Skip to main content
Case studies

Case study: Polcast

· By Michal Suchon · 4 min read

Case Study: Polcast Television — International Linear TV Channel Distribution with SRT Contribution

Polcast Television, a Polish broadcaster operating four TV channels, needed a reliable and cost-effective solution for international linear TV channel distribution. The company required secure IP contribution to deliver primary feeds and backups to partners in Italy and Australia, replacing expensive satellite connections with broadcast-grade SRT contribution over the public Internet.

About Polcast Television

Polcast Media Distribution's portfolio includes four TV channels: Tele5, WaterPlanet, NovelaTV, and Polonia1. Polonia1 is one of the longest-running commercial television stations in Poland, established in 1993. All stations are available via satellite and cable networks, and thanks to cooperation with Mediatool and 4VOD, they are available in HD and SD quality.

Challenge

Polcast Television reached out to Quickstream at the beginning of 2020. The broadcaster was looking for a reliable and cost-effective solution for the distribution of their linear TV channels over IP. Polcast Television needed to:

  • Deliver primary distribution and backups of four channels to a partner in Italy
  • Deliver primary links with two channels to a partner in Australia
  • Enable internal distribution of live video feeds between studios in Poland
  • Integrate and maintain the network through an external partner who would handle further content distribution
  • Replace expensive satellite contribution with IP-based video transmission
  • Ensure broadcast-quality video delivery without transcoding
  • Maintain secure, encrypted video contribution over public Internet

The company needed a broadcast-grade IP contribution solution that could handle international video distribution with the same reliability as traditional satellite links.

Implementation

Polcast Television deployed Quickstream Node for SRT contribution and IP video distribution:

  • International IP contribution: Deployed SRT contribution links from Poland to Italy and Australia
  • Primary and backup feeds: Configured primary distribution and backup paths for four channels (Tele5, WaterPlanet, NovelaTV, Polonia1) to Italy
  • Point-to-point SRT streaming: Established secure SRT protocol connections for two channels (NovelaTV, WaterPlanet) to Australia
  • Internal video distribution: Set up live video feed distribution between studios in Poland using IP contribution
  • Broadcast-quality transmission: Enabled end-to-end broadcast-grade video delivery without transcoding
  • Secure video over IP: Implemented industry-standard AES-128/256 encryption for secure video transmission
  • External partner integration: Network integrated and maintained by external partner for seamless content distribution

After setting up a test distribution, Quickstream proved to be a real broadcast-quality solution for professionals.

Results

Quickstream is widely used in Polcast Television's distribution workflow. The software is used for video signal distribution within the internal infrastructure and for delivering live video feeds to international partners.

Key outcomes:

  • Reliable IP contribution: Successful delivery of four channels (WaterPlanet, Tele5, Polonia1, NovelaTV) to partner in Italy via dedicated IP link
  • Backup video distribution: Maintained backup feeds for all four channels using Quickstream software
  • International video transmission: Successful distribution of NovelaTV and WaterPlanet channels to partner in Australia
  • Broadcast-quality delivery: Consistent feed quality on both sides of transmission, even between continents
  • Internal live feed distribution: Efficient live video feed distribution between studios in Poland
  • Cost-effective solution: Significant savings compared to satellite contribution and leased lines
  • User-friendly interface: Easy-to-use software interface for operations and maintenance

The solution works smoothly, delivering the same broadcast-quality feed on both sides of transmission even between continents. Both companies are looking forward to extending their cooperation in the future.

Quickstream™ transmission workflow

Why Polcast Television chose Quickstream

  • SRT contribution protocol: Industry-standard SRT protocol for reliable IP video contribution
  • Works over Internet connections: Secure video over IP using public Internet infrastructure
  • Packet loss and jitter resistant: Robust error handling for reliable broadcast video delivery
  • Quick and easy to install and maintain: User-friendly interface for operations teams
  • Works on any PC hardware: Including virtualized environments, no proprietary appliances
  • Broadcast-quality video: Ability to work in broadcast quality without transcoding
  • Multi-platform support: Supports Windows and Linux operating systems
  • Secure video transmission: Encrypted with industry-standard AES-128/256 encryption
  • Ultra-low latency: Below 200 ms latency suitable for live broadcast operations
  • Point-to-point video streaming: Direct SRT streaming connections
  • Easy firewall traversal: No IT support required for network configuration
  • Cost savings: Saves up to 80% on costs of channel delivery compared to leased lines and satellite connections
  • Easy setup: Installation without costly hardware requirements
  • Flexible licensing: Short-term options available
  • Easy migration: Simple transition from outdated satellite infrastructure
  • Direct integration: Installation on playout and production systems
  • Cloud management: Integration with Quickstream Cloud for centralized monitoring (optional)
  • Network flexibility: Designed for unmanaged IP networks (Internet) and LAN

Customer testimonial

I am very pleased with the cooperation. We use Quickstream solutions to deliver TV signals to a satellite broadcasting station in Italy. Additionally, our signals reach Australia to local cable operators. The software interface is very user-friendly. I sincerely recommend it.

— Łukasz Błaszków, Technical Department Manager, Polcast Media Distribution

At a glance

  • Use case: International linear TV channel distribution with IP contribution (Poland → Italy, Australia), internal live feed distribution
  • Technology: SRT contribution over public Internet, Quickstream Node for broadcast-grade video over IP
  • Channels: Four channels (Tele5, WaterPlanet, NovelaTV, Polonia1) to Italy; two channels (NovelaTV, WaterPlanet) to Australia
  • Outcomes: Reliable broadcast-quality video delivery, significant cost savings versus satellite, easy maintenance, successful international video distribution

About the author

Michal Suchon
View profile
Updated on Jan 8, 2026