MUMBAI: New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) today announced the launch of the world's first digital satellite news gathering network based entirely on MPEG-4 encoding.

Done using streaming solutions from Envivio Inc, NDTV's new fleet of news gathering vehicles have been equipped with Envivio 4Caster MPEG-4 encoders and are now operational around India, making it the largest DSNG fleet among Indian broadcasters, according to an official release.

The NDTV news gathering network is based around Envivio's 4Caster real-time, full D1 resolution MPEG-4 encoder and 4View real-time MPEG-4 decoder. Envivio's open standard solution offers greatly reduced bandwidths compared to MPEG-2 and can save operators up to 50 per cent on their satellite bandwidth, leading to major savings in costs and improving picture quality.

The Envivio encoding solution is currently being put on trial by other satellite operators and other major broadcasters around the globe, the release says. NDTV systems manager Rahul Deshpande has been quoted as saying, "NDTV is the first broadcaster in the world to have successfully implemented DSNG systems incorporating MPEG-4 over satellite for live links back to the studio."

"The system ….gives us immense freedom to route signals from our 15 satellite trucks and 11 news bureaus to our two broadcast news channels. The network, RF, truck, and related designs and integration were done in-house at NDTV, using other best-in-class components, including Swe-Dish Driveaway Antennae, Paradise Satellite Modems, and CPI HPAs, to cater to the tough environmental conditions prevalent in India. Additionally, the cost savings in terms of satellite bandwidth ensure that we recover capital costs within the first 18 months of deployment."

NDTV has simultaneously launched two news channels in India, NDTV 24*7 and NDTV India, on 14 April this year, and assembly election coverage just round the corner has in all probability inspired the new technical innovation.