March 4, 2024 – Oslo, Norway – Appear, the global leader in live production technology, has been selected by Peak Uplink to modernize the encoding equipment used in its satellite uplink trucks. The initiative is part of Peak Uplink’s comprehensive fleet expansion and upgrade strategy. Deploying Appear’s award-winning X Platform, Peak Uplink is replacing its conventional legacy encoding equipment, enhancing its satellite contribution capabilities across its fleet of trucks.
As one of the foremost satellite uplink providers for major sports broadcasters in North America, Peak Uplink manages satellite contributions for some of the most prominent live sports productions. Its reach extends throughout the continent, covering pivotal sports production hubs like Colorado, New York, Las Vegas, Houston and Detroit, to name just a few. In pursuit of advanced encoding capabilities and operational efficiency for its uplink trucks, the company turned to Appear’s industry’s leading solution – the X Platform.
“We opted for Appear’s X Platform due to its high-capacity compact design, which optimizes space within our trucks and reduces energy consumption, all while maintaining the high-level encoding performance our clients expect,” said Bruce Fauser, Owner of Peak Uplink. “Following successful tests of the X Platform during major live sports productions, we are confident in its ability to deliver high-efficiency encoding with the flexibility to deliver a sustainable, long-term investment.”
Appear’s X Platform equips Peak Uplink with the versatility to deliver AVC and HEVC, encoded video via ASI, TSoIP, and SRT and even offers encrypted modulation and demodulation in the same chassis, all while providing the flexibility to expand their services to include JPEG-XS. The solution’s density allows a single Appear 1RU X10 Platform to replace legacy systems with considerable power, weight, and spatial efficiency.
Ed McGivern, General Manager North America at Appear, commented: “The decision to invest in Appear’s X Platform reflects the industry’s shift from single function equipment to more elegant and modular encoding and transport solutions. We are thrilled to offer Peak Uplink a streamlined, future-ready solution that addresses current challenges in live sports contribution while having the flexibility to deliver a sustainable future. From football to baseball to basketball, our X Platform is primed to handle encoding demands at any scale, empowering our customers to meet all the needs of today’s live sports enthusiasts.”
The X Platform includes Appear’s ECx110 modules for HEVC ultra-low latency encoding and decoding. It is the only compression solution on the market to offer ultra-low latency, HD, and UHD compression with SDI and ST-2110 uncompressed I/O, at scale and with 1RU or 2RU short-depth chassis options.