iptvmagazine 2006 01 · 2012-08-01 · business advantages and they don't like to ... and...

5Subscribe FREE at www.IPTVMagazine.com January 2006

CONTENTS

Publisher’s Outlook - 7

IPTV Expert Writers - 8

Market Update - Yankee Group - 10

Industry News - 14

Technology SeriesIP Television - IPTV Quality- 28WLAN - WLAN Operation- 40Optical - Optical Transmission Basics - 46IPTV Billing - Billing Standards - 50

Featured ArticlesInteractive Advertising - Steve Kellogg - 56

Making WiFi Smarter - Bud Bates - 60

IP Multicasting - Scopus, Mario Rainville - 66

Buyers Guide - Media Encoders - 70

New Products - Recent Product Introductions - 74

IPTV Classifieds - Products, Employment and Services - 76

Events Schedule - Upcoming Trade Shows & Seminars - 77

Index of Advertisers - Who is Supporting the Industry - 78

Editorial Calendar - Upcoming Topics - 79

7January 2006

The IPTV industry has a hidden "mystique" about it. Duringinterviews with many companies at trade shows, I've noticed thatmany IPTV companies (large and small) display their products atprivate locations outside the trade show by appointment only. I'veseen this happen before in the mobile telephone industry.Companies that are launching products and services in rapidlydeveloping industries have solutions that give them significantbusiness advantages and they don't like to share these solutionswith competing companies. As a result, there are some things thatwe can't publish as the products and technologies offered by these

companies are in early release phases. However, as soon as these companies allow us to pub-lish their new products and services, we will include them in IPTV Magazine.

The key themes I saw at the winter consumer electronics show (CES) were media porta-bility, home media distribution and download and play.

With the many types of media players (televisions, portable players and multimedia tele-phones), media portability is becoming an important issue. Companies are allowing the trans-fer of media between different devices. When the media is transferred, the usage rights associ-ated with the media go with it. This will allow consumers to watch part of a movie on a tele-vision and transfer the movie to the portable media player so they can finish watching themedia at another time.

There were many companies displaying home media distribution solutions. These inter-connection and distribution options included very high-speed wired (200 Mbps) and wirelesspremises distribution systems and home media servers. While these new systems had manyadvanced media interconnection options, the users interfaces are becoming more simple tooperate with intuitive user icons and controls.

An emerging high-growth area of the IPTV industry is the "download and play" businessmodel. The download and play modem allows users to access content either through an IP settop box or through a soft client (program that is installed on a multimedia computer). Becausethe program is typically downloaded in entirety, the program can be played without distortionor errors after it is downloaded. This allows download and play companies to provide accessto television content through unmanaged networks such as the Internet. Because popular pro-gramming content owners have been conservative on providing popular programs to downloadand play companies, these companies have focused on vertical industry segments where con-tent can be easily obtained. This includes adult programming and educational ("how-to") con-tent.

PUBLISHERLawrence Harte

[email protected]

EDITORKayleigh Rader

[email protected]

MULTIMEDIAApril Wiblitzhouser

[email protected]

ADVERTISING SALESJim Main

[email protected]+1-832-321-4683

Expert EditorsBud Bates - Technology

[email protected]

Steve Kellogg - [email protected]

Lawrence Harte - [email protected]

Michael Sommer - Consumer [email protected]

Eric Stasik - Patents and [email protected]

Avi Ofrane- Billing [email protected]

Dr. Tom Mowbray - [email protected]

Tara Ramos - [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONSCirculation Manager

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Publisher’s Outlook

Lawrence Harte, Publisher

8 Definitions FREE at www.IPTVDictionary.comJanuary 2006

Steve Kellogg is a wireless marketing consultant and technology author. His career began in 1983, after continuingmarketing and media studies at UCLA, where he led start up operations for several early wireless retail mobile elec-tronics stores. He has collaborated on marketing programs with AirTouch Cellular, AT&T Wireless, Los AngelesCellular, GTE Mobilnet, U.S. West, U.S. Cellular, 360 Communications, PageMart and Page Cell. Mr. Kellogg isconsidered an expert in the strategic marketing development of communication services. He has consulted anddeveloped start up operations and marketing blueprints for both post-pay as well as pre-paid communication appli-cations in many diverse markets throughout the country. He is a frequent guest speaker, providing wireless launchexpertise and marketing development programs.

Regis (Bud) Bates is a wireless systems expert who specializes in network operations and planning for telecom-munications and management information systems. As president of TC International Consulting, he performsStrategic Planning, Business Continuity Planning and Technology Innovation for his client companies. Mr. Bateshas helped fortune 100-500 companies design, setup, and manage LANs and WANs using SONET, ATM, MPLS,and VPN architectures. He specializes in the setup of mobile communication systems and developing the process-es necessary to ensure the reliable restoration of networks when failures occur. Bud is a sought after professionalinstructor and he teaches using both Instructor-led (ILT) and Virtual classroom learning (VCL) formats. Bud Batesauthored over fifteen technology-oriented books, many of which were best sellers for McGraw-Hill. Bud receivedhis degree in Business Management from Stonehill College (BS) in Easton, MA and completed an MBA in Financeat St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia (except the thesis).

Mr. Harte has over 29 years of technology analysis, development, implementation, and business management expe-rience. Mr. Harte has worked for leading companies including Ericsson/General Electric, Audiovox/Toshiba andWestinghouse and has consulted for hundreds of other companies. Mr. Harte continually researches, analyzes, andtests new communication technologies, applications, and services. He has authored over 60 books on communica-tions technologies and business systems covering topics such as IP television, mobile telephone systems, data com-munications, voice over data networks, broadband, prepaid services, billing systems, sales, and Internet marketing.Mr. Harte holds many degrees and certificates including an Executive MBA from Wake Forest University (1995)and a BSET from the University of the State of New York, (1990).

Steve KelloggSteve KelloggMarketingMarketing

Bud BatesBud BatesTechnologyTechnology

Lawrence HarteLawrence HarteBusinessBusiness

IP Television Expert WritersIP Television Expert Writers

What makes a magazine successful is the value of its content. Our expert writers cover marketing, technology and business issues that are crit-ical to the success of IP television systems and services.


Tom Mowbray, PhD is a software systems, applications, and Internet technology expert, who has co-authored offive professional books, including: Software Architect Bootcamp, AntiPatterns, and CORBA Design Patterns. He isan Honorary Fellow of the Object Management Group (OMG), Howard Hughes Doctoral Fellow, and an AssociateEditor of the Journal of Enterprise Architecture http://www.aeajournal.org. He is a Founding Advisory BoardMember of the Worldwide Institute of Software Architects (WWISA) http://www.WWISA.org, and Co-Founder ofthe Internet Component Management Group (iCMG) http://www.icmgworld.com. He has conducted software andenterprise architecture consulting on over 70 projects for Bell Labs, Hughes Aircraft, Martin Marietta, MITRE,Blueprint, ARINC, SINTEF, General Motors, Stanford Software, ICH, QB, and Keane. Dr. Mowbray has earned anMS from Stanford and a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Southern California.

Tom Mowbray PhdTom Mowbray PhdSoftwareSoftware

Michael H. Sommer - The "Gadget Guy" Technology Commentator is a consumer electronics industry expert. Mr.Sommer regularly appears on several television stations as the Gadget Guy and is a sought after technology eval-uation and marketing expert. His words and industry findings are referenced in many leading industry publicationsincluding USA Today, N.Y. Times and Telecom Business magazine. Mr. Sommer has been on the communicationstaff of the Winter Olympics and he is a staff expert writer for IP Television Magazine. He has been a consultantfor hundreds of consumer electronics product developers ranging from high-tech start-ups to fortune 100 multina-tional companies. His clients include Motorola, Cendant Corporation, Sony, and other leading edge companies. Mr.Sommer attended the University of Hartford majoring in communications and he specializes in working with exec-utives from fortune 1000 companies providing them with an understanding of consumer electronics device require-ments and marketing programs.Michael SommerMichael Sommer

ConsumerConsumerElectronicsElectronics

Mr. Eric Stasik is the director of Patent08, an expert consulting firm located in Stockholm, Sweden providing patentengineering, business development, and licensing services to small and medium-sized enterprises. He is an expertin helping firms develop patent and licensing strategies that support their business objectives. He is the author ofseveral books on patent strategy and maintains a well-respected blog (www.patent08.com) on the business aspectsof developments on patent law and practice. Mr. Stasik is an engineer; he is not an attorney at law and does not pro-vide legal advice.

Eric StasikEric StasikPatents &Patents &

LegalLegal

Avi Ofrane is the president and CEO, and a master instructor of The Billing College. Mr. Ofrane founded TheBilling College in 1996 to address the converging market trends associated with telecommunications Billing andCustomer Care. Mr. Ofrane began his career in 1977 as an analyst with the IBM Corporation, designing and imple-menting manufacturing systems. Throughout his extensive career, Mr. Ofrane has been involved in all aspects ofthe industry, including strategic planning, RFP processing, vendor evaluation and selection, business process engi-neering, business/systems analyses, project management, implementation, operations, quality assurance, and exec-utive management. Since 1982, Mr. Ofrane has concentrated exclusively on the telecommunications industry, inwhich he is now a recognized expert and master instructor in Billing and Customer Care. Mr. Ofrane lectures exten-sively in the US and in Europe on Billing and Customer Care issues, strategies, methodologies, and practices andhe is a frequent speaker at major industry conferences. He has authored several leading books on billing systems.Mr. Ofrane holds a BS, Computer Science, from Pennsylvania State University.

Avi OfraneAvi OfraneBillingBilling

SystemsSystems


Market Update

In the last decade, satellite competition helped transform the $60 bil-lion U.S. multichannel video market from a monopolistic market lack-ing innovation to a steadily evolving channel for new service deploy-ment. Today, the entry of telcos with facilities-based video servicesheralds a new stage in the market's evolution into an intensely com-petitive and dynamic area of technology (see Exhibit 1).

Issue

Competition Is a Wake-Up Call forMultiple System Operators

Traditionally, cable operators have functioned as a geographic monop-oly placing relatively little emphasis on subscriber retention or cus-tomer satisfaction. Initially, direct broadcast satellite (DBS) did little to

Collapse of Cable Operator Monopoly ForcesChange in Service and Product

by Aditya Kishore, Media & Entertainment Strategies Senior Analyst, Yankee Group

Exhibit 1. The Evolution of the Multichannel Video MarketSource: Yankee Group, 2005

substantially alter the market-most multiple system operators (MSOs)anticipated DBS penetration would be largely limited to areas wherecable was unavailable. During the last 7 to 10years, DBS has provento be a worthy opponent, capturing nearly one in every three U.S. mul-tichannel video households. Digital conversion has further changedthe market, enabling new services and driving innovation. Telcos havebeen steadily losing wireline voice market share, while the MSOs areramping up their VoIP assault on the $63.2 billion residential telepho-ny market. Telcos have been forced to deploy video products, whichcreates new competitive pressures on incumbent players. In addition,players such as USDTV, VOOM, MovieBeam and Akimbo are explor-ing new business opportunities with services that were traditionallyowned by cable companies. Traditional consumer electronics manu-facturers, driven by low-priced competition from Asia-Pacific, want touse broadband-delivered services integrated with their devices as a dif-ferentiator. Although broadband-delivered video services are less like-ly to compete directly with incumbent video providers, they willinfringe on some service-provider-delivered services, particularlyVoD.

Problem

Balancing the Multiple Service Bundle

Multichannel video providers face an array of technology, pricing andproduct positioning options as they compete fiercely for consumerhouseholds. At stake is the combined communication and entertain-ment spending that could reach close to $200 per household permonth. Multichannel video providers must determine what key newapplications they should deploy-including DVRs, VoD, HDTV andITV-to keep up with competition and differentiate offerings. Theymust optimize product packaging and pricing for video-as well as thetriple-play package of voice, video and data-to effectively appeal toconsumer needs and they must develop the right marketing and con-sumer education initiatives to encourage product adoption. Providers'customer service is insufficient to compete in this increasingly com-petitive market.


Exhibit 2. 2005 Offerings for Generating Revenue and Retaining Subscribers in a CompetitiveMultichannel Video Market

Source: Yankee Group, 2005

Solution

Developing a Competitive Product Set

The fusion of discrete industry segments will require a shift in per-spective by concerned service providers. Telcos, focused primarily onregulatory hurdles in the past, must now drive a new free market mind-set through their organizations. They should recruit executives withexpertise in competitor strengths, such as content acquisition.Similarly, MSOs must emphasize marketing over technology toaddress the new competitive market environment, while DBS opera-tors must leverage short-term telco relationships and develop long-term strategies as telcos transition from partners to competitors.Pricing and packaging will be omnipotent as consumers choose single-service focus instead of multi-service bundles from providers. Priceelasticity will vary not only for individual services but also for triple-and quadruple-play services. Customer service will be the critical dif-ferentiator. Investment in a superior consumer experience is essentialfor survival in this industry. This includes supporting a seamless con-sumer experience and interoperability across device and service plat-forms delivered by the service provider. Operators must evaluate back-office solutions that can enable this capability. Of particular impor-tance are the navigational interfaces across the various platforms,which must offer a similar look and feel.

Value

Companies involved with multichannel video will need to identify andtrack new technologies of note to their business to stay competitive.

Recommendations-Move away from single-product services to service bundles. For

example, telcos don't need to beat cable with video-they need to winwith triple- or quadruple-play messaging.

-Back-office innovation is critical. MSOs consistently get poorcustomer care ratings. They must make investments in back-officeinfrastructure to create a high-quality customer experience across mul-tiple services.

-Strive for excellence in the installation process. Punctual, cour-teous and knowledgeable installers will dramatically help improve theimage of service providers. As the digital home evolves, the plethoraof devices and services will confuse consumers. Service providerswilling to expand their installation teams' expertise and add wholehome services will gain a valuable differentiator.

-Create a seamless experience across devices and products. A sin-gle bill, a single customer care number to call, and consistent inter-faces and features across devices are needed. For example, a usercould program a DVR from a wireless phone or the Internet by usinga program guide that has a similar look and feel to the one on the set-top box.



Digeo™ andC o m p o r i u mSuccessfully TrialMoxi™ Media Centerin Homes on IPTVNetwork

Digeo, Inc., and Comporium have successful-ly trialed three in-home IPTV firsts: 1) multi-stream HD DVR on a fiber-to-the-home(FTTH) network, 2) multi-stream SD DVRover DSL, and 3) multi-room distribution ofboth live and recorded content from an IPTVprovider. The trial is being conducted onComporium's live commercial IPTV system,using Digeo's Moxi™ Media Center, whichhas already been deployed to more than250,000 homes nationwide on traditionalcable TV systems.

The goal of the trial was to explore thefeasibility of using proven, already-deployedDigeo technology to deliver multiple streamsof HD and SD content over an IPTV network.Each participating household in Rock Hill,

S.C., in the Charlotte (N.C.) metropolitanregion, received the same Moxi Media Centercurrently deployed by cable operators in morethan 80 markets. However, instead of usingthe coaxial cable input, the IPTV trial usedthe Moxi Media Center's built-in Ethernetport. A subset of trial homes also received theMoxi Mate companion box to deliver contentand media center functionality to a secondroom via existing in-home coax wiring.

The trial successfully delivered tohomes:

-Multi-stream HD content to a DVR onan IPTV network

-Multi-stream SD content over DSL to aDVR

-Both live and recorded content from anIPTV provider to more than one room withinthe home

The trial delivers the same Emmy®award-winning user experience currentlyenjoyed by cable TV customers nationwidewho have the Moxi Media Center in theirhomes. Trial participants were able to accessfull media center functionality, including theability to record, pause and rewind live TV;manage digital photos and MP3 music files;watch DVDs; play games and access weather,sports and news via an interactive informationticker. For trial participants who received thecompanion Moxi Mate, this functionality wasalso available on a second TV in the home.

With highly positive reports from trialparticipants on their experiences with theMoxi Media Center, Comporium is expand-ing its evaluation to additional households asit considers the product for commercialdeployment.

"This trial is particularly significant fortwo reasons: first, it was conducted withalready-deployed technology, not lab technol-ogy or an advanced prototype that has yet tomake it to market," said Mike Fidler, CEO of

Digeo. "Second, it married the superior capa-bilities of the Moxi Media Center to what webelieve to be the next-generation deliverytechnology - Internet protocol. As the numberof channels and HDTV content expandsexponentially to meet demand, it will becomeincreasingly important for consumers to havea simple, intuitive interface that can help themnavigate and manage the wide range of digi-tal entertainment."

Coaxsys to ShowcaseN e x t - G e n e r a t i o nHome NetworkingTechnology at CES

Coaxsys, Inc., leaders in IPTV and multime-dia networking announced that it will unveil a200Mbps Ethernet-over-Coax networkingtechnology at International CES in Las Vegas

IPTV News


on January 5-8. The solution will be demon-strated in conjunction withSTMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), one ofthe world s largest semiconductor companiesand a clear leader in set-top box (STB) sys-tem-on-chip (SoC) solutions.

Gary Hoffman, Coaxsys VP of BusinessDevelopment, stated, TVnet 2X provides amajor leap over the speeds specified by cur-rent networking solutions, such as 10/100Ethernet, HomePlug-AV, and IEEE 802.11n.Like existing 100Mbps TVnet products, itworks over existing TV coaxial wiring but itshigher bandwidth paves the way for the fea-tures and functions required by operatorsdelivering IPTV and other high-speed appli-cations within the home.

He continued, Year-to-date Coaxsys hasdeployed tens of thousands of TVnet adaptersfor voice, video, and data with more thansixty service providers. This 200Mbpsdemonstration with ST proves our commit-ment to meeting operators future needs fornext-generation products and licensing oppor-tunities for set-top box and semiconductormanufacturers.

In addition to meeting Telcos need forIPTV networking, TVnet 2X will enablecable MSOs to deploy whole-home, net-worked PVRs and other IP services, saidChristos Lagomichos, Group Vice Presidentand General Manager of ST s HomeEntertainment Division. Coaxsys 200Mbpstechnology will ensure that operators will beable to deliver any number of HD videostreams and connect any Ethernet device.

Interactive TelevisionNetworks, Inc.Announces theLaunch of Lacrosse TV

Interactive Television Networks, Inc. (ITVN)announced they have partnered with theNational Lacrosse League to launch LacrosseTV. This new network will consist of bothlive professional games as well as archivedmatches. College lacrosse content is expectedto be added in the near future. Lacrosse TVwill serve as the focal point for lacrosse play-ers, fans and all involved with this fast-grow-ing sport.

Lacrosse TV will broadcast up to 20 liveNational Lacrosse League games during the2006 season, in addition to over 150 archivedgames, which are available on demand. Thenetwork expects to add college matches in thenear future. The Network is available for amonthly fee of $9.95 with no upfront costs.Lacrosse TV has a planned launch date ofJanuary 1, 2006.

"ITVN is pleased to be the official homefor the National Lacrosse League's TV ser-vice," said Charles Prast, CEO of ITVN. "Weare pleased to introduce a series of IPTVsports networks, beginning with Lacrosse.Sports Illustrated recently described lacrosseas the fastest growing sport in America (April25, 2005 issue). Lacrosse participation at the

high school and college levels is booming.NLL games aired on NBC last season, andESPN has carried college lacrosse for severalseasons. It's the sport of the future, and we'reexcited to partner with the National LacrosseLeague in offering this service to a rapidlygrowing player and fan base."

Lacrosse TV will offer dedicated teamchannels for all eleven NLL teams, which willair archived games plus team news and otherteam information.

Our partnership with ITVN has created aservice for fans unlike any other in sports,"said National Lacrosse League CommissionerJim Jennings. "With the creation of LacrosseTV, our fans can watch more live games thanever before, and can re-live the greatmoments of past seasons with on-demandgame archives. The content is easy for fans tofind--each team has its own dedicated chan-nel, with past games on-demand plus newsand information on the current season.Lacrosse TV, powered by ITVN, will create anew standard in how leagues and teams offercontent to fans."

Current ITVN subscribers will enjoy oneLacrosse channel as part of their current pack-age, with the option to add the network totheir subscription. To become a Lacrosse TVsubscriber or for more information, pleasevisit http://www.lacrossetv.com.


Ruckus WirelessCreates RIOT toAddress the Collisionof Computer Networksand ConsumerElectronics

Ruckus Wireless, Inc. (Ruckus), an innovatorin next generation smart Wi-Fi technology,today unveiled the first Wi-Fi interoperabilityand open testing program aimed at network-ing popular home media appliances for multi-media content distribution in the digital homewithout cumbersome wiring.

The Ruckus Interoperability and OpenTesting program (RIOT) was developed toensure the flawless operation of IP-enabledmedia appliances, such as set-top boxes(STBs), personal video recorders (PVRs),

mobile video players, high-end home enter-tainment servers and conditional access sys-tems over standards-based, multimedia-pur-posed Wi-Fi technology pioneered by RuckusWireless.

Advanced Digital Broadcast, Amino, i3micro technology (i3), entone Technologiesand Telsey Telecommunications are the firstset top box makers to participate in theRuckus RIOT program.

In addition, Kaleidescape, Inc., theleader in entertainment servers, and SlingMedia, an innovative new IP-based multime-dia appliance manufacturer, are also partici-pating in the RIOT program.

Now, makers of home media appliancescan offer their customers unprecedented free-dom and flexibility with products that can beeasily installed or moved anywhere, anytime,throughout the home.

"The broadband connection in the homeis quickly becoming an important funnel for aplethora of digital multimedia content andservices to consumers," said Kurt Scherf, vicepresident and principal analyst at ParksAssociates. "The problem is that the broad-band outlet is nowhere near the TV oraudio/visual devices in most homes socabling has become a barrier to the uptake ofnew, multimedia offerings. Wi-Fi is a desir-able solution but consumers need to beassured that media devices do work reliablyover the air. Programs such as Ruckus RIOTare an essential step toward delivering truemultimedia-capable wireless solutions."

RIOT Details

RIOT is designed to remove connectivity bar-riers and facilitate the rapid adoption of new,advanced IP-based multimedia appliances byconsumers. A key goal of the Ruckus RIOTprogram is to accelerate the deployment ofcarrier-based IPTV services by simplifyingthe installation and increasing the flexibilityof media device placement in the homethrough the use of new multimedia-purposedWi-Fi technology. RIOT testing and certifica-tion is open to manufacturers of third-partyIP-enabled media devices at no cost. All test-ing is performed by Ruckus Wireless in real-world home environments.

"RIOT is an important step in creating anecosystem for next generation IP-based homeentertainment networks," said Selina Lo,president and CEO of Ruckus Wireless."Consumers aren't networking experts andservice providers can't afford to roll out newservices that require huge installation andsupport costs. RIOT not only helps accelerateIPTV deployment, it brings a new level offlexibility and accessibility to both consumersand providers of IP multimedia devices andservices."

RIOT testing includes qualitative andquantitative analysis related to the transmis-sion of multimedia content over smart-MIMOwireless technology. RIOT testing examines avariety of factors such as the accurate mea-surement of packet loss and bandwidth con-sistency, channel change latency, as well asthe distribution of multicast traffic - all essen-

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tial to supporting emerging applications suchas IPTV.

Problems at Home

Service providers everywhere are rushing tobring consumers a new generation of interac-tive, IP-based voice, video and data servicesand they are discovering that in-home distrib-ution of these services is a stumbling block.

Inevitably the broadband connection in ahome is set up in a study or the basement,away from the home entertainment areaswhere audio/visual devices are located. Forthe majority of homes that do not haveEthernet pre-wired to all corners, the con-sumer has to put up with unsightly exposedwiring, or hire a cable installer.

While Wi-Fi is seemingly the ideal solu-tion for media distribution in the home, itsperformance has historically been too unsta-ble for high-quality audio and video stream-ing. Multimedia applications do not toleraterandom delays and loss caused by temporaryinterference, motion, and bandwidth con-tention.

To solve this problem, Ruckus Wirelesshas developed a smart-Wi-Fi system thatassures a quality signal path over the air fordelay- and loss-sensitive traffic. Patent-pend-ing Ruckus BeamFlex and SmartCast tech-nologies are used to find the best path for Wi-Fi transmission and to prioritize bandwidthamong different types of traffic. This ensuresthat, for instance, while watching a streamingTV channel over the Wi-Fi network, the pic-ture remains perfect even if someone else isdownloading MP3 files or cooking popcorn inthe microwave.

Shanghai TelecomCollaborating withSiemens to ProvideIPTV Services inChina

Chinese broadband operator ShanghaiTelecom Co., Ltd., and Shanghai MediaGroup (SMG) will be collaborating withSiemens to offer Internet protocol television(IPTV) services to a national market that nowincludes about 25 million broadband usersand 360 million television viewers,announced the Siemens CommunicationsGroup at a press conference held today inShanghai, China.

Shanghai Telecom has been successfullytesting the Siemens SURPASS HomeEntertainment solution and, by the end ofFebruary, the operator plans to use theSiemens portfolio to offer IPTV services to5,000 households in the Shanghai borough ofPudong. Market research firm In-Stat predictsthat Chinas IPTV subscribers will grow toabout 4.5 million IPTV users by 2008.

The Siemens SURPASS portfolio willenable Shanghai Telecom to provide its sub-scribers, via a DSL connection and a set-topbox, with television programming, Internetaccess, video on demand, digital recording oftelevision programs and video conferencing

made possible by a Web camera placed on thetelevision set. Interactive wagering duringlive sports telecasts popular in China will alsobe available to subscribers.

Siemens makes Internet protocol televi-sion (IPTV) services a reality today through-out the world with industry-leading process-es, solutions and knowledge of broadbandnetwork infrastructures. Built on an open,standards-based architecture, the SiemensSURPASS Home Entertainment solution pro-vides rich user experiences, efficient back-office management tools and the buildingblocks for complete convergence of entertain-ment, communication and smart home solu-tions the Siemens LifeWorks vision.

User-friendly IPTV gateways and smarthome solutions are key components of theSiemens LifeWorks philosophy, a vision foranytime and anywhere digital media deliverywithout barriers. The SURPASS HomeEntertainment portfolio is the IPTV solutionof choice for more than 75 U.S. regional oper-ators as well as many more worldwide.Globally, Siemens IPTV contracts now covermore than 38 million broadband lines.

Tut SystemsLeverages IPTVE x p e r t i s eInternationally

Tut Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: TUTS), announcedthat it has achieved more than 100% growthin the volume of IPTV business won in 2005compared to 2004. This achievement is aclear indication of Tut Systems' successfulexecution of its international growth strategythrough direct and indirect channels.

In the first 10 months of 2005, TutSystems averaged one IPTV win per monthinternationally and more than doubled its baseof international IPTV deployments. Thedeployments were the result of multiplestrategic reseller relationships and directinvestment by Tut Systems in the EMEA andAsia Pacific regions. To date, Tut Systemshas deployments in more than 18 countriesacross four continents.

"Tut Systems is rapidly driving its IPTVmarket leading position in North Americaninto other countries across continental andeastern Europe, northern Africa, the MiddleEast and through the Asia Pacific Region,"said Bob Noonan, Vice President of GlobalSales and Customer Care for Tut Systems."Using our proven IPTV expertise, industry-leading MPEG-4 AVC encoding/transcodingtechnologies and the reach of our global part-ners, we are actively delivering our AstriaÒ

family of products and systems integrationcapabilities throughout the world."

In August, Multimedia Research Group,Inc. (MRG Inc.) named Tut Systems a Leaderamong video headend vendors for IPTV ser-vices. Tut Systems was the only video head-end vendor to secure a Leader rating for theNorth American and Global markets, and oneof two vendors to achieve a Leader rating forthe Asia Pacific market.

"Our Market Leaders Report identifieswhich IPTV systems and software companiesare leading each of the IPTV markets global-ly and within the four regional markets thatwe track," said Bob Larribeau MRG's SeniorAnalyst. "Tut Systems is the clear globalleader for IPTV video headend systems interms of channels installed today and theirvery strong position in the North Americanmarket, combined with recent tier 1 interna-tional reseller relationships, makes Tut

Systems a force to be reckoned with on aglobal level."

More than 150 service providers acrossNorth America, Europe and Asia deliverIPTV powered by Tut Systems digital head-ends. The Astria family of video processingplatforms, which serves as the core of thecompany's digital headend solution, process-es both analog and digital video streams frommultiple satellite and local sources in a vari-ety of formats. The Astria CP supportsMPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC video compres-sion, local ad insertion, forward error correc-tion and provides real-time conditioning fordistribution of video and audio over anyATM, IP, or RF broadband network. TheAstria VSP provides the highest density, car-rier class, single chassis product for the deliv-ery of IP video over RF broadband access net-works, including coax and FTTP (Fiber to thePremises).


Verimatrix DeliversContent SecuritySolutions to LeadingI n d e p e n d e n tTelecommunicationsCarriers OfferingIPTV

Verimatrix, the leading developer of IPTVcontent protection and security solutions,announced further deployments of itsVerimatrix Content Authority System(VCAS) with two independent telecommuni-cations carriers: CC Communications andETEX Communications. Both innovativeindependent carriers are offering new triple-play services and compelling bundled pack-ages for their customers.

We are continuing to have success withpioneering independent carriers that are look-ing for a competitive edge in their markets,said Tom Munro, CEO, Verimatrix. Our con-tent provider-approved security solution, thatprotects live broadcast and Video-on-Demandcontent, scales from hundreds to millions ofsubscribers.

VCAS is as a software-based contentprotection solution built on the principles ofPublic Key Infrastructure (PKI) and X.509

digital certificates. Verimatrix has pioneeredthe use of digital watermarking throughoutthe content delivery chain. Verimatrix patentpending user-specific Videomark" allowsoperators to provide a verifiable chain of cus-tody throughout the content distributionchain. In the event that content should leakfrom a network, Videomark provides the abil-ity to trace the source of leakage back to thespecific set-top box (STB) that was used toplay out the content. Furthermore, VCASprotects the operator s revenue stream.

CC Communications, one of the earlyproviders of IPTV and triple-play services in2002, recognized the need to include encryp-tion on its platform to secure its growingnumber of Video-on-Demand (VOD) movietitles. Its OnNow! digital television serviceoffers more than 60 of the most popular chan-nels, plus four premium cable networks andits Movies on Demand capabilities. The carri-er delivers these IP services over its dualfiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and copper ADSL2+ networks. CC Communications,

which is owned and operated byChurchill County in Northern Nevada, isranked 116 in size out of 1,324 independenttelephone companies.

We are in a competitive market, so wegot into the IPTV business early. Since then,consumers have experienced price stabiliza-tion and more competition for better servicesin the area, said David Tilley, broadbandsupervisor for CC Communications.Verimatrix made our decision easy due to itstight integration with our existing partner,Myrio, and its persistent encryption capabili-ties all delivered at the best price.

ETEX Communications, founded morethan 50 years ago as a telephone coop, is cur-rently upgrading its dual FTTH and copperADSL networks to build redundancy as thecompany prepares to offer its version of IPTVin January 2006. The company decided tooffer IPTV services mainly in response tocustomer demand, as residences and businessin the area have a lack of quality televisionservices. Plus, ETEX saw power in diversifi-cation and bundling services, which can save

its subscribers $60 to $300 annually.Verimatrix offered the best integration withthe rest of our IPTV platform at the bestvalue, said Charlie Cano, engineering manag-er at ETEX.

Irdeto and SKTelecom to sign strate-gic cooperation agree-ment for mobile TVcontent security

Irdeto, the proven expert in content securityfor digital TV, IPTV and mobile, has signed aMemorandum of Understanding with SKTelecom (SKT), Korea's number one mobilecommunications company, covering thestrategic relationship between the two compa-nies and for the joint development of contentsecurity solutions in support of South Korea'srapidly growing mobile TV market.

TU Media Corp., in which SK Telecomis a major shareholder, launched its SatelliteDigital Multimedia Broadcasting (S-DMB)mobile TV service in May of this year, andhas since gained more than 300,000 sub-scribers to its service. Irdeto developed anddeployed the world's first mobile conditionalaccess system for the service in May 2003,which allows TU Media Corp. to securelymanage consumers' access to its 11 video and


26 audio broadcast channels and to offer cus-tomers a variety of different paid subscriptionpackages.

Since the service's launch, Irdeto hasdelivered more than 1 million security mod-ules to the 18 manufacturers currently makingphones, PDA's, in-car devices and portablemultimedia players that support the TU Mediaservice.

Dr. Myung Sung Lee, (Senior VicePresident/Technology Strategy Group) of SKTelecom, said, "This is a strategic approachfor both sides to successfully address themobile TV market together. While SKT hasthe experience and the ability to create andmarket mobile TV to our subscribers, we rec-ognize Irdeto's leadership in the field ofmobile content security and the important rolethey play in helping us achieve our businessgoals. Against this backdrop, the agreementdemonstrates the strong will of the two com-panies to jointly lead the global mobile mar-ket through the establishment of a strategicrelationship."

"Irdeto's relationship with SK Telecomand TU Media Corp. is of great strategicimportance for both parties," said Mr. GrahamKill, CEO of Irdeto. "The joint agreementwith Irdeto is for the long term support of therapidly growing mobile TV business inKorea."

The two companies plan to make furtherannouncements regarding their cooperationduring the course of 2006.

On-Demand Servicesfor FiOS TVCustomers Poweredby SeaChange System

Amid all the industry talk about future IPTVservices, Verizon FiOS TV customers arealready using Internet protocol technologyevery time they order on-demand movies ornavigate the service's interactive program-ming guide.

Internet protocol TV uses the same rulesor protocols to deliver video that the Internetuses to transmit data. Verizon's IP-basedvideo-on-demand service is powered by theSeaChange IP Video System, the most widelyused media platform for on-demand televi-sion, with capabilities to support interactiveadvertising, games-on-demand and other newapplications. Verizon is also using conven-tional broadcast technology to deliver sched-uled programming for its fiber-optic FiOS TVservice.

SeaChange's IP Video System automatesthe entire FiOS TV on-demand service fromcontent intake right down to set-top applica-tions. In Verizon deployments, the SeaChangesystem works in conjunction with advancedMotorola set-tops in the first and only com-bined broadcast and IP system.

" The combination of IP and convention-al broadcast technology gives customers theservices they want today and positions us todeliver more IP-based services in the future,"said Paul Lacouture, president-NetworkServices Group for Verizon. "We choseSeaChange for their industry-leading plat-form and depth of expertise. They were the

natural choice to make FiOS TV a platformfor innovation, customer choice and conve-nience."

Said Bill Styslinger, president and CEOof SeaChange, "FiOS TV is an exciting newoffering. Verizon is the first telecommunica-tions company to deploy our technology onsuch a wide scale, and we look forward toworking with them to bring exciting newinteractive services to their customers."

Featuring more than 330 channels andthousands of hours of on-demand movies andother programming, FiOS TV is available toVerizon customers in parts of the Dallas-FortWorth area; Herndon, Va.; and TempleTerrace, Fla., and will launch soon in otherstates where Verizon is building its fiber-to-the-premises network. (Editors: See Dec. 12,2005, Verizon news release for additionalTexas FiOS TV markets.)

Drawing on the abundant capacity ofVerizon's all-fiber network, FiOS TV deliverssuperior TV service, with stunning picturesand sound, a rich library of on-demand pro-gramming and an easy-to-navigate interactiveprogramming guide. FiOS TV already offersmore than 20 channels of high-definition pro-gramming and will offer more as it becomesavailable.

Verizon's all-fiber network also supportsa high-speed Internet service with currentdownload speeds of up to 30 Mbps, and ahigh-quality voice service.

" Verizon's current approach of using IPfor video-on-demand gives us an excellentpath to migrate to IPTV when it's moremature," Lacouture said. "Our FiOS TV cus-tomers benefit by having a terrific alternativeto cable today and the promise of many morefeature-rich services in the future."


BT announces its firstcontent deals for nextgeneration TV withBBC Worldwide,Paramount andWarner Music Group

BT has announced landmark deals with threeof the world's biggest entertainment compa-nies, BBC Worldwide, Paramount and WarnerMusic Group.

The agreements bring the launch of BT'sTV over broadband service an important stepcloser. Starting next Autumn, BT customerswill be able to enjoy a vast range of on-demand film, music and television program-ming as well as a compelling interactive andcommunications service through their TVsets.

BT's service will be a world first com-bining access to digital terrestrial channels, an

extensive video on demand library and arange of interactive services. The uniquecombination of these unrivalled services willprovide BT customers nationwide withchoice, convenience and control over theirhome entertainment without the need to com-mit to expensive monthly subscriptions.

Ian Livingston, BT Retail CEO, said: "Apartnership between the country's leadingcommunications company and three of theworld's leading entertainment groups is greatnews for consumers in the UK. I'm delightedthe BBC Worldwide, Paramount and WarnerGroup share our vision. Our customers will beable to enjoy enhanced TV services and easyaccess to a wealth of interactive content andnew services straight to their TV. Whetheryou are a music fan, love films or hooked ondrama you will get the best in entertainmentwhen you want it. BT is defining next gener-ation TV ".

John Smith, CEO BBC Worldwide, said,"With video on demand rapidly shaping thefuture of television, we are very pleased to bepart of BT's TV service from the outset, pro-viding subscribers with blue chip pro-grammes and high quality viewing."

Nick Philips, Chairman of Warner MusicUK, said, "We are pleased to partner with BTas the first music provider to this innovativedistribution service. Industry leading agree-ments and unique partnerships like the one weannounce today are an important componentof Warner Music's global strategy to becomea multifaceted, music content company."

The agreement with Paramount providesBT with Paramount's blockbuster films in thepay-per-view window as well as an extensiverange or older and classic films from thefamous Paramount movie archive, all ondemand.

The announcement follows BT recentagreements with Europe's largest electronicscompany Philips to supply the set top boxwhich will deliver the high definition servicesand an alliance with Microsoft, which willprovide Microsoft TV IPTV Edition as thesoftware platform


Television Quality,Security, and Reliability

by: Lawrence Harte

Television networks provide a fairly high level of quality of service(QoS) to television viewers and to be successful, IP television serviceshould have similar quality, security, and reliability as standard televi-sion systems.

Audio Quality

Audio quality is the ability of a speaker or audio transmission systemto recreate the key characteristics of an original audio signal. Audioquality can be affected by a variety of factors. These factors include thetype of audio coder (audio compression), transmission system andbandwidth limits.

Generally, the more you compress the audio, the lower the audioquality. Recently, innovations in audio compression technology pro-vide similar quality audio signals using a much lower data communi-cation (connection) speed.

IP Television (IPTV) service can provide audio quality that is thesame or better than standard television quality audio. IP television sys-tems can offer advanced audio options including stereo and surroundsound.

Audio distortion is the undesired changing of an audio signal andit can come from a variety of sources in Internet Television service.However, some of the key factors in audio distortion are packet lossand packet corruption.

Packet loss is the inability of the communication network to deliv-er a packet to its destination within a prescribed period of time. Theeffect of packet loss on audio distortion is to temporarily mute or dis-tort the audio signal. Packet loss can result from a variety of eventssuch as network congestion or equipment failures.

IPTV Series List Month

What is IPTV Jul 05Viewing IP Television Aug 05IPTV Features & Services Sep 05How IPTV Systems Work Oct 05IPTV Networks Nov 05Access Systems for IPTV Dec 05IPTV Quality Jan 06IPTV Premises Distribution Feb 06IPTV Service Provider Costs Mar 06

This article is Part 7 of a 9 Part Series

IPTV Series


Because IP television communication systems can delay (buffer)the delivery of packets of data, it is usually possible and practical toresend packets of data that contain audio information. As a result,packet losses are infrequent. When packets are lost, this can result inthe temporary muting of audio.

Packet corruption is the changing of some of the packet data dur-ing its transmission. Packet corruption can come from a variety ofsources such as poor communication line quality or momentary lineloss from lightning spikes. Because IP Television service typically usesspeech compression, the packet data represents a sound that will berecreated rather than a specific portion of the actual audio signal. As aresult, if corrupted data is used, this can create a very different audiosound then expected. This distorted sound is commonly called"Warble."

Figure 1 shows some of the causes and effects of audio distortionin IP Television systems. This example shows that audio signals aredigitized, compressed and error protection coded prior to transmission.During the transmission process, some packets are lost or corrupted.The loss of packets can result in the temporary muting of the audio sig-nal. Because the data compression process represents sounds by dif-ferent codes in a codebook, packet corruption results in the creation ofa different altered sound than the sound that was previously transmit-ted. When there is significant data corruption, this can create unusualsounds (a "Warble" sound).

Video Quality

Video quality is the ability of a display or video transfer system torecreate the key characteristics of an original video signal. Traditionalvideo quality impairment measurements include blurriness and edgenoise. Digital video and transmission system impairments includetiling, error blocks, smearing, jerkiness, edge busyness and objectretention.

Video quality can be affected by a variety of factors that interactwith each other. Some of these factors include the choice of videocoder (video compression), transmission type and bandwidth limita-tions. The types of distortion on analog video systems include blurri-ness and edge noise. Digital video and transmission system impair-ments include tiling, error blocks, smearing, jerkiness, edge busynessand object retention.

Tiling is the changing of a digital video image into square tilesthat are located in positions other than their original positions on thescreen. Error blocks are groups of image bits (a block of pixels) that donot represent error signals rather than the original image bits that weresupposed to be in that image block. Jerkiness is holding or skipping ofvideo image frames or fields. Object retention is the keeping of a por-tion of a frame or field on a display when the image has changed.

Figure 1, Internet Television Audio Distortion

32 January 2006 Definitions FREE at www.IPTVDictionary.com

Figure 2 shows some of the causes and effects of video distortionthat may occur in IP Television systems. This example shows thatvideo digitization and compression converts video into packets thatcan be sent through data networks (such as the Internet). Packet lossand packet corruption results in distorted video signals. This exampleshows that some types of digital video distortion include tiling, errorblocks and retained images.

Reliability

Reliability is the ability of a network or equipment to perform withinits normal operating parameters to provide a specific quality level ofservice. Reliability can be measured as a minimum performance ratingover a specified interval of time. These parameters include bit errorrate, minimum data transfer capacity or mean time between equipmentfailures (MTBF).

Reliability factors for IP television service include IP televisionaccess device reliability, data network connection reliability, data net-work reliability, call server reliability, and feature operation reliability.

Access Device Reliability

Access device reliability is the ability of system equipment or a deviceto allow a user to gain access to a network within a specific qualitylevel of service. For IP television service, the access device must be

able to request and view IP television channels. To be effective, IP tele-vision access devices must be able to continuously process video andaudio signals during the viewing of a channel. Access device operationmay be dedicated (such as an IP Television) or they may be shared(such as viewing on a multimedia computer).

Access devices are often connected to a modem or local data net-work equipment. The reliability of these local data communicationdevices also affects the reliability of IP television service. Some ofthese devices may change their configuration during connection anddisconnection. If the data communication device does not appear to beworking, it is best to turn its power off and restart the equipment.

Figure 3 shows that the selection of access device can affect theoperation and quality of IP television service. In this example, a stan-dard television that has an IP television set top box (analog televisionadapter) and a laptop computer are viewing a television channel via amedia server through the Internet. The analog television adapter isdesigned to perform one function, viewing IP television service and italways has the resources (processing power) to do this. Unfortunately,the laptop computer is a multipurpose device that is currently runningseveral applications (word processor, spreadsheet, and email). Whenthe laptop computer receives this television channel, the other process-es may cause the audio and video to become somewhat distorted or theresulting delays may drop the media connection.

Figure 2, Internet Television Video Distortion

34 January 2006 Definitions FREE at www.IPTVDictionary.com

Data Network Reliability

Data network reliability is the ability of the communication network toconsistently provide data transmission between points that are con-nected to the data network. Data networks such as the Internet weredesigned to successfully operate even if large portions of the networkwere destroyed. To accomplish this, the Internet was designed as adumb network that uses smart switches. Each switch in the Internet(called a router) has the ability to dynamically change the path it usesto sending data through based on information it regularly receivesfrom other routers. If a router can no longer send data to a neighbor-ing router, it will automatically start to send data to a router it can com-municate with. As a result, the Internet is very reliable as it can repairitself in the event of equipment failures.

Figure 4 shows that the Internet is a web of paths that interconnectendpoints and that if this web is broken, it is possible for informationto take another path to reach its destination. This rerouting of infor-mation is automatic.

Data Connection Reliability

Data connection reliability involves the connection from your com-puter, IP set top box or IP television to the data network (such as theInternet). Your data connection may be divided into two parts; accessprovider and data network provider (such as an ISP). The accessprovider manages the connection between your equipment and thedata network provider converts your data into a format that it cantransmit through the data network.

Figure 5 shows the key parts of an Internet service provider (ISP)and how they can affect your communications reliability. This diagramshows that an Internet connection can be divided into an ISP portionand an access provider portion. This example shows an IP televisionthat is connected to a cable modem. The cable modem is connected tothe head-end of the cable television system where a gateway adapts thedata from the cable network into a format that can be used by the ISP.The ISP has a router that connects the gateway into a format that issent to the Internet. This diagram shows that this ISP only has one con-nection to the Internet and if it experiences difficulty, the Internet con-nection can be lost.

Figure 3, IP Television Access Device Reliability

Figure 4, Internet Reliability


ITVSP Server Reliability

Internet television service provider reliability is the ability of a televi-sion service provider (television channel processing system) to setupand control IP television channels along with selecting and managingvideo switches and gateways. To ensure reliability, IP television ser-vice providers may have redundant (duplicate) server equipment,updated lists of IP television gateways, and use equipment that con-firms to specific and compatible revisions of communication proto-cols.

Figure 6 shows the key parts of an IVTSP that is used to provide IPtelevision service and how the configuration can affect reliability. Inthis example, the ITVSP television server has two media centers that

are connected to the Internet at different locations. IP televisions com-municate with the ITVSP servers to setup and receive television chan-nels. Each ITVSP sever has a media provider list that comes from acompany that maintains lists of the gateways at media sources (e.g.movie distributors). In the event of a failure of one of the servers, theother server will operate to setup and connect IP television channels.

Feature Operation Reliability

Feature operation reliability is the ability of the system to recognizeand process feature requests. There are many features available in tele-vision networks (such as pay per view, pause, rewind and mute) andthese features have been designed and tested to interoperate with eachother. These features are usually managed by a single system. When

Figure 5, ISP Reliability


these features are offered via ITVSPs, there may be interaction withthese features with features offered by different service providers. Thiscan cause challenges with the operation of specific features. For exam-ple, if an ITVSP provides access to movies on demand and the mediaserver uses a proprietary protocol for control messages, the player con-trol commands or menu selection may not work correctly.

Figure 6, ITVSP Reliability

Series Source:Introduction to IP Television (IPTV)$14.99 printed$12.99 eBook


Basic Operationby: Lawrence Harte

The WLAN system operates by coordinating the access to the radiochannels and sending packets of data between wireless access devices.Packets of data that are sent within the WLAN system must containenough addresses and control information to allow them to reach theirdestination. Packets may be sent directly between units (independentmode) or they may travel through a backbone network (distributedmode). Association of devices with access points (APs) keeps track ofwhere devices are operating and the addresses assigned to reach them.

Addressing

Addressing in a WLAN system consist of addresses of devices that arepart of the WLAN system. These are called medium access control(MAC) addresses. Each device in the WLAN system including sta-tions, access points, and routers has its own unique 48 bit mediumaccess control (MAC) address (also known as a link address).

Each data packet that is transmitted in the wireless LAN containsmultiple MAC accesses. These include the source address (SA), desti-nation address (DA), transmitter address (TA), and receiver address(RA). The source address is the MAC address of the device that orig-

inated the packet. The transmitter address is the address of the devicethat sends the packet into the wireless medium. The receiver addressis the MAC address of the device that receives the wireless packet. Thedestination address is the MAC address of the last device in the sys-tem to receive the packet.

Figure 1 shows the frame structure for an 802.11data packet. Thisdiagram shows the packet holds up to 4 MAC (Ethernet) addresses andcontains a medium access control (MAC) header and a variable lengthframe body that holds the data. The data body can vary from 0 to 2312bytes. The data packet also includes a frame check sum (FCS) to checkthe packet for transmission errors. This diagram shows that the MACheader is divided into a frame control field (type of frame) contains upto 4 address (used for source, distribution, and destination packet rout-ing) and it contains a sequence control to identify each frame in asequence of frames.

WLAN Series List Month

Introduction to WLAN Nov 05WLAN Technologies Dec-05WLAN Operation Jan 06WLAN Industry Standards Feb 06WLAN System Parts Mar 06WLAN System Setup Apr 06


WIreless LAN Series

Figure 1, 802.11 Packet Frame Structure


When Internet protocol (IP) addressing is used, the IP address ofthe end device (such as a laptop or PDA) is mapped (temporarily asso-ciated) with the MAC address of the station. The IP address and itsdata payload are simply carried by the WLAN packet to the destina-tion MAC address (probably a gateway to the Internet).

Medium Access Control (MAC)

Medium (radio) access control involves sensing activity, timing, expo-nential backoff, and retry limits. Before WLAN devices can transmit,they must listen to radioactivity around them to determine if they areallowed to transmit. Some of the radioactivity includes control mes-sages that define time periods (interframe spaces) where devices arenot allowed to transmit because other devices are transmitting or willbe transmitted during those periods. If a device listens and hears noradioactivity or reserved interframe periods, it can attempt to transmit.If the device does not hear a response to its initial transmission, it willdelay its next transmission an amount of time each time it attempts totransmit (exponentially). Devices also have limits on the maximumnumber of times it can attempt to access (limited number of retrys)other devices. This MAC process removes the possibility of all devicesattempting and reattempting to access other devices at the same time.

The methods for controlling access to WLAN systems may berandom ("contention based") or assigned ("non-contention based").

The operation of a WLAN system can centralize, distributed or a com-bination of the two. When the operation of the network is random, it iscalled distributed coordinated function (DCF). When the operation ofthe network is coordinated, it is called the point coordination function(PCF).

DCF allows the independent operation (distributed access con-trol) of wireless data devices (stations). In DCF contention-based sys-tem, communication devices randomly request service from channelswithin a communication system. Because communication requestsoccur randomly, two or more communication devices may request ser-vice simultaneously. The access control portion of a DCF session usu-ally involves requiring the communication device to sense for activitybefore transmitting and listen for message collisions after its servicerequest. If the requesting device does not hear a response to its request,it will wait a random amount of time before repeating the accessattempt. The amount of random time waited between retransmissionrequests increases each time a collision occurs.

DCF mode is a peer-to-peer network where the temporarily wire-less network that has no server or central access point, hub, or router.Since there is no central base station to monitor traffic or provideInternet access, the various signals can collide with each other.

Figure 2 shows how a distributed WLAN system allows units toindependently request and transmit data. Using a carrier sense multi-ple access (CSMA) protocol, WLAN data terminals listen for activityin the radio channel before starting to transmit. If there is no channel

Figure 2, Distributed Access Control


activity, the WLAN data terminal can begin to transmit. It will then lis-ten to hear a response to its transmitted signal. If it does not hear aresponse within a pre-defined time period, it will stop transmitting andstart the channel access process again (listen then transmit).

PCF allows the coordinated operation (assigned access control -Infrastructure Mode) of wireless data devices (stations). In PCF con-tention free system, communication devices wait until they receive apolling message before they transmit any information. Because a mas-ter host coordinates the transmission of all the devices within its net-works, no device will transmit at the same time (contention free). Theaccess control portion of a PCF session usually involves requiring thecommunication agreeing to listen to a single host before transmittingany data. To confirm transmitted data has been successfully received;the polling message will usually include information about the statusof packets that have been received. If the sending device does notreceive a confirmation of transmission in the polling message, it willretransmit the data again after it receives another polling message.

Figure 3 shows a wireless LAN system that uses a point controlfunction (PCF) that requires each of the access devices to wait untilthey hear a poll request before they can transmit. When a stationreceives a token from a serving station (such as an access point), it mayrespond to the poll request with the information it has to transmit. Theuse of the PCF mode ensures that channel collisions do not occur. Thisallows the serving station a guarantee a specific data transfer (dataflow) to specific stations. This guaranteed data transmission rate isimportant for real time communications (such as voice or video).

It is possible to combine the benefits of distributed (DCF) andcontrolled (PCF) access into one system. The combination is in theform of repetitive time periods that are allocated for DCF and PCF. Bycombining these processes, it is possible to guarantee data transmis-sion for real time services (such as voice) and permit random accessfor temporary communication (such as direct connections between lap-top computers)

To control the overall flow of packets in the 802.11 system con-trol packets (control frame subtypes) packets are used. These controlpackets include Request to send (RTS), Clear to send (CTS),Acknowledgement (ACK), Power save poll (PS-Poll), Contention freeend (CF-END), and Acknowledgement end (CF-END+ACK)

The RTS packet is used to inform stations that can hear a trans-mitter the amount of time of a packet that is coming (time duration) tohelp them avoid packet transmission collisions. The CTS packet istransmitted from the station that is identified in the RTS packet so thatother stations know a packet transmission will occur. The ACK pack-et is used to confirm packet transmission has been successfullyreceived. The PS-POLL packet is used to request the transmission ofpackets that may have been held during a power saving hold mode.The CF-END packet and CF-End+ACK packet is used to unblock therestriction to transmit during a contention-free period.

Figure 3, Point Control Function (PCF)


Association

Association is the process of registering with a system to allow infor-mation to be transmitted and received with a device or system.Association in a WLAN systems it the process of registering a wirelessdata device (station) with a specific access point (AP) that is part of awireless local area network (WLAN) system.

To allow devices to determine which radio coverage area anddevice they are communicating with, beacon messages are periodical-ly transmitted (broadcasted) from devices to identify their deviceand/or network name.

During the installation process for most wireless networks, youneed to enter the network name or Service Set Identity (SSID).Different network names are used when setting up your individualcomputer, wired network or workgroup. The SSID is a 32-characterunique identifier attached to the header of packets sent over a WLANso that it can differentiate one WLAN from another. All access pointsthat are part of a specific WLAN must use the same SSID. A devicecannot join a WLAN unless it can provide the unique SSID assigned tothat system.

The SSID does not have to be broadcasted by the system. If youhave set the SSID in the access point and end user station(s), they cancommunicate without providing the SSID for others to see.

Association allows users to move seamlessly (roaming) from oneAP coverage area to another with no loss in connectivity. When aWLAN station first senses an access point, it associates with the AP.

When a station leaves an AP or wants to transfer to a new AP becausethe signal quality is better, it disassociates with the AP. This releasesresources and allows the system to hold or reroute packets to the newAP that the station associates with next.

Figure 4 shows how an 802.11 WLAN system can use the associ-ation process to maintain connections between devices as they wanderbetween access points (APs). In this example, a user is communicatingwith a WLAN system using a personal digital assistant (PDA). Whenthe PDA senses WLAN access node 1, it sends a request for an associ-ation message to the WLAN access point (AP) 1. AP 1 can then updatethe router as to the availability of the user in the WLAN network. Asthe user walks out of range of AP 1, The PDA sends a disassociationrequest to the system. This allows AP 1 to release the PDA identifica-tion from its memory. When the PDA senses AP 2, it transmits an asso-ciation request. This example shows that the association of the PDAwith AP 2 allows information from a distant computer to reach thePDA.

Figure 4, 802.11 WLAN Association

Series Source:Introduction to 802.11Wireless LAN$14.99 printed$12.99 eBook


Optical Transmissionby: Lawrence Harte

Optical transmission is the transfer of optic signals through a trans-mission medium. These optical signals may be transferred throughoptical cable (fiber), optical switching systems and/or through anothermedium (such as air).

Fiber Transmission

Fiber transmission is the transfer of optical signals from one locationto another by fiber strands (optical waveguides).

Fiber optic cables contain one or more strands (usually manystrands) of glass or plastic that is used to transfer optical energybetween points. The size of most fibers is from 10 to 200 microns(1/100th to 1/5th of a mm). Optical fibers are typically used in a uni-directional mode (e.g., data moves in only one direction). Because ofthis, two-way transmission systems typically require at least two fibersfor duplex communication (one for transmission and one for recep-tion).

Optical signals must be coupled going into and coming from thefiber. Optical coupling is the transferring of optical signal energybetween components or systems through the use of lenses or throughthe directional properties of light sources and optical waveguides.

Free Space Optical (FSO) Transmission

Free space communication is any form of communication that doesn'tuse a conductor (copper wire, waveguide, or glass fiber). Free spacecommunication can use electromagnetic (radio) or optical signals.When optical systems use free space transmission, they must be free ofnon-transparent physical obstructions.

Free space optical systems use highly focused directional trans-mission beams so any movement in the building such as building swayor seismic activity can affect the positioning of the transmission beam.To help compensate for these potential challenges, some free spaceoptical systems use auto positioning leveling systems that can auto-matically adjust for changes in the positioning of the optical transmit-

ter and receiver. To improve the performance of free space opticaltransmission systems, they may use multiple optical beams (multi-beam) which provides some spatial (distance) diversity.

Some of the impairments to free space optical transmissioninclude signal scattering, absorption loss and scintillation.

Scattering is the deflection of light from the path it would followif the refractive index were uniform or gradually graded. Scattering iscaused primarily by microscopic or submicroscopic fluctuations in therefractive index. Scattering is the principal cause of the attenuation ofan optical waveguide.

Absorption loss is energy that is lost in the transmission of a sig-nal that results from the conversion or dissipation of an electrical, elec-tromagnetic, or acoustic signal into another form of energy (such asheat) that results from the interaction of the signal(s) with other mate-rials.

Scintillation is the random fluctuation of an optical or radio sig-nal about its transmitted path (beam wandering and beam spreading)that results from changes in transmission characteristics. An exampleof a cause of scintillation is air changes due to heating ducts or smoke-stacks. Scintillation is also called refractive turbulence. Scintillationmay cause the optical beam to change direction (beam wandering) orthe energy in the beam to spread over a wider path.

Figure 1 shows free space optical transmission. This diagramshows that free space optical transmission systems loose some of theirenergy from signal scattering, absorption and scintillation. Optical sig-nal scattering occurs when light signals are redirected as they pass

Optical Series

Optical Series List Month

Introduction to Optical Communication Dec 05Optical Transmission Basics Jan 06Optical Networks Types Feb 06Optical Principles Mar 06Optical Fiber Apr 06Fiber Transmission May 06Optical Multiplexing Jun 06Optical Systems Ju 06Optical Testing Basics Aug 06OTDR Testing Sep 06



through water particles. Optical signal absorption occurs as some opti-cal energy is converted to heat as it strikes particles (such as smog).Scintillation occurs when heated (such as from smokestacks) air causea bending of the optical beam. This example shows that it is possibleto transmit multiple lightwave signals on different wavelengths(WDM) to increase the overall data transmission rate.

Optical Distribution

Optical signal distribution is the capability to connect and route signalsfrom one or more input sources to one or more output sources. Opticaldistribution systems can use optical switching systems or wave divi-sion multiplexing to redirect and route optical signals in an opticalcommunication network.

Optical Switching

Optical switching is the process of connecting optical signals betweenmultiple ports or time periods on optical communication lines. Opticalswitching systems may convert the optical signals to electrical form orthey may directly connect the optical signals using optical switches.

Wave Division Multiplexing

Wave division multiplexing is a process of transmitting several distinctcommunication channels through a single optical fiber via the use of adistinct separate infrared wavelength (optical frequency or "color") foreach communication channel. Each such channel may be further sub-divided into several logical channels via time division multiplexing orother methods.

Figure 2 shows how a wave division multiplexing over fiberoperates. This diagram shows that there are several lasers operating at

Figure 1., Free Space Optical Transmission


different optical wavelengths (different colors/frequencies). Each laserconverts an electrical signal into a pulsed light signal. These opticalsignals (optical carriers) are combined by an optical multiplexer (lens)for transmission through the optical fiber. At the receiving end, the dif-ferent optical carriers are separated by an optical demultiplexer (lens)and each optical carrier is sent to a photo-detector. The photo-detectorconverts the optical signal back into its original electrical form.

Optical Receiver

An optical receiver is a device or assembly that collects optical signalsand converts them into an electrical or RF signal. An optical receivercontains a light detector (photodetector) such as a PIN diode or

avalanche photodiode that produce electrical signals that are related tothe signal characteristics (intensity or wavelength) of an optical carri-er signal. The optical receiver recovers the information signal from thechanges optical carrier signal using amplitude (e.g. pulse modulation)or phase modulation (e.g. wavelength).

Figure 2., Wave Division Multiplexing

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IPTV Billing Series

Measuring ServiceUsage

by: Lawrence Harte, Avi Ofrane

Service usage is the measurement of a type of usage of content or ser-vice. IPTV services can be a combination of television/video, datacommunication, telecommunication, and information services so thereare thousands of potential service identification codes in a single IPTVbilling system. Service usage fees may be a mixture of recurring (peri-odic) or one-time (single) charges that occur over a billing cycle.

Periodic Charges

Periodic charges are fees that are associated with a product or servicethat is assessed on a regular interval (i.e. monthly, quarterly, annually).

Periodic charges may be prorated based on the duration of serviceused during the billing cycle. Prorating is the process of fractionalizingcharges for a partial period. In order to determine the partial charge, thenumber of days that the service was available to the customer is multi-plied by a per-day-charge called a "Multiplier".

Activation Fees

Activation fees are one-time fees that are charged for the initial setupof communication service. Activation fees are also called "setup fees."

Equipment Leasing Charges

Equipment leasing are the charges assessed for the use of equipment.Equipment leasing options for IPTV include set top boxes, modems,routers, televisions and any other type of equipment that can be used inthe customer's premises to allow for the reception, distribution and dis-play of IPTV media.

Penalties

Penalties are charges that are assessed for actions or service usages thatfall outside the agreed limits of service usage. Penalties can includeearly contract termination fees, charges for lost equipment or the usageof services by unapproved devices (e.g. media storage devices).

Late Fees

Late fees are charges that are added to an account or invoice for failureto pay charges by the due date or series of due dates that have been pre-viously agreed upon by the customer.

The assessment of late fees may be regulated so that pyramidingof late fees does not occur. Pyramiding late fees is the charging of latefees from a previous invoice period so that the payments applied arenot enough to cover the current late fees resulting in the assessment ofadditional late fees.

Disconnection Charges

Disconnection charges are fees that are assessed for the disconnectionof a service. Disconnection fees may be charged if the user fails to paythe account balance and the service is disconnected for non-payment;or if the customer has requested to disconnect service before the termof the service agreement is complete.

Re-Activation Charges

Reconnection charges are fees that are assessed for re-connecting a ser-vice that was previously disconnected. Reconnection charges may belower than new service activation charges because much of the setupwork may have already been done and customer information is already

IPTV Billing Series List Month

Introduction to IPTV Billing Oct. 05 Billing Systems Nov. 05Billing Standards Dec. 05Measuring Service Usage Jan. 06


available which reduces the amount of effort and resources that arerequired to reactivate the service.

Discounts

Discounts are reductions of pre-established fees or tariffs that aregiven for specific reasons. Discounts may be in the form of a specificamount or they may be based on a percentage of an item's price orinvoice amount. Discount types may be coded using specific identifi-cation codes and discount rates may be applied based on the specifictype of sale or customer category using a discount schedule. Theaccount representative may grant discounts on an ad-hoc basis to aspecific customer.

A discount schedule is an itemized list or table that provides pric-ing discount information for products or services. The price discountschedule will usually include the amount of discount based on usagevolumes, quantity of product purchased, and the types of customersthat qualify to receive the discounts (e.g. wholesale, education, retail).

Item Usage Fees

Item usage fees are the charges or assessments for the authorization toaccess (the service may not actually be used) or usage of products andservices. Item usage fees can be based on duration, volume or type ofservice.

Duration Based Usage Charges

Duration based usage charges are fees that are assessed for the amountof time a service is authorized for use. An example of a duration basedusage charge is the providing of access (or the right to access) to spe-cific items or services for a defined time usage criteria (e.g. authoriza-tion to watch a movie during a 24 hour period).

Volume Based Usage Charges

Volume based usage charges are fees that are assessed for the amountof service that is consumed. An example of a volume based usagecharge is the providing of quantity of service (or the ability to consumea specific volume) to specific items or services for a defined quantity(e.g. the amount of data transferred, or number of movies down-loaded).

Quality of Service (QoS)

Quality of service (QoS) fees are charges or assessments for providingservices at a specified level of performance. QoS fees may vary basedon the requested quality of service level and the actual delivered qual-ity of service level. For example, if the customer requests a communi-cation service guaranteed data transmission rate such as a committedbit rate (CBR) of 1 Mbps, this may be an upgrade to an available bitrate (ABR) service data connection.

Overage Charges

Overage charges are fees that are imposed or added to an account forhaving exceeded the allocated amount of usage for a defined level, orquantity of service, or time period.

Data Storage Fees

Data storage fees are charges for the allocation and/or usage of storagemedia. Storage fees may be charged for raw data storage or for thestorage of particular types of media (such as movies, pictures andvoice mailboxes). Data storage fee rates may vary based on the relia-bility (such as backups) and data transfer performance available fromthe data storage device.

Figure 1 shows some of the common types of service usagemetering. This diagram shows that the types of usage metrics mayinclude the amount of time a service has been used, how much of a ser-vice may be used, the number of times a service has been used or acti-vated, the type of use (e.g. single viewer or public viewers), quality ofservice (e.g. high resolution or low resolution) or the location of theservice access point (e.g. home or at a visited/away location).

Advertising Fees

Advertising is the communication of a message or media content toone or more potential customers. In addition to revenue from provid-ing services or content to subscribers, additional revenue may bereceived from advertisers.

Ad insertion is the process of inserting an advertising messageinto a media stream such as a television program. For broadcastingsystems, advertising messages are typically inserted on a national orgeographic basis that is determined by the distribution network. For IPtelevision systems, Ad inserts can be directed to specific users basedon the viewer's profile.



IPTV service offers the option to insert advertising messages intoprogramming at a variety of distribution points. Advertising servicesfor IPTV systems include network advertising, (to all viewers), region-al advertising (spot ads), ads to specific viewers (addressable ads) andinteractive ads (ads that the viewer can immediately react or respondto).

Charging an advertiser for the delivery of advertising messagesincludes fees for ad impressions and ad selections. Ads may be insert-ed on a guaranteed or space available basis.

Ad Impressions

An ad impression is the presentation of an advertising message orimage to a media viewer. Charging for ad impressions on an IPTV sys-tem is different because it is possible to pay based on the actualimpressions to specific viewers. The better the profile of the viewermatches the desired audience of the advertiser, the more valuable thead impression becomes.

Ad Selections

Ad selection is a choice or option selected (e.g. clicked) by a viewerduring an ad impression. Unlike broadcast television services, IPTVsystems typically allow for a return communication channel alongwith the ability to redirect programming to specific advertising seg-ments. IPTV service providers can charge for ad links selected by cus-tomers and because ad selections indicate an interested prospectivecustomer, ad selection value can be hundreds of times higher than thevalue of ad impressions.

Equipment Purchase Charges

Equipment purchases are charges for devices that a customer may beallowed to control and keep. Equipment purchases may be required oroptional.

Figure 1, Types of Service Usage


Equipment Insurance Fees

Equipment insurance is charges for the protection or financial recov-ery of assets that may be damaged or lost for specific reasons.

Adjustments (Credit or Debit)

Adjustments are changes to item charges, invoices or account bal-ances. Adjustments are typically made to correct errors or to providesatisfaction to customers for billing errors or services that did not meetexpectations. Some of the common adjustments include chargewaivers and refunds.

Because accounting reports are periodically created for manage-ment and tax purposes, adjustments are made rather than changing pre-vious invoice information as these changes would alter reports thatwere previously produced. Adjustments therefore appear on the nextbill cycle's invoice.

Charge Waivers

Charge waivers are credits that are applied to an account or invoice toreverse a charged item or fee. Waivers may be full or partial and appearon the next bill cycle's invoice.

Refunds

Refunds are credits that are applied to an account or invoice to reversea previously received payment. Refunds are actual payments madedirectly to the customer.

Finance and Interest Charges

Finance and Interest charges are the fees charged for overdue balances.

Bill Rendering (Paper or CD ROM)Fees

Bill rendering fees are charges for the production of billing records inspecific formats such as paper or other forms of stored media (e.g. CDROM). The fees for bill production (bill rendering) may vary based onthe detail level that is included in the bill format.

Network Access Charges

Network access charges are fees or assessments for the usage of par-ticular network resources such as communication circuits, channels oraccess points.

Circuit Charges

Circuit charges are fees or assessments for the allocation or dedicationof communication paths between access points in a communicationnetwork.

VPN and PVC Charges

Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC)charges are fees or assessments for the setup and management of log-ical (virtual) connections in a communication system.

Port Charges

Port charges are fees or assessments for the providing of access points(ports) into a communication network.

Taxes

Taxes are charges or levies assessed by a government agency orauthority for services that are provided or products that are sold andsales that are defined by the government as a taxable commodity.There can be many types of taxes imposed on a service provider andthe calculated tax fees depend on the type of service provided, thelocation of the service and potentially other criteria. Taxes may beassessed by a combination of national, regional and local authorities.

Regulatory Surcharges

In addition to taxes, communication regulatory agencies may imposeadditional fees (surcharges) to assist in the costs of management anddevelopment of public communication services.

Interconnection Access Surcharge

Interconnection access surcharge are fees that are collected to helpdevelop access systems that allow customers to select alternative com-munication access providers.

Emergency Services Surcharge

Emergency services surcharge is the fee that is collected from a userof communication services to help operate emergency services such asPublic Safety Answering Points(PSAP). PSAPs are facilities thatreceive and process emergency calls. The PSAP typically receives thecalling number identification information that can be used to deter-mine the location of the caller. The PSAP operator will then initiateand/or route calls to assist with the emergency situation.

Universal Service Charge (NorthAmerica)

Universal service charges are fees that are collected from service usersin a communication system to subsidize the construction of communi-

cation systems in rural areas to allow people in all areas within a coun-try to have affordable access to communication services.

Security Deposits

Security deposits are asset collections that are controlled by a serviceprovider or company for the assurance that a person or company willfulfill their obligations such as performing an action or payment forservices.

Other Charges & Credits (OC&C)

Other charges and credits are fees or assessments for services or prod-ucts that cannot be classified in other categories (e.g. miscellaneouscharges).

Series Source:Introduction to IPTV Billing$14.99 Printed$12.99 eBook


Interactive Advertising Offers Big Money forBroadcasters

By: Steve Kellogg

Interactive advertising is the process of allowing a user to select orinteract with an advertising message. Interactive advertising is atremendous opportunity for advertisers as it provides more than simplemeasurements of ad performance, it adds value to viewer experienceand it can extend the time and information that the viewer receivesfrom the advertisement.

For one-way broadcast advertising services, it is difficult to mea-sure the response to advertising messages because viewers do not usu-ally purchase their products until after the ad has been completed.Separating out the orders generated by the advertising message fromcustomers who did not see the ad can be difficult.

Interactive ads can provide new measurements that indicate howviewers react to advertising. Because interactive ads are associatedwith specific viewers, the number of interactive ad impressions can beaccurately measured. Viewers may then interact by moving their arrowkeys or mouse-over images to display more information. While theuser may not select this information, the mouse-over information can

be captured to indicate viewer interest in specific options. The keymeasurement offered by interactive advertising is the click throughrate (CTR) of specific items (links) in the interactive advertising mes-sage.

Because the viewer can navigate through options in interactiveads, the viewer experience can be better targeted towards their specif-ic interests. For example, the viewer may select the option of seeingspecial airfares between destinations of their choice rather than pre-selected destinations you might see from a broadcast advertisement.

The types of ad insertions can vary from interstitial (replacesmain video), expandable and ad compressible ad units, media playerwrapper images. While viewing interactive ads, viewers can typicallyselect an option or mark the option so they can receive further infor-mation about the product or service.

Because interactive ads redirect a viewer to an ad server, thisallows the viewer to have a viewing experience that can extend longbeyond the short traditional 30 to 60 second broadcast ad. Interactive

Featured Article

Table 1, Interactive Advertising Advantages

ads may be expandable and collapsible allowing the viewer to expandpart of an advertising message that they find interesting.

Table 1 shows some of the advantages of using Interactive adver-tising. This table shows that interactive ads offer new measurementsthat can help determine the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.Because interactive ads allow viewers to navigate to areas of interest,they offer a more focused or better targeted viewing experience.Interactive ads have the potential to offer the viewer with extendedinformation that would not be available in a traditional one-way adver-tisement.

Interactive advertising is a win, win, win service. Customers have

a more relevant, more targeted viewing experience, advertisers arewilling to pay more for increased response rates and better measure-ments and carriers will receive more money for a smaller number ofads.

Interactive advertisers typically pay for both ad impressions andad clicks. The ad impressions build brand value or product awarenessand the clicks measure the response to product offers or featureoptions.

Some of the companies involved in the interactive advertisingbusiness include Instream, Terayon, Packetvision, ICTV, Sea Changeand Lightningcast.


Featured Article

Making Wi-Fi Smarter to Distribute IPTV in theHome

By: Bud Bates

Ruckus Wireless recently talked to us about how 802.11 wireless localarea network technologies can be improved to reliably distribute IPTV- even in the areas where many Wi-Fi networks are present. New tech-nology now exists that makes it possible to enhance the 802.11 systemto deliver a predictable Wi-Fi signal, focusing signals over the bestquality path through the air to specific receiving devices, avoidinginterference and increasing range, performance and reliability.

What is Wireless Distribution ofIPTV Signals?

With all the new digital information, wrapping in the Internet Protocol,in-home distribution has become a major issue for both consumers andproviders. Wi-Fi is clearly the desired mode of transport but hasn't

lived up to expectations relative to real-time video distribution. Wi-Fidistribution of IPTV streams from broadband providers is the use ofunlicensed radio frequencies to distribute multimedia signals to IP-enabled receiving devices in a home or nearby location. Moving IPTVstreams around the home using new "smart Wi-Fi" typically involvescombining smart antenna technology that determines the best paththrough the air for any given traffic type with the prioritization andmanagement of multimedia signals. This ensures that, even in an ever-changing environment, that IPTV streams can predictably be receivedand viewed at the highest possible quality.

Figure 1 shows how an in-home Wi-Fi system can be used for IPTelevision (IPTV) premises (home) distribution. This diagram showsthat a broadband modem is installed in the home that has WLAN withpremises distribution capability. This example shows that the broad-band modem is located at a point that is relatively far from other

Figure 1, Wireless IPTV Distribution


devices in the home. The broadband modem is connected to a wirelessaccess point (AP) that retransmits the broadband data to differentdevices through the home including a laptop computer, Wi-Fi televi-sion and an IP set top box (IP STB) that has a built-in Wi-Fi receiver.

Why is Wireless IPTV DistributionSo Important?

Wi-Fi distribution is important because no that voice, data and IPTVis coming into homes over the broadband connection, there's no easyand efficient way to get this digital multimedia information where youneed it. For example, many consumers in Hong Kong and Italy havealready refused new IPTV services due to rewiring or having to retro-fit their homes to support it. Even viable wired solutions such as IPover power lines and coaxial cables are costly, disruptive and oftensuffer from interference and reliability issues. Smart Wi-Fi was devel-oped to solve these problems.

IPTV over Wi-Fi is a preferred method of IPTV distribution in thehome because it allows the most freedom and flexibility for both thesubscriber and the provider. It also effectively eliminates the cost andhassle of wiring and/or re-wiring the home. Consumers are enamoredwith Wi-Fi and would prefer a single infrastructure in their homes forall their multimedia - if they could get it.

What Kind of Challenges Exist forIPTV Distribution overTraditional Wi-Fi?

Until recently, reliable distribution of IPTV signals over consumer-grade Wi-Fi systems have not been possible. Wi-Fi is fundamentallyan unreliable medium due to that fact that it is shared among multipleusers over the unlicensed RF spectrum. The key challenges that faceproviders and subscribers running IPTV over Wi-Fi is radio signalinterference from other sources, signal quality levels, range and datatransmission rates.

Radio interference can cause lost packets. This results in sub-standard video that freezes or has an unacceptable amount of artifacts.Sources of WLAN interference are varied and many includingmicrowave ovens, baby monitors, cordless telephones, neighboringWi-Fi networks and even people.

Signal quality is determined by a variety of metrics such as sig-nal strength, packet error rates and distortion that occurs betweenwireless communication devices. Lost packets cause artifacts or frozenvideo.

The Ruckus system increases the data transmission rates andrange in a physical area using directional beam-forming smart anten-na technology that focuses Wi-Fi signals toward the receiver over thebest possible signal path at any given time. If the signal path is dis-

turbed, Ruckus claims its system will automatically steer Wi-Fi beamsin a different direction to ensure consistent video transmission quality.

Figure 2 shows typical types of unlicensed radio transmissionsystems that can cause interference with WLAN systems. This exam-ple shows that there are several different communication sessions thatare simultaneously operating in the same frequency band and that thetransmission of these devices are not controlled by any single opera-tor. These devices do cause some interference with each other and thetypes of interference can be continuous, short-term intermittent oreven short bursts. For the video camera (such as a wireless video babymonitor), the transmission is continuous. For the cordless telephone,the transmission occurs over several minutes at a time. For themicrowave oven, the radio signals (undesired) occur for very shortbursts only when the microwave is operating. For the wireless headset,the transmission occurs for relatively long periods of time but thepower is very low so interference only occurs when the wireless head-set gets close to WLAN devices.


Important Features for WirelessPDN

The features of most importance to the user are those that are maskedby the underlying technology. That is to say they are not features theuser would tune or touch but rather features of critical important toenabling IPTV within the home. These include the ability for the sys-tem to automatically avoid other Wi-Fi interference from neighboringnetworks, or microwave ovens or other obstructions that may dynam-ically appear and cause problem in the transmission of video over Wi-Fi. Another critical user features is the ability to support quality of ser-vice for special video traffic such as multicast. Multicast is typicallyhandled by the 802.11 protocol as best effort traffic. This means thatthe receiver sends no acknowledgement and only the bandwidth avail-able at any given time is used. This is simple unacceptable for stream-ing video or IPTV.

Smart Wi-Fi systems alter multicast traffic by directing the trafficto a specific receiver, forcing that receiver to provide an acknowl-edgement. This way the system knows if the video transmission was

received and the quality of the link. Without a smart Wi-Fi system tosupport multicast IPTV streams, subscribers will not be able to useIPTV in the home over Wi-Fi.

Finally, a Wi-Fi PDN must be able to intelligently distinguishbetween and prioritize different types of incoming traffic. If it cannot,a user watching an IPTV stream, for instance, would have their view-ing interrupted when another user is downloading a file over the sameWi-Fi network.

What is the Basic Operation of theSmart Wi-Fi System Developed byRuckus Wireless?

The Ruckus wireless system combines a smart antenna array andadvanced algorithms that control the selection of the antenna withadvanced traffic engineering and quality of service software to achievehigh-performance and system reliability

The Ruckus system leverages MIMO antenna diversity tech-niques to provide up to 63 different antenna combinations between any

Figure 2, Wireless LAN Interference


access point and adapter at any given time. Ruckus BeamFlex tech-nology manages how and when the antennas are selected and con-stantly ranks the quality of each link on a per station basis. In effect,dozens of receiving devices, each with dozens of potential signal pathsare monitored and managed.

In turn, the Ruckus system is able to provide interference mitiga-tion or avoidance. If a neighboring network on the same channel caus-es problems with a particular signal path, the Ruckus system can selecta different antenna combination the performs at a higher rate.

Ruckus Wireless has also developed a traffic engineering engineit call SmartCast. The company claims its software is a superset of802.11e used to identify, classify, schedule and queue different typesof multimedia traffic. SmartCast is used to ensure that different trafficis handled appropriate so, for instance, a large file download doesn'tinterfere with an IPTV channel being viewed at the same time.SmartCast is also responsible for multicast optimization.

Figure 3 shows how WLAN systems can be improved through theuse of directional transmission and media prioritization to provideimproved performance. This example shows that a wireless accesspoint has been enhanced to allow the transmission of signals usingdirectional antennas so that signals can be sent to specific devices. Inthis diagram, one of the best paths between the access point (AP) andWi-Fi device (e.g. Wi-Fi Television) is not direct as a metal art objectthat is located between the AP and the Wi-Fi device reflects the radio

signal. This example also shows that this WLAN system has the capa-bility to prioritize transmission based on the type of media (such asreal time video over web browsing data).

Who Sets Up IPTV DistributionSystems

While home IPTV distribution networks can be set-up by the con-sumer, just like a conventional Wi-Fi network is setup today. Mostconsumers will rely upon and prefer to have the broadband providersetup the system to ensure the best possible performance and reliabil-ity. For example, PCCW in Hong Kong, the worlds leading IPTVprovider with some 500,000 subscribers, provides in-home installationof both smart Wi-Fi as well as wired alternatives.

What type of Equipment is neededfor a Ruckus Wireless PDN?

To build a reliable wireless PDN, the only equipment needed is a wire-less multimedia router (or access point) and (optionally) a Wi-Fienabled receiver of some sort. That receiver could be a laptop, set top

Figure 3, Smart Wireless LAN

box equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities or an IP-enabled PVR.Obviously, for IPTV to be supported, a broadband IP connection fromthe service provider and a broadband gateway terminating that con-nection is required. Typically the Wi-Fi multimedia system is attachedto the broadband gateway in the office or den. A smart-Wi-Fi receiveris attached to devices (such as a set top box) to ensure predictable con-nectivity.

Are There any CompatibilityIssues?

Ruckus systems can co-exist with traditional LANs or even replacethem. Some of the compatibility issues include how wireless access

points support multicast traffic and the ability for set top boxes andother IP-enabled multimedia devices can actually support the Wi-Fistandard. To ensure interoperability, Ruckus Wireless has developed afree interoperability program it calls Ruckus Interoperability and OpenTesting (RIOT). This program was developed for third-party manufac-turers of IP-enabled multimedia devices such as set top box, gameconsoles and PVR. All testing is performed by the Ruckus in an in-home test laboratory created for the program.


Network operators looking to offer video to their subscribers havefound a flexible solution in multicast distribution of content over IP.This distribution model enables such companies to leverage theirexisting infrastructures to support provision of a greater number andvariety of services to subscribers in larger volumes.

Broadband IP network technology enables true "triple play" capa-bility ? voice, video and data services ? delivered efficiently and cost-effectively, and it serves as a dynamic foundation for the future growthof additional revenue-producing services. By employing a single net-work to provide all of these services, network operators are able toreduce costs in terms of both equipment and operational staff.

IP networking is far more scalable and versatile than traditionalvideo distribution networks. Because operators can manage bandwidthuse intelligently, they are able to dynamically maximize network useaccording to the company's business strategy and the services beingoffered

While broadcast video over IP has become popular for privatenetworks, such as for delivery of contribution and distribution feedsbetween networked media facilities, it is relatively new as a mode ofdistribution to individual consumers. However, new technologies forhandling video over IP have simplified smart distribution of video andother data so that IP-based networks "understand" how to move videocontent, without compromising broadcast, voice or data services.

Architecture for video distributionover IP

Today's IP video distribution model includes a headend, a central pointat which video content is aggregated via satellite downlinks. Thisheadend features a headend controller that communicates with sub-

IP Multicasting: Good Grooming is EverythingBy: Mario Rainville, Scopus Video Networks

Featured Article


scribers' set-top boxes via a specific communications protocol.Receivers at the headend aggregate programming for different net-works, and actual program streams are released through a groomingand streaming device that prepares signals for transfer over the IP dis-tribution network.

In the multiprogram, point-to-multipoint model required for dis-tributing many channels to many users, a number of popular always-on channels can be bundled together for optimal continuous delivery.For other channels, the headend controller receives individual channelrequests from each set-top box. If the channel is not already being dis-tributed over the IP network, the software instructs the broadband IPstreamer/groomer to release that particular channel for distribution.

The dynamic distribution of channels according to demand is oneof the primary and important differences between broadband IP net-works and broadcast networks. A broadcast network might broadcast100 channels, available all of the time, even if only 30 of those chan-nels are being watched in a given area. In this case, a significantamount of bandwidth is essentially being wasted. The value in IP-based delivery of video is that, through a combination of communica-tions, grooming and efficient encapsulation, enough bandwidth is pre-served to enable delivery of more than one service over the same net-work.

Just as data is transferred over broadband networks in discretedata packets, so too is video. Though these packets may be sent via dif-ferent routes, they all arrive at the same destination and are put intosequence to create a video stream. While delay is acceptable in deliv-ery of data ? as for email, which is delivered once all packets arriveand the message reconstructed ? it is not feasible within video trans-port applications.

The timing and sequence of video frames is critical, and so accu-rate on-time delivery is a necessity. As the gateway for all programs,the IP streamer/groomer encapsulates video with headers and flags thatalert network switchers along the way that the packet has priority over

other data and must be delivered according to a specific schedule.Timestamping, sequence numbering, and payload identification onthese packets ensure that they are delivered in order and that they aregiven enough priority that they are not lost or delayed on the way.

IP Streaming and GroomingSystems

Investing in a high-quality IP streaming and grooming solution isimportant in achieving the highest possible bandwidth efficiency anddelivery of the highest-quality image for viewers. In terms of a net-work operation's ongoing development of video-related services, thedevice must have the capacity to handle and groom numerous chan-nels, all at the same time. It also must have the capacity to expand asa company's broadcast services evolve.

IP streaming solutions are responsible for bit rate regulation andshaping, or turning programming of variable bit rates (VBR) into pro-gramming with a controlled constant bit rate (CBR). Incoming satellitefeeds have variable bit rates, depending on the content they include.Footage of a golf tournament, for example, would typically have alower bit rate than an event with rapidly changing scenery and a greatdeal of action. Through the grooming and rate shaping process, infor-mation that is not perceptible by the human eye is removed to ensurea constant bit rate.

Rate shaping enables a real time analysis of the incoming digitalvideo in the compressed domain, and performs bit rate reduction on thedigital video streams eliminating the need for decoding and re encod-ing the video. The IP streaming and grooming device at the headendmust be able to perform this process for hundreds of channels simulta-neously and thus must be equipped with tremendous processing power.Once video has been brought to a CBR, it is encapsulated and sent overthe network's IP interface.

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Today's solutions for grooming and streaming systems are denserand much more powerful than solutions previously available. In justone rack unit (1RU), new systems handle a volume that five years agorequired a full rack. This improvement in capacity and processingpower represents more than just space savings, but also a reduction inheat dissipation and power consumption. A smaller system is also eas-ier to maintain and backup, so network operators can more easilyensure uninterrupted signal distribution. Because these advanced sys-tems rely on high capacity Gigabit Ethernet, the amount of video thatcan be fed to a grooming device is no longer limited by the capacity ofthe input ports on the box.

Scopus' All-in-One Solution

Designed to serve as a full-featured broadband IP streamer, providinggrooming and delivery of digital TV content over IP networks for TVover DSL or FTTH networks, the Scopus Video Networks IVG-7100is a compact, all-in-one solution that supports hundreds of TV services,transported at wire-speed over its Gigabit Ethernet output. While othersystems feature grooming, rate shaping, multiplexing and scramblingcapabilities in separate boxes Scopus solution combines all featuresand in particular excellent bit rate shaping technology yet providinghigh-quality images delivered to the IP network.

As a DSP-based device, the IVG-7100 can evolve as video pro-cessing algorithms and multicasting technology advance. Simple soft-ware upgrades allow the system to adapt to the changing needs of abusiness and provide the type of functionality required. The IVG-7100is compatible with leading conditional access and encryption tech-nologies and can scramble channels as directed by the controlling soft-ware.

Support for the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and the Real-timeTransfer Protocol (RTP) allow for basic multicasting as well as thelaunch of additional services in the future. Networks operators can usethe IVG-7100 to add local programming into broadcast streams ordeliver data such as player statistics or actor biographies along withvideo content. This capability also extends the possibility of insertingadvertising, giving viewers the option of making a purchase, or evenswitching into video-on-demand mode when a subscriber requests anadditional content stream.

The benefits of using IP broadband networks to distribute contentare enormous, and the Scopus system is intended to provide a flexible,cost-effective and highly functional solution for launching IP multi-casting services. With an advanced IP grooming and streaming systemin place, network operators can take full advantage of the potentialIPTV provides.

Mario Rainville is leading themarketing activities for ScopusVideo Networks. Prior to joiningScopus, Rainville co-foundedMorecom, Inc., a provider of dig-ital convergence technologies andproducts for television and theInternet. He was key in definingsystems architectures, marketing

the platform and products, as well as managingtechnology partnerships with key industry players.In 2000, Morecom was acquired by LiberateTechnologies, at which Rainville assumed the lead-ership in product management of the company'sflagship enhanced TV technology.


Media EncodersA media encoder is a device or circuit that converts a signal into a media format that is suitable for transmission over a communication

channel.

Buyers Guide

Breeze Technologies

The company offers a cluster of leading edge MPEG2 and MPEG4 IPTV products that address video encoding,video transmission and reception encompassing such applications as broadcasting, enterprise, education & training, sales & marketing, health,security and industrial monitoring.In addition, the Breeze in-house product development team's heritage in the broadcast and corporate sec-tors is well equipped to undertake the design and development of bespoke hardware and software products for OEMs, system developers andsystem integrators.

Mailing Address: 20 Lindford Road Salisbury SP1 3WX United KingdomPhone: +44 172 2322662

Web: www.breezetechnologies.ocm

AJA Video Systems Inc.

Since 1993, AJA Video has been a manufacturer of high-quality and cost-effective digital video interface, con-version and Desktop solutions supporting the professional broadcast and post-production markets. With headquarters in Grass Valley,California, AJA maintains an extensive sales channel of dealers and systems integrators around the world.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1033 Grass Valley, CA 95945Phone:+1-530-274-2048 Fax: +1-530-274-9442

Email: [email protected] Web: www.aja.com

Adtec Digital

Adtec Digital is a manufacturer of digital distribution solutions, digital commercial insertion solutions, embeddedvideo players, and video servers. Adtec's latest IPTV products include its Digital Turn Around Media Routers (3050/3150/3250), designedspecifically for direct-to-home (DTH) and enterprise IPTV applications. Equipped with Gigabit Ethernet and Conditional Access, they areideal for aggregating MPEG-2 transport streams and IP data services for delivery to an unlimited number of viewers equipped with low-costIP set tops. Adtec's IPTV solutions provide high quality, free-to-air and pay-to-view content within a corporate-branded, interactive programguide ideal for DTH, university, corporate or hospitality markets.

Mailing Address: 408 Russell St., Nashville, TN 37206Phone:+1-615-256-6619 Fax: +1-615-256-6593

Email: [email protected] Web: www.adtecinc.com

Deltacast

DELTACAST provides a range of state-of-the-art, cost-effective video boards for the broadcast and IPTV market.The DELTA-asi family, a versatile MPEG-2 to PCI gateway, is an essential building block for real-time PID remapping or VOD servers. 8boards are available, from 1 input or output up to 2 inputs and 2 outputs. The DELTA-sdi is a compact, versatile 10-bit digital video to PCinterface. With its 2 inputs, 2 outputs and genlock, video capture/playback, audio embedding and keying effects are a click away for broad-casters. These boards are used in OEM broadcast products to create custom solutions.

Mailing Address: rue G Magnée 92/6 Ans B-4430Phone: +32-2397884 Fax: +32-2397889

Email: [email protected] Web: www.deltacast.tv

Digital Rapids Corporation

Digital Rapids is a developer of professional hardware and software solutions for real-time video ingest, playout,transcoding, and streaming. Products include Stream video ingest and transcoding solutions, Copper for secure and error corrected distributionof digital media over diverse networks, StreamZHD and CarbonHD, an HD product line for real-time HD acquisition, playout, and transcod-ing. Digital Rapids products integrate seamlessly into existing post production, broadcast, and corporate environments dramatically increasingthe volume and quality of media produced while increasing productivity. Digital Rapids Corporation (www.digital-rapids.com) is headquar-tered in Ontario, Canada and has sales offices in California, the UK, and Australia.

Mailing Address: 100 Steelcase Road East, Unit 201 Markham Ontario L3R 1E8 CanadaPhone: +1-905-946-9666 Fax: +1-416-352-0716

Email: [email protected] Web: www.digital-rapids.com

Envivio

Envivio Inc. is a provider of MPEG-4 (including AVC / H.264) systems that power innovative services for rev-enue generating and bandwidth saving applications in the broadcast, mobile, enterprise and IPTV markets. Customers using Envivio systemscan reduce their operational costs by making their existing infrastructure more efficient while offering the highest quality video services at thelowest possible bit rates. Envivio is considered the industry expert in producing and delivering MPEG-4 products and systems. More thana pioneer in the development of MPEG-4 technology, Envivio has created product families that address specific IP and video delivery require-ments to enable the creation of new applications and services that were before not possible. Working with leading industry partners, the com-pany's open standards-based technology and systems are used to deliver complete end-to-end solutions that range from mobile video services,digital television over IP, rich media communications to high definition television

Mailing Address: 400 Oyster Point Boulevard Suite 325 South San Francisco CA 94080Phone: +1-650-243-2700 Fax: +1-650-243-2750

Web: www.envivio.com

Darim Vision Corp.

Utilizing embedded system technology, the MV401EXP reliably encodes live video and audio into web-ready,compressed streaming video in either Windows Media 9 format at up to full D1 resolution or H.264 (MPEG4 part 10) compression also at upto D1 resolution. The new H.264 version allows video compression at bit rates of less than half of that required of MPEG2 at an equivalentresolution. With the MV401EXP, video on demand can be achieved at 720x480 in NTSC at 30 fps and 720x576 in PAL at 25 fps. Once theMV401EXP is powered up, it automatically begins to stream video and audio.

Mailing Address: 4511 Willow Rd. Suite 4 Pleasanton, CA 94588Phone:+1-888-438-6734 Fax: +1-925-251-0178

Email: [email protected] Web: www.darim.com


Harris Broadcast Communications

Harris Broadcast Communications Division is one of four divisions within Harris Corporation, an internationalcommunications equipment company focused on providing assured communications™ products, systems and services for government andcommercial customers in more than 150 countries. One of the world's leading suppliers of broadcast technology, Harris BroadcastCommunications Division offers a full range of solutions that support the digital delivery, automation and management of audio, video anddata.

Mailing Address: 8661A Robert Fulton Drive Columbia, MD 21046-2265Phone: +1-603-249-9432

Web: www.broadcast.harris.com

Harmonic

Harmonic Inc. is a provider of digital video, broadband optical networking and IP delivery systems to cable, satel-lite, telecom and broadcast network operators. Harmonic's open standards-based solutions for the headend through the last mile enable cus-tomers to develop new revenue sources and a competitive advantage by offering powerful interactive video, voice and data services such asvideo-on-demand, high definition digital television, telephony and Internet access

Mailing Address: 549 Baltic Way Sunnyvale CA 94089Phone: +1-408-542-2500 Fax: +1-408-542-2511

Web: www.harmonicinc.com

Gefen Inc

Gefen delivers advanced technologies with multi-platform extension, switching, distribution and conversion capa-bilities. Gefen equipment is utilized all over the world in professional AV/IT and consumer electronics/home theater environments. Their add-on hardware maximizes system functionality and enhances operability by enabling AV systems to go beyond their original functionalities.Solutions support an array of connectivity interfaces including HDMI, DVI, dual link DVI, HD-SDI, SDI, VGA, RCA, USB, Firewire and RS-232. A selection of high quality cabling is also available.

Mailing Address: 1300 Bristol Street, Suite 160 Newport Beach CA 92660Phone: +1-818-884 6294 Fax: +1-818-884-3108

Email: [email protected] Web: www.gefen.com

Front Porch Digital

Front Porch Digital is the Broadcast and Media Division of Incentra Solutions, Inc. (www.incentrasolutions.com,OTCBB:ICNS), a provider of complete IT and storage management solutions to broadcasters, enterprises, and managed service providersworldwide. Front Porch Digital provides total digital archive management and transcoding solutions and is the market leader in deliveringunique software, services, and integrated hardware solutions for digital archive management to broadcasters and media companies worldwide.For additional information visit www.fpdigital.com

Mailing Address: 1140 Pearl Street Boulder CO 80302Phone: +1-303-449 8279

Email: [email protected] Web:www.fpdigital.com


Optibase

Optibase's MPEG 1, MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 encoders and decoders are used by video professionals worldwide inbroadcast, streaming and content creation solutions. In solutions such as video streaming, VOD upload, ingest and archiving, where video qual-ity, stability and reliability are paramount, professionals know that they can rely on Optibase encoding and decoding boards.

Mailing Address: 1250 Space Park Way Mountain View CA 94043 Phone: +1-650-230-2400 Fax: +1-650-691-9998

Web: www.optibase.com

Modulus Video, Inc.

Modulus Video, Inc. is a provider of next-generation HD and SD video compression solutions for digital televi-sion based on the MPEG-4 AVC (H.264 / MPEG-4.10) standard. Its products include encoders and professional decoders targeted at the broad-cast, narrowcast and video-on-demand markets. Each product provides significantly greater efficiency over legacy MPEG-2 systems, whileworking seamlessly within that existing transport infrastructure. Modulus provides long-term, cost-effective solutions for meeting theincreased demand for bandwidth in market segments including: contribution / distribution; digital television delivered via satellite, cable, ter-restrial, or IPTV, and enterprise networks. Modulus is based in Sunnyvale, California, and was founded in 2002.

Mailing Address: 985 Stewart Drive Sunnyvale CA 94085Phone: +1-408-245-2150 Fax: +1-408-245-2159

Email: [email protected] Web: www.modulusvideo.com

IPTV Magazine Buyers Guides are provided free of charge as a service to our readers. IPTV Magazine is not responsible for errors or omissions, nor for companysupplied responses. If your company or a company that you know of is not listed and you believe it should be included, please contact us at

[email protected] or call us at 1-919-557-2260.

Media Excel

Media Excel is a provider of advanced digital video solutions for Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), Hospitality,Digital Signage, Digital Home and Mobile Media market segments. Media Excel's product line consists of real-time standards based encoders,transcoders, streaming, and decoders, which include reference designs for flexible and short time-to-market solutions. Networked devicesinclude IPTV Broadcaster, IPTV Server, IP Set-Top Boxes and Portable Media Players enabling service providers to quickly deploy end-to-end media distribution solutions.

Mailing Address: 6300 Bridge Point Pkwy, Building 2 Austin TX 78730Phone: +1-512-502-0034 Fax: +1-512-502-0119

Email: [email protected] Web: www.mediaexcel.com

Sigma Designs, Inc.

Sigma Designs (Nasdaq: SIGM) specializes in silicon-based MPEG decoding for streaming video, progressiveDVD playback, and advanced digital set-top boxes. The company's award-winning REALmagic® Video Streaming Technology is used in bothcommercial and consumer applications providing highly integrated solutions for high-quality decoding of MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4.Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., the company also has sales offices in China, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan

Mailing Address: 1221 California Circle Milpitas CA 95035Phone: +1-408-262-9003

Email: [email protected] Web: www.sigmadesigns.com


New Products

Mailing Address: Unit 5 196 Old Shoreham Road Hove East Sussex BN3 7EH UKTelephone: +44 1273 774 800Fax: +44 1273 748 514

E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.globaldigitalbroadcast.com

Global Digital BroadcastThe IPTV Network

Global Digital Broadcast (GDB) provides expertise with IPTV Channel solutions with a simple user interfacethat transforms the internet into a global television network.GDB provides organisations of any size or loca-tion with the equipment and ability to rapidly deliver end-2-end global IPTV projects. These solutions incor-

porate PPV models, Live delivery and DMX technology across the world to IP-Set Top Boxes and PC’s all at broadcast quality. Imagine havingthe ability to broadcast a channel globally and on a shoe string from anywhere in the world. It opens up a whole new market in televsion.

IPTV Broadcast System

Mailing Address: 31 Kaki Bukit Road 3 #07-03 Techlink Singapore 417818 SingaporeTelephone: +41-79-742-7454 Fax: +41-86079-742-7454

E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.pixelmetrix.com

PixelmetrixDVStation-IP

The Pixelmetrix DVStation-IP is a standalone MPEG-2 test and monitoring platform ideal for anyone involved in thetransmission of MPEG-2video and data over the internet or other IP networks. While the DVStation itself has supported IP over MPEG for several years now, moreimprovements in the internet and other equipment now mean using an IP transport for television transmission is finally a viable alternative totelecom leased lines, ATM, and satellite circuits.

IPTV Testing

Mailing Address: 475 Broadway, Redwood City, CA 94063Telephone: +1-650-995-5000 Fax: +1-650-995-0060

E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.bigbandnet.com

BigBandCuda® CMTS 6.0

The Cuda® CMTS (cable modem termination system) version 6.0 is currently available and can beinstalled on existing Cuda deployments by software upgrade. Version 6.0 incorporates a suite of fea-tures designed to improve delivery of real-time services such as VoIP and IPTV. These features include

support for hitless software upgrades that maintain service sessions through deployment modification, enhancement of integrated redundant ele-ments with rapid failover time, standards-based integration with multimedia services, and robust signal delivery both upstream and downstreamin multiple plant conditions.

IPTV System

IPTV Magazine New Products are provided free of charge as a service to our readers. IPTV Magazine is not respon-sible for errors or omissions, nor for company supplied responses. If your company or a company that you know of is

not listed and you believe it should be included, please contact us at [email protected] or call us at 1-919-557-2260.


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