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Imagine Communications
Launches the Industry's First Switched Digital Video Solution
Incorporating Variable Bit Rate and Statistical Multiplexing
Other Topics: IPTV Channel
Package, IPTV STB Advergames
HighTechPR
April 23, 2007
Dramatically Improves Video Quality and Bandwidth Efficiency on
Existing Switched Digital Video (SDV) Cable Infrastructure
Initial Product, SDV Staging Processor, to debut at NCTA's The Cable
Show '07, May 7-9 in Las Vegas, Booth #3680
San Diego, CA -- Imagine Communications, developer of the industry's
most powerful and scalable digital video platform, today announced
its Switched Digital Video (SDV) system, the cable industry's first
SDV solution enabling Variable Bit Rate and statistical multiplexing
(VBR/StatMux). |
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Imagine's SDV system, comprising the
SDV Staging Processor and the Quality On Demand Gateway (QOD
GatewayT), features an open and modular design, and provides
operators dramatic video quality and bandwidth efficiency
improvements. Both the SDV Staging Processor and the QOD Gateway
incorporate Imagine's innovative software and leverage powerful,
carrier-grade, off-the-shelf hardware available from multiple
suppliers. They also plug seamlessly into existing SDV
infrastructure.
Imagine Communications' President and CEO Jamie Howard said, "One of
the goals of a successful SDV deployment is maintaining the quality
of experience for digital cable subscribers with respect to video
quality and channel change latency. Imagine's SDV system not only
addresses these objectives, but also delivers up to 50 percent more
streams per QAM channel. We are excited to introduce our SDV Staging
Processor, the initial product of our SDV system, immediately giving
operators and their subscribers a significant boost in video
quality."
Importantly, cable operators can use the SDV Staging Processor on a
standalone basis (i.e., without Imagine's QOD Gateway statistical
multiplexing device), instead of current clamping devices that
significantly degrade the incoming digital broadcast signals. An
integral software component of Imagine's SDV Staging Processor is
the ICE-QT (Interchangeable Compressed Elements-Quality) video
quality measurement subsystem, ensuring the best video quality at
any given bit rate.
The immediate benefits of Imagine's SDV Staging Processor include:
- Improved video quality relative
to today's SDV clamping devices, while maintaining the standard
3.75 Mbps CBR (Constant Bit Rate) signal. In this scenario, 10 SDV
streams can share the same 256 QAM channel at equivalent video
quality to the digital broadcast source, and at noticeably higher
quality compared to existing SDV clamping products.
- Consistent video quality across
the span of channels in the SDV tier, through use of Imagine's
multi-rate CBR feature. In this case, Imagine's ICE-Q video QoS
capability ensures that difficult (to compress) services will have
equivalent perceived quality relative to easy signals. The CBR
rate for each service is automatically determined by analyzing
actual empirical data from each signal.
Virtually all digital broadcast
signals take advantage of VBR/StatMux in order to deliver the best
video quality at the most efficient bit rate. The modular addition
of Imagine's QOD Gateway, at the network edge, brings these benefits
to SDV, enabling end-to-end VBR and up to 15 SDV signals
statistically multiplexed in a 256 QAM channel, while maintaining
the video quality of the incoming VBR digital broadcast signals. The
QOD Gateway allows operators to maintain centralized bulk encryption
of their SDV signals.
Imagine-processed VOD and SDV signals can also be multiplexed
through a common QOD Gateway hardware platform and can support
optimized EdgeQAM sharing. Also, Imagine's products employ
industry-standard open interfaces, allowing interoperability with
any Session or Edge Resource Manager (SRM/ERM), EdgeQAM device and
VOD server.
About Imagine Communications
Imagine Communications has launched the industry's most powerful and
scalable digital video platform enabling system operators to
cost-effectively increase bandwidth efficiency and video quality.
Imagine's Quality on Demand Product Suite (QOD Product Suite)
incorporates breakthrough next-generation variable bit rate and
statistical multiplexing technology (VBR/StatMux), enabling up to 50
percent more streams per QAM versus today's Constant Bit Rate (CBR)
approach. Imagine's state-of-the-art ICE-QT video quality
measurement algorithms enable better video quality at any given bit
rate. Imagine is based in San Diego with R&D and engineering in
Israel. Its strong management team includes industry leaders with
decades of experience delivering innovations in video
communications. Founded in 2005, Imagine Communications is privately
held and funded by Carmel Ventures and Columbia Capital. For more
information, visit www.imaginecommunications.com. |
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