Oslo, Norway, and Henderson, Nevada, 16 April 2024 – Appear, the global leader in live production technology, and Roberts Communications Network (Roberts), the leading worldwide video distribution and wagering data communications services provider to the horse racing industry, announced that Roberts has chosen the Appear X Platform to modernize its contribution infrastructure for HEVC video encoding and high-order satellite modulation, from 100+ global remote sites to its distribution platforms, headquartered in Las Vegas.
“When we evaluated options to upgrade our contribution network, the Appear X Platform gave us high quality HEVC encoding, modular flexibility across our internet, fiber, and satellite paths, unparalleled density, and met all our redundancy requirements,” said Todd Roberts, President & CEO, Roberts Communications Network.
“During our solution evaluation process, it was clear that the Appear X Platform provides a fully integrated solution handling high-order satellite modulation, low-latency encoding over managed and un-managed networks, including SRT distribution. This gives RCN the flexibility to meet customer requirements now and well into the future,” added Dave Szelag, Vice President, Engineering, Roberts Communications Network.
Appear’s US General Manager, Ed McGivern, added: “Appear is excited to have been chosen by Roberts Communications Network as the trusted partner for its critical data and low latency video contribution deployment. Our versatile platform provides multi-codec support, an extremely dense satellite modulation and de-modulation solution, firewalling, and scalable SRT delivery. No other vendor provides the density, format choices, and low total cost of ownership of the Appear X Platform.”
The Appear X Platform is deployable in 1RU (X10) or 2RU (X20) chassis. It fulfils the highly demanding requirements of sport and e-sport applications, among many others, and can be used as a compression head-end for OTT, IPTV, broadcast and for high density satellite turnaround or monitoring. Satellite, fiber, SRT and Zixi contribution links powered by the Appear X Platform are currently deployed in OB vans and stadiums to support the delivery of premium events worldwide, along with VAR in top football leagues throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas.
With full support for multiplexing and scrambling, including L2TP delivery option, the X Platform is also an ideal video core in remote PHY deployments. As a high-capacity IP gateway, it supports any input formats to any output formats, with built-in firewall and traffic policing.
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About Appear
Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, Appear is a leader in live production technology, specialising in high-capacity, sustainable solutions for media processing and content delivery. Our portfolio is designed to support the most complex scenarios of live event contribution, adapting seamlessly to the ever-evolving dynamics of the media, entertainment, and sports industries.
Over the past 20 years, Appear’s world-renowned team of experts made us the most progressive and forward-thinking company in the industry. Our relentless emphasis on modularity and functional versatility places us at the forefront of driving innovation in live production technology.
We proudly count the world’s leading content creators amongst our esteemed list of customers who trust our solutions to deliver the highest profile live media with integrity and efficiency.
Appear’s global operation includes centres of excellence in London and Los Angeles.
About Roberts Communications Network
Since its inception in 1998, Roberts Communications Network, LLC (Roberts) has been the leading worldwide video distribution and wagering data communications services provider for the racing industry, among others, operating a fully secure, redundant satellite, fiber, and internet network.
With 2,861 reception nodes between satellite, fiber, and internet platforms, reaching six continents and 33 countries, Roberts sets itself apart by offering unparalleled network service offerings to customers. Roberts architects and provides customers with all the necessary hardware, software, bandwidth, and services to provide a wide range of content distribution and video production services.
Unparalleled reliability and redundancy are Roberts’ calling card, with separate fiber, satellite, and internet paths from almost every location on its vast network, all monitored 24/7/365 at its centralized Network Operations Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In 2021, Roberts moved into a brand new, state-of-the-art 10-acre communications headquarters, complete with production, satellite teleport, and data center connectivity, that has greatly increased the company’s capabilities and allows for an unprecedented expansion of service offerings across all industries.
