M-Link Universal Content Exchange Server
M-Link Exchange H.264 AVC is the latest video server in Livewire Digital’s mobile video family of products, providing delivery of professional quality video feeds, including MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and WM9™, and now H.264 AVC. This comprehensive receiver system is available as an integrated rack mount server or as a software application for installation on a suitable PC or laptop. The rack mount server is designed for integration into a newsroom with professional SDI & HD-SDI interfaces as well as legacy composite and analogue audio presentation. Exchange offers full backward compatibility and options are available for ISDN delivery.

High Definition Support
M-Link Exchange H.264 AVC has an option for High Definition support, allowing an M-Link Voyager H.264 AVC client to file 1080i footage from the field. The outstanding performance of the M-Link H.264 AVC codec makes the delivery of very high quality 1080i footage possible over narrow bandwidth connections.

M-Link Live H.264 AVC
M-Link Exchange H.264 AVC directly supports Live video feeds from M-Link Voyager or M-Link Live H.264 AVC clients. Fully optimised for use over satellite, the system offers exceptional picture quality and very low latency. When used over the Inmarsat BGAN 256kbps streaming class service, M-Link can offer SIF resolution at the native frame rates (PAL 25fps, NTSC 29.97), the result is high quality video without compromising motion handling. Where higher connection speeds are available M-Link can offer Full D1 resolution, native frame rates and exceptional picture quality.

Communications
Where communications links are intermittent or unreliable, M-Link’s automatic appending will guarantee that the story gets through. The protocols used by the M-Link product range offer the most effective use of the available bandwidth, reducing both costs and transmission times. To provide efficient communications for M-Link and 3rd party video reporting solutions the M-Link Exchange Server supports optimised ISDN (WinSkyLink), FTP (passive/active mode), the HTTP (generic and optimised) and Web upload transmission methods. These protocols are implemented as ‘plug-ins’ providing flexibility to include other efficient protocols in the near future.

M-Link Dispatcher
To support ad-hoc operations, opportunity reporting and free-lancers, Livewire Digital provides M-Link Dispatcher. This is a news delivery service whereby M-Link users can file their stories directly to the Livewire M-Link Home servers. This allows the footage to be cleared and dispatched by ISDN, IP or tape to newsrooms. For deployments and stories that develop over a longer period of time, footage can be placed on a dedicated server and accessed directly by news organisations and agencies over the web.

The M-Link Generation
The M-Link open architecture incorporates the latest‘codec plug-in’ technology. This means that M-Link Exchange can track the advances in codec technology whilst maintaining full backward compatibility. The M-Link Exchange Server, has been used successfully for newsgathering from all around the world in combination with the M-Link Voyager and M-Link IP-Reporter video reporter solutions. Ever evolving to grow with SNG requirements, but maintaining backward compatibility, it has been providing newsrooms with the support to deliver the breaking stories and background news reports for over 12 years.

Universal Content
While optimised for M-Link Voyager H.264 AVC and M-Link IP-Reporter H.264 AVC video reporting systems, M-Link Exchange can also be enabled, by the Universal Content option, to accept adhoc video feeds from the public, including mobile and 3G phones. With one M-Link Universal Content Exchange Server, newsrooms can receive news from professional reporters as well as the general public, eliminating the need for multiple servers, complicated format conversion and the ‘headaches’ of managing a public facing system. The M-Link Universal Content Exchange Server allows the newsroom to quickly accredit members of the general public to deliver ad-hoc content for a defined period of time. By using a simple to administer access control, i.e. a Web interface or via FTP, contributors can be authenticated and their video feeds tracked.

Compatibility and Support
Newsgathering in remote or hostile environments can be very challenging for the reporter and the equipment. Likewise, the newsroom is a dynamic operational environment in which downtime costs money. Support contracts are available on all M-Link products offering expert advice on all aspects of using the equipment in conjunction with IP, Inmarsat and ISDN. In line with Livewire’s policy of protecting the customer’s investment, all M-Link products come with a high level of compatibility. For those Livewire customers that wish to upgrade their existing equipment to the latest M-Link technologies, a cost-effective upgrade path is in place.

Connectivity and Playout
M-Link Exchange Servers are installed with a wide range of news and media organisations, and will accept M-Link Voyager & IP-Reporter feeds from around the world via ISDN and IP – including contributions made via Inmarsat BGAN, R-BGAN, GAN, Fleet, DVB-RCS, VSAT, ISDN, ADSL, Wi-Fi, Internet, or an Intranet connection.