Broadcast International announced a new MPEG-4 H.264 encoding technology that it says will cut MPEG-4 H.264 encoding rates in half for both HD and SD content. It has developed a software encoder that will operate on IBM BladeCenter servers. It calls this product CodecSys and it is able to operate multiple codecs simultaneously, each based on different image assumptions, to identify the most efficient encoding. The company stated that its encoded MPEG-4 H.264 output can be rendered by most MPEG-4 IPTV set-top boxes.
While CodecSys running on a BladeCenter is expensive for a single stream, Broadcast International stated that it is competitive with hardware encoders for four streams and significantly less expensive for 20 streams.
Broadcast International has been providing systems for satellite video networks for 25 years. It demonstrated CodecSys at NAB in April 2008. The product will be in beta test in the summer of 2008 and will have its formal announcement at IBC.
Encoding rates are a key issue for broadband delivered IPTV. Cutting rates in half will have a significant effect on ADSL and VDSL delivered IPTV, especially where HD and multiple streams are involved. ATT should find this product to be quite interesting.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Packet Vision & Tandberg TV Solve MPEG-4 Ad Insertion Problem
Packet Vision ran into a problem with its targeted ad insertion project with the Inuk PC-based Internet IPTV service that serves about 150 thousand college and university students in the UK due to the use of MPEG-4 compression.
MPEG-4 has a latency of one or two seconds between I-frames that contain an entire screen. Between the I-frames only the incremental changes are transmitted. The ad insertions start with the I-frame but the ad being over written may have already run up to two seconds before the inserted ad starts. This creates a rather jarring experience where the viewer sees the ad to be over written for a bit before seeing the new ad.
This was not as significant a problem with MPEG-2 because the latency between I-frames is about 1/2 second, which does not create as bothersome an overlap with the over written ad.
Packet Vision worked with Tandberg TV, the company providing the encoders to Inuk, to carefully encode the broadcast streams from Channel 4 in the UK and to mark the insertion points. Tandberg TV made sure that ads started with an I frame so that a clean splice is made. This has provided a much better viewing experience.
This looks like a problem that is inherent in MPEG-4 that all encoder and ad insertion systems will need to solve. Packet Vision and Tandberg TV have done pioneering work to get targeted advertising to work in Telco IPTV services.
MPEG-4 has a latency of one or two seconds between I-frames that contain an entire screen. Between the I-frames only the incremental changes are transmitted. The ad insertions start with the I-frame but the ad being over written may have already run up to two seconds before the inserted ad starts. This creates a rather jarring experience where the viewer sees the ad to be over written for a bit before seeing the new ad.
This was not as significant a problem with MPEG-2 because the latency between I-frames is about 1/2 second, which does not create as bothersome an overlap with the over written ad.
Packet Vision worked with Tandberg TV, the company providing the encoders to Inuk, to carefully encode the broadcast streams from Channel 4 in the UK and to mark the insertion points. Tandberg TV made sure that ads started with an I frame so that a clean splice is made. This has provided a much better viewing experience.
This looks like a problem that is inherent in MPEG-4 that all encoder and ad insertion systems will need to solve. Packet Vision and Tandberg TV have done pioneering work to get targeted advertising to work in Telco IPTV services.
Monday, June 23, 2008
FastWeb and Telecom Italia to Cooperate on Fiber
Telecom Italia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to share fiber infrastructure in Italy and to cooperate as follows:
- Joint planning of the civil infrastructure for fiber networks
- The reciprocal exchange of rights to use civil infrastructure
- Joint study and testing of new techniques in civil infrastructure such as latest generation micro-tubing for laying fiber
- Fastweb's claim against Telecom Italia's alleged unfair practices in the business customer segment
- Disputes relating to Fastweb's fixed line tariffs and to those applied by Telecom Italia on the mobile network
- Telecom Italia's contesting Fastweb's adjudication of the tender to supply telephone services to public governments in Italy
- Reconciliation of a number of account items under dispute between the two companies
Friday, June 20, 2008
Amino Introduces HD Digital Set-top Box
Amino introduce an HD set-top box that included only digital interfaces such as HDMI for the U.S. Amino believes that nearly all flat panel TVs in the U.S. have HDMI interfaces. The AmiNET 130 does not have analog interfaces such as coax or S-Video interfaces.
This set-top box is very small and could be hidden behind the TV using string to tie it up or with a velco strip to attach it. Amino state that its small size is generating interest from consumer electronics companies interested in integrating IPTV into their TVs and other video products.
This was just about the only interesting IPTV hardware product that I saw at NXTcomm. The small size of this box should prove to be very attractive to a lot of customers.
This set-top box is very small and could be hidden behind the TV using string to tie it up or with a velco strip to attach it. Amino state that its small size is generating interest from consumer electronics companies interested in integrating IPTV into their TVs and other video products.
This was just about the only interesting IPTV hardware product that I saw at NXTcomm. The small size of this box should prove to be very attractive to a lot of customers.
Three Screen Strategies
This week three interesting three screen were announced or shown at NXTcomm.
Verimatrix introduced its content security system for mobile applications. It now provides a single system that can support TVs, PCs, and mobile devices. Verimatrix has also added support for other security technologies into its system such as OMA DRM, Microsoft DRM, and Marlin DRM as well as its own VCAS DRM. This gives the service provider the ability to deploy a single system that can support a broad set of content security technologies.
Ericsson's Tandberg TV demonstrated a three screen metadata system that gives service providers to manage the metadata for their video assets including the ability to supplement the metadata delivered with the asset with additional metadata that is available from Internet sources. It also gives users the ability to browse and search this metadata with a very attractive interface from either the PC or a mobile device.
Alcatel-Lucent gave a demonstration at NXTcomm of three screen technology based on the Microsoft Mediaroom DVR capability. This system copies the content that the viewer records on the DVR to a network server and then provides access to these private network assets from both a PC and a mobile device. The network provides a catalog of what is available and the handles the format and compression conversion required to display on either the PC or the mobile device. A viewer can automatically record their favorite programs and then view them using either a PC or a mobile device while they are on the road.
Three screen TV is moving from hype to reality. Both Verimatrix and Tandberg TV now have products that add real value. The Alcatel-Lucent demonstration is quite interesting but raises a number of issues that need to be addressed. For example, the content providers may object to this use of their assets. There are also real privacy issues when you take private content and put it onto a network.
Verimatrix introduced its content security system for mobile applications. It now provides a single system that can support TVs, PCs, and mobile devices. Verimatrix has also added support for other security technologies into its system such as OMA DRM, Microsoft DRM, and Marlin DRM as well as its own VCAS DRM. This gives the service provider the ability to deploy a single system that can support a broad set of content security technologies.
Ericsson's Tandberg TV demonstrated a three screen metadata system that gives service providers to manage the metadata for their video assets including the ability to supplement the metadata delivered with the asset with additional metadata that is available from Internet sources. It also gives users the ability to browse and search this metadata with a very attractive interface from either the PC or a mobile device.
Alcatel-Lucent gave a demonstration at NXTcomm of three screen technology based on the Microsoft Mediaroom DVR capability. This system copies the content that the viewer records on the DVR to a network server and then provides access to these private network assets from both a PC and a mobile device. The network provides a catalog of what is available and the handles the format and compression conversion required to display on either the PC or the mobile device. A viewer can automatically record their favorite programs and then view them using either a PC or a mobile device while they are on the road.
Three screen TV is moving from hype to reality. Both Verimatrix and Tandberg TV now have products that add real value. The Alcatel-Lucent demonstration is quite interesting but raises a number of issues that need to be addressed. For example, the content providers may object to this use of their assets. There are also real privacy issues when you take private content and put it onto a network.
Win Multimedia to Offer WiFi IPTV in Thailand
Win Multimedia will deliver IPTV to a set-top box connected to the TV as well as to the PC over its WiFi based broadband network in Thailand and China. The IPTV services include 60 broadcast channels with an NPVR service, video on demand, Karaoke, Information Services, SMS, Tracking, Interactive Services, Gaming, and video conferencing. Win plans to sell the service at 10 thousand retail outlets in Thailand and China.
Digisoft is providing the middleware for this service, and Verimatrix is providing the content security. Both companies are supporting both PC and set-top box access.
This is an interesting deployment. It is the first wireless IPTV service I have run into. By this I mean wireless to the TV and not TV to a mobile device. It is also one of the first deployment that I have seen that is going to rely exclusively on retail sales channels.
Digisoft is providing the middleware for this service, and Verimatrix is providing the content security. Both companies are supporting both PC and set-top box access.
This is an interesting deployment. It is the first wireless IPTV service I have run into. By this I mean wireless to the TV and not TV to a mobile device. It is also one of the first deployment that I have seen that is going to rely exclusively on retail sales channels.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Verizon to offer 50 Mbps FTTH
Verizon will offer a FiOS FTTH service with 50 Mbps downstream speeds and 20 Mbps upstream speeds across its entire FiOS footprint. This service will be available for $89.95 per month in New York and Virginia and for $139.95 elsewhere. It also offers a service with 20 Mbps in both directions for $64.99 in all markets.
Verizon is raising the broadband performance bar. The cable companies will have to respond with similar DOCSIS 3.0 offerings to remain competitive. This also shows the advantage of Verizon's FTTH strategy compared to AT&T's VDSL strategy. ATT offers a maximum of 6 Mbps today which will increase to 10 Mbps later in 2008 when it introduces its channel bonded service.
Verizon is raising the broadband performance bar. The cable companies will have to respond with similar DOCSIS 3.0 offerings to remain competitive. This also shows the advantage of Verizon's FTTH strategy compared to AT&T's VDSL strategy. ATT offers a maximum of 6 Mbps today which will increase to 10 Mbps later in 2008 when it introduces its channel bonded service.
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