PMX
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The PMX is a localization system designed by Pelmorex to display local forecast presentations for cable, IPTV, and satellite television providers on The Weather Network and MétéoMédia. Similar to the Weather Star technology used by The Weather Channel, the PMX is a specially designed computer installed at a cable headend used to overlay local weather conditions and forecasts on The Weather Network and MétéoMédia's national or regional feeds.
History
The PMX was first developed in house by Pelmorex around 1994. The PMX was intended to replace the Weather Star III and Weather Star 4000 which had been deployed by The Weather Network and MétéoMédia. The first PMX units were deployed in 1996.
PMX 1500
The PMX 1500 is the first localization system developed in-house by Pelmorex. The PMX 1500 receives data from The Weather Network/MétéoMédia’s satellite transponder. The PMX 1500 differs from its predecessor, the Weather Star 4000, in that it is PC based. The PMX 1500 uses an Intel 386 CPU, a custom TIGA video board, and much like the Weather Star 4000, lacks non-volatile memory. The PMX 1500 was discontinued in late September 2023 following a cyber attack that caused Pelmorex's data systems to go down.
PMX 3200
The PMX 3200 is the second localization system developed in-house by Pelmorex. Not much is known about the PMX 3200, but retains a similar PC based architecture as its predecessor. The PMX 3200 is believed to have debuted sometime in 2013. The PMX 3200 was also discontinued in late September 2023 due to the same cyber attack that affected the PMX 1500.
PMX NG
The PMX NG is the third localization system developed in-house by Pelmorex. The PMX NG was was the first PMX to output in both high-definition and standard definition over SDI. Much like before, the PMX NG is PC based, but does not use proprietary Pelmorex data and graphics standards. The PMX NG uses Adobe Flash-based rendering, and is able to play and pass-through audio and video files, unlike the PMX 1500 and 3200. These new innovations are most likely where the name/acronym PMX NG originates from (NG stands for Next Generation). It is unknown when the PMX NG first debuted.
PMX XD
The PMX XD is the fourth and most recent localization system developed developed in house by Pelmorex. The PMX XD is able to output in HD and SD, much like the PMX NG. Unlike the PMX NG, the XD outputs video over an IP transport stream and uses HTML5 as a renderer for its local forecast presentations. The PMX XD was also the first PMX system that could run virtually on blade servers, allowing TV distributors to cover multiple areas with one single PMX XD server. Although the exact debut date of the PMX XD is unknown, it was first observed around December 2020. The PMX XD is scheduled to replace all PMX 1500, 3200 and NG units by 2025.
See also
- Weather Star, similar line of systems used by The Weather Channel