• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

BigBand Networks Demonstrates IPTV for Cable Networks

Posted on: Monday, 5 March 2007, 09:00 CST

BigBand Networks, Inc., today announced a series of technology demonstrations for cable operators that include a version of IPTV for cable networks delivered via key elements of CableLabs® DOCSIS® specifications. In the past, BigBand Networks has used this venue to privately introduce new technologies--such as switched broadcast--that have subsequently become widely adopted by the industry. The company's IP video demonstration may be of similar interest to operators. The popularity of YouTube™ illustrates the growing importance of IP video delivery, whether to PCs, TVs or other IP-enabled devices.

BigBand Networks' demonstration illustrates how cable operators can deliver IP-based video to either TVs or PCs leveraging their existing quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and CMTS equipment. The demonstration leverages an M-CMTS architecture and two key DOCSIS 3.0 features--downstream channel bonding and DOCSIS 3.0 Multicast forwarding--to deliver the switched IP video. The IP video content is delivered to a cable modem, which routes it to a set-top box to be displayed on a television, or alternatively, directly to a laptop computer.

Though the IPTV exhibit will be BigBand Networks' primary public demonstration, the company will also demonstrate a range of other technologies, including:

Universal Edge QAM. This demonstration illustrates the future of QAM-sharing capabilities, adding DOCSIS-based data and video services to switched digital video services on the same edge QAM. As part of the demonstration, BigBand's next-generation edge QAM platform shares capacity among switched broadcast, video-on-demand, network-based digital video recording and DOCSIS high speed data services. The sharing of data and video services on a single edge QAM increases the IP capacity which can be made available to subscribers and improves the economics of service delivery.

Addressable Advertising. This demonstration unveils an architecture for measurable delivery of tailored advertising to individual recipients.

Enhanced TV. This innovation is designed to enable programmers and advertisers to allow TV viewers to interact with programming; to vote on a reality show or order a pizza, as examples. Enhanced TV is expected to generate improved advertising response rates and increase the value of the programming and the ads.

Viewership Data Monitoring. This powerful tool collects and analyzes digital broadcast and switched broadcast viewership statistics, which should allow operators to plan capacity usage, troubleshoot based on viewership changes via an easy-to-use Web-based interface.

"Winter Conference is a great opportunity for BigBand to push the envelope with new innovations, and provide a glimpse into the future of entertainment and communications," said Ran Oz, BigBand's chief technology officer. "We believe that key technologies we've pioneered and are demonstrating here--such as video-over-DOCSIS, the universal edge QAM and addressable advertising--can provide a foundation for economical delivery of new revenue-generating video services."

BigBand Networks will be holding technology demonstrations Sunday, March 4 - Tuesday, March 6 at the conference, at the Hyatt Regency at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. For additional information about BigBand's demonstrations, please visit http://www.bigbandnet.com/cablelabs/.

About BigBand Networks

BigBand Networks, Inc. is a leading provider of broadband multimedia infrastructure for video, voice and data. The company's solutions are designed to process, optimize, and deliver services such as broadband Internet, VoIP, digital broadcast television, HDTV, transport of high quality video, local advertising, VOD, interactive TV and IPTV across coaxial cable, fiber or copper. Service providers use BigBand Networks' platforms to cost-effectively expand revenue-generating offerings of rich content and advanced interactive services. Customers include six of the ten largest service providers in the U.S., and leading service providers in North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Founded in 1998, BigBand Networks is based in Redwood City, Calif., with offices worldwide. For more information, please call 650-995-5000, email info@bigbandnet.com or visit www.bigbandnet.com.

All BigBand Networks brand and product names are service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of BigBand Networks, Inc. in the United States and other countries. CableLabs and DOCSIS are trademarks of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include a variety of factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. BigBand Networks disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. For a more complete discussion of our risk factors, readers are encouraged to review our S-1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category