BigBand Networks announced today that its switched digital video (SDV) products and technology have been deployed, or are in the process of being deployed, in more than 14 million homes in North America.
Currently, six cable operators deploy BigBand’s SDV products and technology across 26 systems. BigBand’s SDV products and technology have also been deployed across three conditional access systems and four electronic programming guide environments.
“Switched digital video is being deployed at just the right time for the cable industry,” said Gerry Kaufhold, principal analyst for In-Stat, a market research firm. “The technology offers service providers the tools necessary to begin offering virtually infinite HD and SD programming, while leveraging their investment in final-mile infrastructure. Switched digital makes a cable TV plant more flexible and more valuable.”
BigBand Networks said it has integrated, or is in the process of integrating, its SDV technology in both Motorola and Cisco set-top box environments.
BigBand was the early pioneer on SDV. It took part in the first SDV trial in 2004, by Time Warner Cable (TWC) in Austin, Texas. BigBand was deployed by Cox Communications late last year and also counts TWC, Comcast and Cablevision among its customers.
SDV sends just the programming that is being watched in a service group, instead of the entire slate of a cable operators’ lineup, which allows MSOs to reclaim bandwidth for other services, such as adding more high-definition (HD) channels.
More Broadband Direct:
• Time Warner Cable plans to bring Internet video to TVs
• EchoStar, Dish Networks file suit against TiVo
• Mixed Signals launches monitoring system for SDV, VOD
• BigBand’s SDV passes 14M homes milestone
• Access Media 3 acquires SkyPix
