-10 compatible VTRs


• QC: Automated video quality control based on Mosalina technology
• Annotate: Uses SMPTE standard tags to identify important metadata and ensure its reuse for interchange and repurposing


• Collaborate: Fully networked workgroup infrastructures
• Customize: Mold assets to user requirements and generate multiple variants in terms of wrapper and compression

The Comet platform leverages several core Snell & Wilcox IT technologies. These include the MetaShare collaborative metadata server, MXF Express engine, Mosalina Quality Control software and MediaX High Bandwidth PCI Multi-Codec. The combination of these powerful technologies represents the basis for a broadcast facility of the future.

Comet's technical specification includes:

• Multi-format SD input/output (SDI, SDTI, SDTI-CP/D-10 support)


• Superior real-time compression at MPEG-2 4:2:2 (or 4:2:0) I-frame for a range of bit rates up to 50 Mbps at Constant Bit Rate (CBR) and Variable Bit Rate (VBR)


• Multiple file-wrapper support (MXF, AVI, M2V, TS, ES, WAV...)


• Sony RS-422 VTR control


• Built-in D-VITC support


• Optional LTC / VITC support

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SNELL & WILCOX is a world-leading electronics design, manufacture and engineering group with an international reputation for the development of advanced image communications technologies for the world's broadcast television, video, satellite, cable, film and image communications industries. The company is dedicated to preserving the true content of the moving video image. Snell & Wilcox Inc. has offices throughout the United States and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Snell & Wilcox Ltd. is based in Hampshire, England with offices all over the world.

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