Leightronix released the TCD/NX multichannel digital video server that features advanced digital video messaging and a new approach to online media storage using external USB 2.0 hard drive configurations. The unit is controlled exclusively by the company's TCD/IP network managed video system controller. Up to 16 TCD/NX servers can be configured under the control of one TCD/IP for automated control of up to 32 channels of playback and 16 channels of recording. Manual and scheduled playback and recording is done via the TCD/IP and the provided WinTCD software.

Users can expand media storage up to 1 terabyte. Various drive configurations are possible and include support for select RAID protected storage. High speed Ethernet allows files to be offloaded, shared or archived, or sent to other TCD/NX servers for playback. Files encoded outside the TCD/NX, such as those output directly from a nonlinear editor, can be easily and quickly loaded onto the USB storage drives for playback. Each TCD/NX server is equipped with two playback channels, one independent record channel, and features simultaneous playback and recording on all three channels. Users control the quality of recordings by selecting video data bit rates and constant or variable bit rate encoding (CBR and VBR).

ARRIS and ntl Field Trial Ultra 100 Mb/s

ARRIS and ntl, a UK broadband op, announced field trials of a 100 Mb/s ultra speed data service using the ARRIS FlexPath channel bonded solution incorporated in its Cadant C4 CMTS and Touchstone wideband modem. FlexPath uses the same bonding technique as that selected by CableLabs for its DOCSIS 3.0 spec.

Using the technology, ntl is able to demonstrate a variety of innovative services on its cable network that customers could access simultaneously, something which would simply not be possible at today's bandwidths. These services include the ultra fast downloads of large media files; security services including closed circuit TV; inexpensive videoconferencing; Internet-based gaming; and the multicast streaming of multiple HDTV channels.

Engineering, Management and Training Services

National Show Papers Promise High-Tech A-Go-Go

NCTA selected of 24 broadband experts to write the 2006 NCTA Technical Papers and to take part in the technical sessions at The National Show, April 9-11 in Atlanta.

The authors will present their papers as part of five technical sessions on topics including Advanced Network Architecture, National Scale Networking, "Individual Consumption" through Switched Digital Video Networks, and Next Generation Network Architecture.

Distribution

Outside plant, construction, installation and transmission products including amplifiers, test and monitoring equipment, fiber-optic cable, conduit...

Adelphia Taps EGT for Encoders

Adelphia selected EGT encoders as part of Adelphia's digital simulcast rollout. With EGT's encoders and supporting solutions, Adelphia offers more digital programming to its subs while benefiting from an open and scalable product that provides high-quality video output at very low bit rates.

EGT products have been designed to intelligently reduce the complexity and cost of delivering a full digital video experience. Adelphia has the ability to upgrade EGT encoders with feature-rich enhancements, such as variable bit rate and distributed closed-loop encoding.

Trilogy Sells Trunk and Feeder Coax Biz to CommScope

Trilogy Communications signed an agreement with CommScope to sell the assets supporting its 75 ohm CATV trunk and feeder coaxial business and certain other assets. The product line includes MC2 and PB10. The transaction is expected to close after customary due diligence and closing conditions.

Trilogy will continue to manufacture and market its AirCell product line for the wireless market. Trilogy's wireless coaxial product line includes AirCell Transline for the tower/base stations, AirCell Radiating for tunnels/metros and AirCell Plenum for the in-building market.

Adelphia and Cox Give Vcom the Nod

VCom announced that after successful field testing, its CableVista digital simulcast edge encoder has been approved by Adelphia and Cox. Vcom's CableVista edge decoder performs MPEG decoding, analog modulation and upconversion for up to 24 NTSC/PAL channels in a compact 1 RU chassis. With numerous redundancy features, hot-swappable components and flexible software, CableVista is also capable of supporting baseband and RF outputs as well as over-the-air reference options in the same chassis, offering the highest degree of flexibility available, according to the company.

WiFi/WiMax

Sailing the Wi-Fi Seas

"On the boat" doesn't have to mean "out of touch" because high-speed Internet access and MSN TV service on boats will soon be available via technology from KVH Industries and MSN.

KVH's mobile Internet receiver with MSN TV service, a customized version of the MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player, will provide in-motion access to Web browsing, Microsoft Windows Media player, MSN Mail and MSN Messenger, digital photo viewing, MSN Video, and MSN Radio. A wireless keyboard offers control of the system while broadband EVDO data services, with data rates ranging from 400 Kbps to 2.4 Mbps, and a marinized, amplified antenna for extended range provide two-way, mobile connections. The result will be the first in-motion product to offer mariners high-speed Internet access on the TV screens already installed on boats. KVH's Mobile Internet Receiver with MSN TV service will also include WiFi output to provide Internet connectivity to any WiFi-enabled laptop or other product.

Transport Platforms and Solutions

Narad and Axerra Combo For the Pseudo-Wire

Narad and Axerra announced the availability of their combined Pseudo-Wire solution for delivering T1 voice and data services to business customers over the HFC net. The combined solution meets the ANSI T1 specifications and offers ops a highly scalable solution for delivering business class T1 services in dense business nodes supporting up to 200 T1s per node, and up to 500 T1s per node later this year. Axerra's Pseudo-Wire customer premise equipment is connected through Narad's Ethernet-over-coax network to a Pseudo-Wire aggregation device at the headend that can support up to 1000 T1 circuits in a single chassis.

In other Narad news, it announced its membership in the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF). The MEF is a nonprofit organization made up of service providers, incumbent local exchange carriers, equipment vendors and other networking companies dedicated to accelerating the worldwide adoption of Carrier Ethernet networks and services through standardization.

Next-Gen Voice

VoIP, wireless voice, media gateways, multimedia terminal adapters, call management servers, PacketCable, SIP...

Amnet Gets to the Cedar Point

Amnet Telecommunications will deploy Cedar Point's SAFARI C3 Multimedia Switching System in El Salvador and Honduras. Amnet will use the system to deliver residential and business telephone services.

Feature: Old School and New School Testing for HFC Nets: Part 2

by Laura Hamilton, Editor, Broadband Gear Report

For Part 1 of this story, scroll down to the "Feature" section of the February 8th issue of BGR.

Metrics for circuit-switched telephony won't work in a VoIP network. In today's packet world, delays are unacceptable, so which measurement techniques help you get to a place where you're sure that you're satisfying subs who expect circuit-switched quality?

Measure before you leap is the advice of Steve Windle, product manager at Trilithic. "When the addition of VoIP service is anticipated, but before the infrastructure is installed, techs can use their field analyzers to measure packet loss, jitter, latency and MOS with the addition of a cost-effective server in the headend," he says. "This will help them become familiar with the tests and expected results, as well as uncover potential problems before the infrastructure is installed and activated."

The infrastructure should include a way to verify service level with an active monitoring system, Windle says. "These systems enable testing throughout the network, from headend to hub, hub to hub, or headend to headend. Additionally they add a very comprehensive test capability for installers with a low cost responder for use with their current field analyzer."

Kevin Oliver, VP of marketing for JDSU's cable networks business unit, stresses that effective methods for ensuring quality VoIP service involve verifying the sub's connection at installation and then continuously monitoring the packet traffic on the network.

"A VoIP technician's equipment should perform quality VoIP tests that ensure proper signaling can be established consistently," Oliver says. "Of any test process, the most reliable procedure to ensure quality is to monitor live VoIP statistics, mean-opinion score (MOS), delay, jitter, and packet loss, while listening to an actual call placed at the subsciber's location."

That allows the tech to not only hear any defects in the network but also capture the data that can help locate a problem. Once the sub's service has been verified, the continuous, proactive monitoring of the VoIP network's condition helps indicate possible future problems.

"Positioning remote VoIP monitoring equipment in various locations throughout the network helps segment the network, saving the time it would otherwise take to pinpoint problems before the subscriber notices any degradation in service," Oliver concludes.

Advanced Video and Interactivity

ICTV Looks to Heat Up Winter Conference With Mosaic Solution

ICTV will demonstrate what it is calling "the first subscriber-customizable video mosaic for improved video-rich navigation" at the CableLabs Winter Conference, set for Feb. 26–28, in Colorado Springs, CO.

ICTV's mosaic solution, the initial result of its recent merger with Switched Media, will enable ops "to deploy the video industry's first interactive multichannel mosaics that can be aligned to reflect individual subscribers' viewing preferences." In addition to providing live video from, and navigation through, multiple channels simultaneously, the ICTV technology will enable personal mosaics to be assembled by sub, op or programmer choice, or via system response to subscriber viewing habits, all on any digital set top box.

S-A Snaps Up UB Video

Scientific-Atlanta acquired UB Video, a provider of advanced compression technologies for digital video encoding, decoding, transrating and other solutions. With up to 50% bit rate savings compared to MPEG-2, advanced digital video compression technologies are a compelling choice for ops looking to roll out advanced interactive and HDTV programming and reduce the cost of delivering standard-def programming.

German Company to Sell Terayon Products

Dimetis, a German provider and integrator of broadcast and telecommunications solutions, has joined the Terayon Partner Program. As a member, Dimetis will resell Terayon's line of digital video products, and will offer systems integration and networking planning services to support the product line.

The Digital Home

Set-tops, DVRs, home networking,CPEs, CableHome, integrated cable modem gateways...

Blue Ridge Knows When to Hold 'Em

The Buzztime Network cable ITV game service, including the new multiplayer Texas Hold'em and Billiards games, is now available and being played by Blue Ridge Communications' more than 30,000 digital cable subs in western Pennsylvania. The games enable the subs to compete in head-to-head competitions on their TV using only their cable TV remote control.

Network Management, OSS and Software

Bandwidth management, tiering, service control switches, provisioning and support

Sigma to Highlight Biz/SOHO Services Management

Sigma Systems will show its IMS multimedia services management for business/SOHO at the CableLabs Winter Conference Feb. 26-28 in Colorado Springs, CO. Sigma will provide a converged multimedia services product demonstration with Nortel MCS5200 integration that is targeted to the business-SOHO working environment. The demo will highlight Sigma's multimedia services in an IMS environment with self-care; and the automated rollout of Nortel's implementation of IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) — a standardized service delivery architecture based on SIP for value-added and converged communications services. Sigma will discuss its solutions for converged services delivery environment as part of an op's evolution to an IMS deployment architecture.

Cox Taps SAS-V for Digital TV Diagnosis

The Service Automation Suite for Video (SAS-V), which combines software components from both SupportSoft and Scientific-Atlanta, was selected by Cox, San Diego. In field tests conducted by Cox, the solution successfully demonstrated its ability to automate the diagnosis and resolution of common problems associated with the installation and ongoing support of digital TV service. As a result, tech visits to customer households were reportedly reduced and digital TV reliability was measurably increased.

Spotlight

Video Server Boasts Digital Messaging and Innovative Storage