Path 1 Network Technologies
Inc. announced a new suite of
intelligent hardware and software for video quality protection based on Path
1's proven carrier-class technologies. With Path 1's solution, telecom
carriers and IP set-top box manufacturers can eliminate network errors that
might impair video quality and the reliable delivery of IP television services
over xDSL networks. Path 1 will debut its Vx8000 IPTV video gateway designed
for Telco video head-ends in an end-to-end demonstration featuring the
market-leading DiviCom multi-codec encoders from
Harmonic Inc.
as well as the world's first implementation of standards-based
forward error correction (FEC) on a consumer IP set-top box (STB). This new
solution will be presented November 9 - 10, 2005 at TelcoTV in San Diego in
Harmonic's booth (#606).
"Today's telecom network is well suited to delivering 'light weight'
narrowcast services such as IP telephony and Internet access. By deploying
Harmonic's advanced IP-based digital video solutions, telecom operators can
leverage these same networks to deliver compelling, personalized broadcast and
on-demand television with superior picture quality that reduce churn and
increase lifetime customer value," stated Thierry Fautier, Director of Telco
Solutions for Harmonic Inc. "Since quality is paramount, we have integrated
our versatile IPTV compression solutions with forward error correction systems
such as those provided by Path 1 to achieve even higher levels of service
reliability without expensive network infrastructure changes."
In order to effectively compete with video services provided by cable and
satellite operators, telecom carriers must rely on flawless video distribution
between each Central Office (CO) and their subscribers' homes. Unlike
high-speed data, video services require higher bit rates and are much more
sensitive to lost or delayed packets. IPTV infrastructures are already
subject to several sources of transmission errors, including physical layer
errors due to noisy DSL lines and network layer errors such as variable delay
(jitter) and congestive loss. While DSL devices typically incorporate some
quality protection against transmission errors, they do not support the long,
interleaved forward error correction required for video services. All of
these issues can affect video quality displayed through IP STBs and degrade
the viewer's experience in the form of macro blocking, jerky playback, frozen
pictures or even blackouts.
Path 1's products deliver several immediate benefits to an IPTV
environment, including:
- Quality of Service -- In order to keep customer satisfaction high and
churn low, Telcos will need to provide Service Level Agreements (SLA)
to customers and minimize all transmission problems that may cause
downtime or degrade picture quality.
- Extend Reach to New Subscribers -- In many situations, residential
customers may be too far from COs to receive high quality video
services. Path 1's suite of technologies overcome IP and DSL problems
and allow IPTV providers to increase high-quality video service
coverage per CO by increasing the serviceable distance between
subscribers and the CO.
- Investment protection of high definition (HD) MPEG2/4 Video Encoders --
When video is highly compressed by HD encoders, even minor packet loss
can lead to severe picture distortions. To achieve a very high degree
of compression, MPEG-coded video relies on intra-frame/inter-frame
prediction and motion estimation to remove spatial and temporal
redundancies. However, the loss of a single packet affects not only a
single macro-block, but also other macro-blocks within the frame and in
predicted frames. Human eyes can easily detect these kinds of errors,
giving the video a "poor quality" look.
"IPTV providers have been preoccupied with issues like content licensing,
video formats and middleware. As these issues are resolved and new video
services are rolled out, the focus will shift to scaling networks and channels
to support large numbers of concurrent users. That's when quality issues will
become more pronounced," stated Dan McCrary, Vice President of Marketing for
Path 1. "IP networks are prone to errors that affect video -- that's just a
fact of life. By working closely with leading IPTV equipment providers like
Harmonic, we can ensure that Telcos can reliably operate their video services
over IP networks."