GlobeCast Australia has declared 2010 the year High Definition coverage came of age.








More events in HD meant more capacity requirements – met via a quadrupled

GlobeCast Australia global fibre backbone launched in August, and extra satellite leases including a doubling this month of its AsiaSat 5 lease, according to GlobeCast Australia CEO Mike Lattin.



"From the Vancouver Winter Olympics which we distributed worldwide in HD, to FIFA World Cup games in HD and 3D, the premiere of ITV’s I’m a Celebrity in HD for the first time last month, and now the Ashes to BSkyB in HD, it's been a watershed year," Mr Lattin said.



The Company doubled its HD DSNG capacity to four units as part of a fleet of 10, to support its enhanced capacity and client HD demand. To support the transmissions, GlobeCast Australia had started 2010 with an expanded and upgraded 24/7 Broadcast Centre, with tripled monitoring wall and quadrupled floor space.



The state of the art facility launched in to the year not only with the Vancouver Winter Olympics, but also from February with more Super 14 Rugby games in HD than in any previous year. For the first time, more than half the games moved across three continents were in HD in 2010.



In mid 2010, using HD cameras and technology, the Company’s live miniature camera unit, GlobeCam, conducted the world’s first live, onboard trials of 3D television coverage for V8 Supercars.



GlobeCast Australia’s Direct to Home team also debuted channels in HD in 2010, including ABC News 24 to FOXTEL, and DTH Director Mark Lobwein says more channels are making HD inquiries than ever before.



In early 2011, another HD landmark will occur, with worldwide distribution of the Australian Open Tennis, in HD for the first time.



Brad Smith, Broadcast Manager at Tennis Australia, said: "We've entrusted our global delivery to GlobeCast Australia for five years now. Given such a successful, exclusive arrangement it was only natural we'd leverage GlobeCast Australia's worldwide network of fibre and satellite leases for our debut of global HD transmissions in 2011."



GlobeCast Australia Commercial Director Andrew Nealon said: "GlobeCast Australia prides itself on anticipating the needs of our broadcast clients, allowing us to work seamlessly with event organisers and sporting organisations to deliver their global needs, not least Tennis Australia. We're delighted to move to worldwide HD delivery in 2011 of this exciting and world-class tennis tournament."



CEO Lattin said the achievements in 2010 demonstrate why GlobeCast Australia is the leading provider of services for International Broadcasters in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands - operating facilities and links that span the World. If 2010 was the year HD came of age, 2011 will be the year it becomes the standard, and we'll see more 3D television as well, Mr Lattin said.