NAB: PitchBlue Upgrades Syndication Server

Complete Coverage: NAB Show 2013

PitchBlue has unveiled its second-generation
MagnuBox server, which will be the first to allow TV stations to receive live
and recorded content simultaneously.

PitchBlue
is the content distribution platform used by Warner Bros., CBS and Deluxe. The
server is from Vigor Systems.

The
new server will produce faster download speeds of syndicated content for TV
stations, which the service says will dramatically reduce the need for costly
dubbing and transcoding and decrease the potential for lost or inaccurate
metadata.

"We
at PitchBlue have been hard at work wedding innovation and efficiency with the
design of our second-generation MagnuBox," said Greg Quandt, program manager at
PitchBlue. "By allowing stations to receive live programming and store recorded
content simultaneously - not to mention a download speed unmatched anywhere
else in the industry - we are proud to continue our tradition of enhancing the
customer experience."

The
new generation MagnuBox, which incorporates all the features of the current
hardware, is a one-rack-unit server capable of receiving 12 hours of content
per hour. It also 1080i HD capable and allows stations to convert files in
720p, 480i or MPEG-2 SD formats.

The
current generation of MagnuBox reaches 1,500 locations across North America.