IBC retains its position as one of the more important global communications industry events, largely for the breadth of the show and the quality of the programs, but in no small part for its relatively easy-going pace and its decision to plunk down in one of the world’s great cities.
This year’s show will focus on all the technological innovations and trends of interest to video broadcasters and distributors of all kinds: the migration to IP, multi-screen delivery, 4K/Ultra-HD, HEVC, wireless technologies, user interfaces, and more. Below, you will find previews of what some of the key innovators in the industry will be talking about and demonstrating at the conference.
An app with a schedule of keynotes and presentations, a floor plan, and other conference resources, can be downloaded here.
Akamai | Alticast | Archimedia | ATX Networks | Bridge Technologies | Conax | Dash Industry Forum | Elemental Technologies | Envivio | Ericsson | GreenPeak | Harmonic | Imagine Communications | Metrological | Nagra | S3 Group | ThinkAnalytics | Thomson
Akamai showing advances in CDNs
Akamai Technologies plans to show a broad range of advancements in media delivery through content delivery networks (CDNs).
The company said it will focus on how video quality and service scalability, cloud-based workflow simplification and new technology innovations can help media companies overcome the challenges of connecting online audiences worldwide to video content.
Akamai expects to demonstrate how it is getting easier to deliver content via the cloud, with:
- Live and on-demand multi-format workflow services that are designed to leverage scalable, cloud-based resources that can help dramatically simplify video delivery across an increasingly fragmented device landscape. Supported formats include Apple HLS, Adobe HDS, Microsoft Smooth Streaming and now, MPEG-DASH, which addresses HbbTV requirements for interactive television in Europe.
- Native ingest and live streaming of MPEG-DASH formatted video via an Elemental Technologies encoder, demonstrating greater flexibility and ease in reaching a broader range of connected devices.
- High-speed content uploads to Akamai’s NetStorage via Aspera Upload Acceleration, offering efficient, rapid transfer of larger files with higher-quality content into the cloud for further preparation and delivery.
- 4K video streaming from localized Akamai Aura licensed content delivery network (LCDN) caching servers, creating a virtual ISP within Akamai’s IBC booth while leveraging content origination and preparation services via the Akamai Intelligent Platform.
Akamai is also showing its Media Client, designed to extend the reach of the Akamai Intelligent Platform into homes and onto connected devices to provide higher throughput to larger audiences. This is intended to address increasing consumer demand for more video at higher levels of quality including 4K, which introduces new challenges with larger file sizes and greater bandwidth requirements.
And through a partnership with Vubiquity, the company intends to show a content-as-a-service solution that combines licensed content libraries with cloud-based workflows, storage and delivery at a global scale. The solution is designed to help service providers and content owners quickly and economically launch over-the-top video services.
Akamai executives are also scheduled to address conference attendees in two separate IBC panel sessions:
Friday, September 12, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM: Dr. Tom Leighton, CEO, will participate on the panel, “The Cloud and Broadcast TV: How the industry is adapting to today’s consumer with content production, distribution and user engagement.”
Saturday, September 13, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Will Law, Chief Architect, Media Division, will participate on the panel, “Broadcast Meets Broadband.”
Akamai’s IBC stand is 6.A15
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Alticast demos multi-screen viewing experiences
Alticast will be showing its latest multi-screen, interactive and RDK-based offerings at IBC, including its HDMI Media Express “set-top box on a stick” device.
TheHDMI Media Express allows service providers to securely deliver live and on-demand programming efficiently. It also provides a TV Everywhere experience with its download-and-go, and plug-and-play capability. Leveraging the cable industry’s RDK initiative and Alticast’s TV Ready User Agent application framework, HDMI Media Express supports HTML5 and Android application delivery.
Alticast
will also show its AltiPlex Client-Server Cloud offerings and its collaborative development environment for the cable industry’s Reference Design Kit (RDK) code integration. AltiPlex Server Cloud includes a cloud-based personal video recording system and a cloud-based user interface system.
“Alticast is driving innovation in the industry by offering compelling media entertainment software solutions for legacy and next-generation systems,” said Tiaan Schutte, Alticast’s president for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). “Our Cloud, RDK UI/UX and pre-integrated packages are prime examples of Alticast’s ground breaking solutions that shorten time to deployment, are cost effective and deliver an enticing user experience.”
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Archimedia to debut video play/test products
Startup Archimedia Technology will be at IBC to demonstrate a set of tools, including its Master Player, all designed for testing and playing master-grade media files.
Archimedia will also introduce a new player built for everyday business use and a suite of desktop quality-measurement tools that replace existing desktop applications and traditional SDI hardware
Archimedia offers a range of tools that allow video engineers and archivists to access, play, manage, and test files in all mastering formats, including JPEG 2000.
At IBC2014, Archimedia will demonstrate the Archimedia Enterprise Player, a new player designed for all stakeholders — expert or not — who must be able to view professional video reliably and precisely.
The Archimedia Enterprise Player plays all professional and consumer video and audio formats except for JPEG 2000, DPX, and 4K/UHD. Like the Master Player, the Enterprise Player can play captions and subtitles in more than 80 external formats and more than 50 embedded formats, and all video can play to a normal TV over HDMI so that what the user sees is real TV rather than a PC approximation of it.
The Archimedia Enterprise Player installs on any computer equipped with Windows 7 or 8, and can be downloaded from Archimedia’s website.
The company will also debut its QuSee Suite, a family of tools to inspect and measure video, audio, and metadata for broadcast, postproduction, A/V, mastering, and distribution.
Working in tandem with the Archimedia Master Player, the Archimedia QuSee Suite brings validation and verification functions to the desktop, allowing users to perform quality tests on files rather than on SDI streams created from files. The Archimedia QuSee Suite replaces aging SDI hardware such as video and audio waveform monitors, vectorscopes, and audio phase meters, as well as their desktop counterparts, which don’t come with a player that supports all of the common professional mastering formats as Archimedia Master Player does.
The Archimedia QuSee Suite contains a traditional video waveform monitor and vectorscope in a desktop floating window, with support for SD, HD, UHD, and 4K video sizes; standards-based frame rates; and all professional video formats including broadcast, cinema, and Web. For audio, a traditional audio waveform monitor and phase meters appear live in a desktop floating window. The audio tools support uncompressed PCM and compressed audio formats including Dolby. One benefit of integrating desktop validation and verification with the Archimedia Master Player is the player’s unique ability to keep compressed video and compressed audio in perfect sync, even in fast forward, rewind, and slow-motion modes — an important factor in all kinds of media work.
Archimedia will also have the latest version of its inaugural product, the Archimedia Master Player. Designed for video engineers, producers, directors, manufacturers, and archivists who work with professional video formats, the company claims its Master Player is the first software player to support all common master formats in use today and the first to allow users to view, test, and measure archival-quality files on a standard UHD/HDTV and traditional SDI equipment.
This capability not only makes content deliverable more quickly at higher quality, but also makes it unnecessary to create and store the content in other formats, the company said.
Version 2.2 delivers the ultimate set of formats and features to make Archimedia Master Player the player of choice for media professionals. Besides support for the emerging formats HEVC 4K and IMF, version 2.2 has a caption and subtitle viewer/navigator; high-quality scaling into SDI; the ability for nontechnical users such as archivists, directors, producers, and quality control specialists to decrypt digital cinema packages; and folder traversing for sequences such as DPX, TIFF, and EXR, which typically come in folders of thousands of files.
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ATX Networks launches license-free transcoding platform
ATX Networks has launched VersAtivePro, which is a transcoding platform that doesn’t require licenses. ATX said the license-free structure allows users to transcode what they want, when they want, and how they want in a cost effective manner.
ATX said that with VersAtivePro, the problems associated with switching some HDs to SDs, or vice-versa, migrating from primary to redundant units, or completely reconfiguring transcoders were eliminated.
VersAtivePro devices are manageable by ATX’s Video Management System (VMS) that provides centralized control of video services run though VersAtive Pro units. The VMS optimizes video operations by providing a single UI for managing multiple units. The VMS also enables the operator to implement multiple redundancy schemas, automated system backups, and secure system administration to northbound management systems.
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Bridge Technologies enables monitoring of OTT content
Bridge Technologies will unveil a new version of its VB288 Objective QoE Content Extractor at IBC 2014, with integrated OTT capability that allows operators to view and monitor OTT services and real-time streams side-by-side in the same advanced graphical display environment.
The VB288 Objective QoE Content Extractor provides objective video and audio monitoring of MPEG-2, h.264/MPEG-4 and h.265/HEVC streams, and combines monitoring of real-time streams and OTT services within a browser-based remote video-wall that delivers full view-anywhere visual status, alarms (including loudness compliance alarms) and analysis. Operators can inspect very large numbers of content services, with dependable metrics and alarming on verifiable, accurate and objective parameters that affect QoE.
Setting up the VB288 for OTT services simply requires entry of the URL for each stream to be monitored: the VB288 then provides the same status information as for a real-time broadcast video stream, including thumbnails, audio decoding, and an array of alarms together with specific alarms for OTT errors such as misalignment of different profiles within the stream. Deployment for a typical system is achievable within only a few hours – a key benefit when rollin
g out these types of hard-to-calibrate services.
The VB288 benefits from Bridgetech’s sophisticated display-layer technologies to enable instant assessment of status even when monitoring hundreds of services. The VB288 presents highly complex datasets with a visual metaphor that lets people understand what is happening and act on it without requiring huge expertise in interpreting the data themselves. This brings simplicity and clarity to the monitoring of huge datasets, and makes the VB288 an outstanding tool for decision-making.
Bridge Technologies’ Chairman Simen Frostad said: “The VB288 is a mould-breaking product that brings clarity and accuracy to QoE monitoring both for linear services and OTT in an incredibly agile and convenient way. Now, any engineer can easily monitor these services from any connected computer, and benefit from a sophisticated configurable virtual video-wall within a standard web browser.”
Running on a standard high-specification server, the VB288 powers displays of large numbers of HD H.264 channels in multiple browser windows, for instant verification of QoE alerts generated by the system. The VB288 is a key component of the Objective QoE system, which implements a QoE solution based solely on the empirical assessment of objective performance factors specific to digital media operations, rather than using the ‘opinion-scoring’ method common until now. Objective QoE provides a more accurate tool for QoE assessment, free from the spurious and misleading results generated by conventional systems.
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Conax to introduce linear streaming solution
Conax will be at IBC to showcase the newest product features in its flagship Conax Contego security hub, its new solution for streaming live channels, called Conax GO Live, and a new cost efficient secure client, Conax OTT Access.
- Conax GO Live: A targeted solution for anyone wanting to securely stream live channels to iOS and Android devices. The new solution caters to operators planning an initial pay-TV service with limited investment and a fast time to market.
- Conax OTT Access: a secure OTT client for iOS and Android that covers the operators’ essential security needs for content such as free to air or other non-premium content. Conax OTT Access provides rapid-time-to market and is designed to be smoothly interchangeable with the Conax Hardened PlayReady Client in order to facilitate an easy upgrade when facing increased security requirements or need for additional features.
- Conax Hardened PlayReady Client: a secure DRM client for iOS, Android and STBs integrating secure link protection with device access and usage control. Conax Hardened PlayReady supports key features such as Live TV and VoD, individual
ization, authentication, secure playback and much more. The Conax Hardened PlayReady Client supports a wide range of devices, including iOS and Android (from 2.3 onwards), and is therefore ideal for operators expanding their current broadcast offering with an OTT platform.
- Hosted Online Video Platform (OVP) with Premium Conax Security: Developed through the Conax Connect Partner Program, a partner-hosted solution, secured by Conax Secure OTT Clients, is now available to the market. The solution provides smooth delivery of OTT video content, short time-to-market and supports a wide range of devices.
- Conax Xtend Multiscreen: an integrated OTT ecosystem spanning live-TV, video-on-demand, catch-up TV and nPVR over OTT all served from the same back-end in an integrated multiscreen experience. Conax Xtend Multiscreen is developed for operators offering OTT services in combination with the existing broadcast infrastructure – all with limited investment and risk.
- Conax offering for high quality, secure CAMs: The market leading CAM vendors are partnering with Conax to ensure stable delivery of CAMs with high security and quality. Conax is now selling all CAMs in Europe directly.
The company, part of the Kudelski Group, said it plans to demonstrate the benefit of integrated and secure solutions for live and on-demand services for quickly and cost efficiently launching user-friendly over the top (OTT) and multiscreen solutions.
Morten Solbakken, president and CEO, Conax, “At IBC this year, Conax is yet further strengthening its flagship platform by launching even more robustness and functionality in our Conax Contego multi-DRM security back-end and portfolio of highly scalable multiscreen solutions; secure technology developed for short time to market, flexibility and cost-efficiency for operators of varying sizes and needs.
Conax will be hosting a Product Launch & Reception: 4 – 6 pm, Sept. 12th, Stand 1.D69 at IBC
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Dash gaining momentum; Dash Supersession on 9/13
That Dash (aka MPEG-Dash) will become a common tool in the video processing toolbox is gaining likelihood as it gains potential adherents. The Dash Industry Forum (Dash-IF), which is advocating for the adoption of Dash as the new standard for over-the-top (OTT) adaptive bit rate (ABR) delivery of media to any device, said its membership has grown to 74 member companies, now including Google, from the original six founding charter members in 2012.
For those interested in learning the latest about the technology, IBC will host a Dash-IF SuperSession. The event scheduled for Saturday, September 13, from 12:00-2:00pm in room E102 at the RAI. Presenters will focus on the use of MPEG-Dash technologies to deliver everything from user-generated content to 4K events and movies, including HbbTV and LTE broadcast.
“The adoption of Dash has accelerated even higher this year with both significant increase in membership, and deployment of the standard globally,” said Iraj Sodagar, chairman of Dash-IF. “For instance, the use of Dash by YouTube, the world’s largest Internet streaming media source, underscores some of the advantages the Dash standard holds compared to legacy proprietary solutions.”
Dash-IF recently released its “Dash-IF Interoperability Points V3.0” Implementation Guidelines for community review. These guidelines include interoperability points for on-demand, live and time-shift streaming using AVC/H.264 and HEVC/H.265 codecs. The gu
idelines support default HE-AAC and optional multichannel audio codecs, SMPTE TT and CEA-608/708 closed caption formats, as well as common encryption (CENC) to support various DRM systems.
Dash-IF also released “Live Services based on Dash-IF IOPs V1.0” and “Ad Insertion in Dash V1.0” Implementation Guidelines for community review, which enable deployment of various use-cases for live services and dynamic ad insertion. In addition, Dash-IF published “Dash-IF Test Cases and Vectors V1.0” and “Dash-IF Conformance Software V1.0” which support the interoperability points. Finally, the open source dash.js project provides a reference player for Dash-IF Implementation Guidelines. The above guidelines are expected to be officially published after a two-month public comment period, and active public participation is encouraged. The documents are here.
Dash Industry Forum members are exhibiting at IBC 2014 in record numbers with over 31 members at this year’s show, including charter members Adobe, Akamai, Cisco, Dolby, DTS, Ericsson, Harmonic, Microsoft and Qualcomm.
In addition to the SuperSession, the Dash Industry Forum is holding an IBC Networking Reception at the The Heineken Experience at 6:00 PM on Sunday, September 14. Meet the executives, architects and engineers involved with this standard and find out about the latest products and initiatives related to Dash. Register online at: https://dash2014ibc.eventbrite.com.
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Elemental highlights software-based multi-screen solutions
Elemental Technologies plans to showcase its full suite of video processing capabilities at IBC.
Software-defined video solutions take an infrastructure-agnostic approach to implementing flexible, scalable and easily upgradable video architectures. This allows video providers to deploy software across an optimal combination of dedicated and virtualized resources in both private and public data centers.
Elemental technology and product demonstrations at IBC will focus on the flexibility available with software-based solutions for multiscreen video processing and delivery.
Show activities and highlights include:
- Cloud demonstrations featuring live linear encoding, non-linear TV services, live-to-VOD applications and cloud bursting scenarios, where dedicated appliances are paired with elastic cloud-based resources to automatically absorb peaks in video processing.
- A variety of live and file-based 4K and HEVC streaming applications, including encoding at 50 and 60 frames per second, video delivery in the MPEG-DASH format and interoperability with HEVC set-top boxes and playback devices.
- Time-shifted TV services that help content owners and distributors repurpose live video content with just-in-time packaging. Capabilities include support for on-demand catch-up TV, start-over TV, pause TV, and nPVR.
- High availability video solutions including seamless input failover. Redundancy for inputs, individual encoding and management nodes, and output redundancy will be shown in appliance, virtual and cloud-based deployments.
Elemental is also hosting the industry’s first annual 4K 4Charity fun run at IBC. Co-sponsored by founding partner Ericsson and supported by Deltatre, Dolby Laboratories, DTS, Microsoft and White Oaks, the run will take place at 7h30 on Saturday 13 September, 2014 in Amsterdam. Commemorating 2014 as a year of major 4K Ultra HD achievements across the global media and entertainment industry, the 4km (2.49-mile) race is open to all registered IBC 2014 show attendees at www.4K4Charity.com.
Elemental can be found in Hall 4 on stand 4.B75 at the RAI Conference Centre.
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Envivio introduces SaaS video solution
Envivio is taking multi-screen delivery entirely to the cloud. The company expects that shifting to a service-based model will make multi-screen delivery affordable for nearly any service provider or programmer, regardless of size.
Envivio is calling its virtualized cloud-based software-as-a-service (SAAS) video solution Nuage, French for cloud. It operates as a service on private, operator-owned networks, on the public cloud, or in hybrid environments.
With Nuage, Envivio has set up a system that will handle video from content acquisition to delivery to the consumer, on any screen.
The company has contracts in place with DRM companies and with CDNs, and can use those relationships in the service of their customers.
While rival vendors have services that are similar, Envivio believes it has gone a few steps further than most, if not all, by offering to do everything in the cloud, by supporting not only on demand delivery but also live linear content, with a focus on service provide
rs and programmers, and with a business model that includes the option to make absolutely no capital expenditures – making multi-screen an opex-only proposition.
“Comcast and other customers aren’t going to changes the way they do business with us,” observed Envivio’s VP-strategy and corporate development Arnaud Perrier, “but if anyone wants to move on to something new, they can try this. It’s low risk, easy to trial, and easy to get to market.”
“Or you can become the next Netflix or HBO Go, and do it in 30 days or less,” Envivio CEO Julien Signes told CED.
The Nuage software-as-a-service (SaaS) video solution is built on the cloud instantiation of the set of Envivio offerings for video processing, video delivery and video personalization, including its Muse,Halo and Guru software products for video processing, encryption, packaging, storage, distribution and network management.
The product suite support the full range of video streaming formats and DRM technologies, HEVC, H.264, and MPEG-2 standards, and feature personal TV applications such as time shifting, catch-up, start-over, nPVR, follow me, and targeted advertising, plus blackout, ad insertion, subtitling and just-in-time packaging.
Live linear and on-demand content can be simultaneously delivered to Apple TV, XBox, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, iOS/Android tablets, and smart TVs.
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Ericsson blends in buys at IBC
For the first time, Ericsson will have some of its recent acquisitions, including Red Bee Media, present in one booth at IBC.
In addition to Red Bee, Ericsson also picked up Microsoft’s Mediaroom and Azuki Systems to help build out its IPTV portfolio.
The company will also be discussing its Ericsson Media Vision 2020 project, which predicts the future of TV and the game changing trends at IBC. According to Ericsson, the rapid development of TV services will lead to the emergence of what it calls the “Networked Society,” which is enabled by broadband connectivity, cloud services, and mobility.
“Ericsson’s 2020 vision for TV and media is part of our broader view of realizing the Networked Society where over 15 billion video-connected devices will provide far richer consumer experiences,” said Ericsson’s Per Borgklint, senior vice president and head of business unit support solutions,. These changes create significant industry challenges and that’s why we are investing strategically to make Ericsson the greatest transformation partner for our customers.”
“At IBC 2014 we will show how our vision for the future of TV can be realized for all our content owner, broadcaster, TV service provider and new player customers. We look forward to supporting our customers on their journey to 2020, and beyond.”
Specific highlights include:
• Announcements and demonstrations for TV Anywhere services
• Latest video-centric delivery networks supporting CDN models, managed delivery, acceleration and caching, and mobile-specific LTE Broadcast delivery to mobile and fixed devices
• How the deal with Red Bee Media will lead to the expansion of its capabilities in areas such as access services and cloud-enabled media management
• How Ericsson will play a role in enabling the success of 4K UHDTV.
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GreenPeak releases new smart home products
GreenPeak Technologies has introduced a family of sensors and cloud based intelligent systems for smart home monitoring applications. The first application is a system to monitor elderly relatives living without assistance. The company will have the products on exhibit at IBC.
GreenPeak’s Family Lifestyle Systems are built around a set of wireless ZigBee sensor nodes located throughout the home and connected via an internet gateway to a cloud-based self-learning algorithm with behavior pattern recognition capabilities.
The wireless sensors can be installed in specific places in the home in minutes, GreenPeak said. The system does not require people to wear devices and does not require cameras.
The cloud-based monitor learns the normal day to day activities and behavior of people in their home. When irregular behavior or exception situations are identified, family or friends will be notified via a smart phone application that can be integrated with online messaging and social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat and QQ.
With a growing number of elderly people wishing to continue living in their own home longer, the need for smart assisted living solutions is rapidly increasing, the company noted.
The system also provides general information and longer term behavioral trends. For instance, the system will identify and report when a person gradually starts to move slower. The system has been intensively tested in care environments, has won various awards for top quality home care and is now also available for consumers.
“Smart home solutions need to address real problems to the consumer. Senior Lifestyle is GreenPeak’s first application in this Family Lifestyle Systems domain and will become one of the fastest growing Smart Home applications,” said Cees Links, founder & CEO of GreenPeak Technologies.
Senior Lifestyle Systems and the related cloud and expert applications are currently in trial in both Germany and China through the Service Operators and are expected to scale up in volume roll out later this year, the company said.
GreenPeak will be at IBC – Hall 1 – Booth 1.C90.
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Harmonic comes to IBC with broadcast and multi-screen solutions
Harmonic plans to demonstrate a range of broadcast and multi-screen solutions at IBC, including a set of encoders developed for video contribution that the company introduced in August.
At IBC, Harmonic plans to demonstrate its latest innovations, including new software-defined, virtualizable video delivery that unifies all media processing functions on a single platform.
Peter Alexander, chief marketing officer at Harmonic, said, “Attendees can stop by the booth to see how the Harmonic VOS software-based architecture and Electra XVM virtualized media processor bring unprecedented efficiencies to broadcasters through intelligent function integration and the ability to leverage an IT-centric infrastructure.”
Featured demonstrations at Harmonic’s booth will include:
• A virtualized video infrastructure featuring the new Harmonic VOS architecture. The extensible platform enables virtualized media processing, such as Harmonic’s new Electra XVM integrated software package. Integrating real-time encoding, high-quality branding and graphics, and transport stream playout for broadcast and multiscreen services, Electra XVM offers users function integration, increased operational flexibility, and unlimited scalability.
• Contribution and distribution solutions including the expanded Ellipse 3000 family of contribution encoders, which now features the industry’s first DSNG encoder to support the new DVB Carrier ID (DVB-CID) standard for reducing interference be
tween satellite signals, and the new DVB-S2X specification for improving performance of DVB-S2 satellite digital broadcasting.
• A range of Ultra HD demonstrations, including a real-time Ultra HD encoding and streaming workflow demonstration, powered by Harmonic’s HEVC-ready VOS platform, as well as interoperability demonstrations with leading chipset vendors of 2160p50/60 HEVC Main 10 profile encoded Ultra HD streaming.
• IP video innovation with ProMedia Origin stream packager/server, highlighting simplified delivery of live, VOD and time-shift TV services to all screens.
• Production and playout with collaborative editing and 4K editing on the Harmonic MediaGrid shared storage system, as well as new developments in the Spectrum media server product line which provide higher channel counts and storage density, improved caption support, monitoring and scheduling capabilities, and integrated management tools.
• Cable edge solutions, including the NSG Pro and new NSG Exo CCAP-compliant platforms. The new NSG Exo distributed CCAP system is one of the industry’s first offerings to support a Distributed Access Architecture (DAA) utilizing deep fiber networks, and provides DOCSIS/EuroDOCSIS/J-DOCSIS CMTS capabilities now, with universal edgeQAM capabilities coming soon.
In addition to the demonstrations, Thierry Fautier will be presenting his paper “Ultra HD Deployment Perspectives” at IBC2014 on Sept. 14 at 8:00 a.m. at the RAI in Amsterdam.
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Imagine helps manage transition from baseband to IP
Imagine Communications is bringing its new Magellan SDN Orchestrator to IBC. The product, introduced at the end of August, is a software control system designed to help companies manage hybrid baseband and IP facilities as they evolve from the former to the latter.
Media companies can now maximize their investments in high-quality video processing done in baseband/SDI/ASI technologies using familiar controls, while also managing on-ramps and off-ramps for baseband over IP via the software control layer.
The Magellan SDN Orchestrator instantiates pre-defined workflows through commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) IP switches, providing professional broadcast performance for all connections. By leveraging the continued evolution of data center-grade COTS switching technology, the Magellan SDN Orchestrator enables media companies to use the latest generations of IP switches to ride the ever-improving cost/performance curve of the IT industry.
“Our unique
, hybrid approach to SDN allows the entire bit flow to be software-defined, which significantly improves the way video is managed throughout broadcast facilities,” said Steve Copeland, director of product management for Imagine Communications. “Regardless of what equipment is underneath, the Magellan SDN Orchestrator provides an overarching management layer that makes everything look like a ‘simple router.’ It integrates the elements into one system with commonly used controls, and provides the necessary transparency and visibility required for our customers who need to support hybrid operations.”
Charlie Vogt, CEO of Imagine Communications, said, “The decision to build a baseband or all-IP facility is no longer a difficult one since the Magellan SDN Orchestrator enables operational transparency between legacy and IP networks. This is the assurance that media companies need to move forward with their IP investment strategies, continuing to operate with today’s staff and workflow processes – yet migrating to IP at their own pace without disruption.”
Imagine Communications will be at IBC2014 Stand 7.G20.
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Metrological joins RDK
Netherlands-based Metrological, which recently joined the cable industry’s Reference Design Kit (RDK) initiative, will demonstrate its app store, cloud-based user interface, content curation system and an app manager at IBC next week.
While Metrological is a new member of RDK Management, which is the joint venture between Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Liberty Global, its app store technology is already in front of roughly 20 million Liberty Global households. Specifically, Metrological’s services are in use by Liberty Global’s UPC Netherlands, UnityMedia Kabel BW and UPC Hungary.
“Metrological is compatible with and supports the RDK,” said Metrological CTO Albert Dahan. “Fundamentally, we enable operators to manage and monetize opportunities relating to app delivery. Our technology speeds up development and gives the operator full control to manage the app ecosystem, bringing those opportunities radically closer for operators.”
The Metrological App Store can run apps side-by-side with live TV broadcasts, apps showing content contextual to what is show on the main screen, red-button interactivity, games, news and social media apps. Metrological has over 150 TV apps ready for publication.
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Nagra to showcase connected home experience
At IBC, Nagra will present a showcase focused on entertainment and the various ways in which the company enables pay-TV service providers to bring premium content and advanced services to every screen.
“Entertainment in its broadest sense is at the core of our connected home experience and today can be enjoyed in so many different ways on an ever expanding myriad of devices,” said Ivan Verbesselt, senior vice president, group marketing for Nagra. “This also means pay-TV service providers need the right technology to deliver their premium content to viewers seamlessly to enable a compelling viewing experience with services that consumers are asking for. Our IBC 2014 showcase explores the key technology pillars that help service providers protect, deploy, accelerate, share, design and augment entertainment for pay-TV consumers.”
Nagra will introduce a renewed suite of Media Risk Management products and services featuring Nagra anyCAST, the company’s next-generation, unified security services platform for broadcast and broadband. Nagra anyCAST allows any service provider to protect the delivery of any content over any network to any device.
Nagra’s demonstrations will also include home networking solutions that it has deployed with customers such as Dish Network, NET Serviços, StarHub, and Telefonica. Other technologies on hand in Nagra’s booth include cloud TV, nPVR, a 4K user interface and OpenTV solutions.
Highlights of NAGRA’s IBC 2014 showcase include:
Media Risk Management Solutions: Entertainment Protected
Because no t
wo service providers are alike, NAGRA will introduce a renewed suite of Media Risk Management products and services featuring NAGRA anyCAST, the company’s next-generation, unified Security Services Platform for broadcast and broadband. NAGRA anyCAST allows any service provider to protect the delivery of any content over any network to any device.
The Connected Home: Entertainment Deployed
Featuring major NAGRA customer deployments from the likes of DISH Network, NET Serviços, StarHub, and Telefonica this showcase demonstrates some of NAGRA’s core solutions such as OpenTV 5 connectware, MediaLive Multiscreen, or anyCAST content protection, leveraging the JoinIn reference architecture, NAGRA’s blueprint for the connected home.
QuickStart Pre-Integrated Pay-TV Solutions: Entertainment Accelerated
NAGRA QuickStart provides all the components needed to accelerate pay-TV innovation, including NAGRA anyCAST and OpenTV solutions, pre-integrated in a range of SmarDTV set-top boxes. A fresh and engaging user experience harnesses a broad variety of services including live TV, PVR, nPVR, catch-up, pause and rewind live TV, start-over, VOD, companion screen interactivity, social TV and applications.
Multiscreen and Cloud TV: Entertainment Shared
NAGRA’s latest developments in multiscreen and cloud TV technologies will show innovative services – such as nPVR and personal watchlists – that can be deployed with NAGRA MediaLive leveraging NAGRA’s studio-grade DRM, NAGRA anyCAST PRM, to ensure content integrity. End-to-end cloud TV services from NAGRA’s European customers will also be on display.
4K Ultra HD User Experiences: Entertainment Designed and Augmented
NAGRA brings its award-winning concept of immersive 4K to the next level with the Gravity Edge 4K reference UI running on a 4K set-top box and the next evolution of its 4K Gravity Ultra UI leveraging natural discovery, hyper connectivity and WebGL rendering, as well as IoT to create smart home scenarios. Visitors will be able to explore NAGRA’s complete UI showcase throughout the stand and learn about its UI/UEX managed services for OpenTV 5 connectware.
Co-Exhibitors
Sister companies SmarDTV, Kudelski Security and Conax will exhibit alongside NAGRA at IBC. SmarDTV will showcase its latest conditional access modules (CAMs) and deployment-optimized set-top box technologies while Kudelski Security will present its anti-piracy and cybersecurity services, the latest information on piracy trends and how to address them. A line-up of highly complementary security solutions can be discovered on Conax booth 1.D69.
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S3 Group unveils Warning Center
Video test and validation platform vendor S3 Group will be showing its new Warning Center module for the first time in Amsterdam.
With Warning Center, S3 expanded its StormTest portfolio beyond labs and into live networks. Warning Center provides network operations teams with continuous, automated monitoring of service availability and performance, The new cloud-based platform enables remote service monitoring, validation and real-time analytics of video services across connected devices on live networks.
“With Warning Center, we’re bringing automation out of the lab and into the live network and making it available as a cloud-hosted offering that allows our customers to monitor service playout on the live network, and also to continually validate those services to make sure they’re working as expected,” said John Maguire, director strategy and marketing, TV technology, S3 Group. “So now we’re into more ongoing, live interaction and live testing.
Dublin-Ireland based S3 Group manages the code base for the cable industry’s Reference Design Kit (RDK), which is a joint venture among Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global.
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ThinkAnalytics showcases concept UI
ThinkAnalytics will take the wraps off of its concept user interface (UI) at next week’s IBC Show in Amsterdam. The concept UI, which is called “MyThinkTV,” helps service providers plan for future recommendations UIs by letting them simulate a best practice set of use cases using their own metadata, which include similar/related content, moods and personalization.
MyThinkTV is currently available to ThinkAnalytics customers. The concept UI supports all of ThinkAnalytics’ personalized recommendations techniques and can be used to browse linear and VOD content.
ThinkAnalytics said the concept UI works on web/PC, iPad and Android tablets and supports relevance and personalized search, multiple languages, multiple time zones and multiple types of users, logged-in users and anonymous sessions.
“Adding recommendations as an integral part of the standard UI is becoming the norm, and something that a number of our customers have already successfully implemented, allowing them to reap the benefits with reduced churn, increased on-demand sales, and improved consumer satisfaction. MyThinkTV provides our customers with a great concept UI that they can use to simulate different use cases using their own metadata. They can then use the results to help them design their next-gen UI – one in which recommendations will take center stage,” said Peter Docherty, founder and chief technology officer, ThinkAnalytics.
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Thomson to showcase new high-density transcoder
Thomson Video Networks will be featuring its ViBE XT1000 Xtream Transcoder, an all-new high-density video transcoder for live content that the company introduced at the end of August.
The ViBE XT1000 supports up to 54 HD channels or 180 SD channels with transcoding from any format to any format including MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC, making it ideal for linear broadcasts on cable, IPTV, DTH, and DTTV services, as well as multi-screen delivery.
“The ViBE XT1000 provides a dense and scalable solution with which operators can launch new turnaround services rapidly and cost-effectively. With an improvement of up-to-50-percent in transcoding density compared with competing products, the ViBE XT1000 offers the ideal compromise of cost and compression performance in non-premium channel lineups,” said Eric Gallier, vice president of marketing, Thomson Video Networks. “As a crucial addition to our Behind Every Screen strategy, the ViBE XT1000 joins our other industry-leading ViBE compression solutions in providing customers with everything they need to deliver a profitable and successful multi-platform convergent video delivery solution.”
Housed in a highly resilient 2RU platform equipped with hot-swappable redundant components, the ViBE XT1000 offers industry-leading reliability through load balancing and built-in redundancy powered by Thomson Video Networks’ MediaFlexOS video operating system. Beyond audio and video transcoding, the product offers state-of-the-art features including CBR, VBR/statistical multiplexing, and ABR video transcoding, logo and text insertion, subtitle management, and audio loudness control, as well as WebTV scrambling and packaging (Apple HLS, Microsoft HSS, and MPEG DASH).
The product will be commercially available in Q4 2014.
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