[Satellite Today – 3-24-08] Arqiva has won a contract to provide video services using MPEG-4 technology to U.K. armed forces stationed overseas, Arqiva said June 23.
    Under a contract from Services Sound & Vision Corp. (SSVC), Arqiva will increase the number of British Forces Broadcasting Service channels broadcast to U.K. armed forces personnel stationed overseas. In Europe and the Middle East, Arqiva has expanded the service from six to 10 channels and, with this contract, the same channels will be delivered to the American and Atlantic regions.
    At the same time, Arqiva will introduce new flexibility and features, including the delivery of time-shifted channels to the Falkland Islands and Afghanistan. Arqiva also will implement the service using MPEG-4 coding and statistical multiplexing, with the current DVB-S2 (digital video broadcasting-satellite-second generation) modulation. Arqiva will use Harmonic video and audio encoding and multiplexing systems, supplied and installed by Simac Broadcast of The Netherlands.