SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2015: Harmonic To Showcase UHD Innovation

At SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2015, booth 438, Harmonic will demonstrate a range of solutions designed to drive innovation for cable operators. From the new Electra X advanced media processor family for delivery of SD, HD, and Ultra HD (UHD)/4K content with integrated high-quality branding and graphics capabilities, to the VOS virtualized video delivery platform and the NSG Pro CCAP and NSG Exo distributed CCAP systems, Harmonic’s solutions allow cable operators to enjoy increased operational efficiencies and cost savings while ensuring superior video quality on any screen.

“The cable industry is facing monumental challenges. As OTT delivery heats up, customers have more choices than ever before and are demanding new services and better video quality on every screen. Meanwhile, the costs of increasing bandwidth capacity are prohibitive and brand recognition is down, making it imperative that operators find ways to optimize operational expenses and find new sources of revenue,” said Peter Alexander, chief marketing officer at Harmonic. “At the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo, Harmonic will bring solutions that make a positive impact on the consumer viewing experience while enabling cable operators to better compete in today’s rapidly changing landscape and accelerate new customer-facing applications, driving down overall costs.”

Key demonstrations will include:

• UHD Content Delivery: An end-to-end UHD video delivery solution broadcasting NASA TV UHD, the first consumer UHD channel in North America. Through a partnership with NASA, Harmonic’s system delivers live and linear 2160p60 video content at low bit rates, enabling consumers to enjoy crystal-clear footage from space on a wide range of television and IP-connected devices. A key element in the UHD workflow is Harmonic’s Electra X3 advanced media processor, which supports live, full-frame, full-GOP UHD encoding.

• UHD Over IP: A complete real-time, 2160p60 UHD workflow over IP with products that are deliverable today, including the Electra X3 media processor, ProView 7100 integrated receiver-decoder (IRD) and NSG Exo distributed CCAP system, one of the industry’s first offerings to support a Distributed Access Architecture (DAA). The UHD stream is delivered over satellite to service provider headends by SES.

• Encoding With HDR: Real-time HEVC encoding with high dynamic range (HDR) using Dolby Vision imaging technology integrated with the Electra X2 media processor.

• HEVC Service Delivery: Real-time HEVC encoding of progressive and interlaced HD content for all delivery workflows, including CBR for VOD and SDV, VBR for broadcast statmux (15:1 HD) and ABR for connected devices, leveraging the Harmonic PURE Compression Engine, an advanced encoding technology that delivers amazing picture quality at very low bit rates.

• High-Density edgeQAM: NSG Pro CCAP provides high-density universal edgeQAM capabilities and an easy upgrade path to future integrated CMTS capabilities. With industry-leading density and the ability to converge linear video, on demand video and data onto a single system, the 9-RU NSG Pro minimizes TCO both today, and as a facility grows its IP infrastructure.

• Alternate Content Delivery: A content regionalization solution that centralizes delivery of alternate content streams across tier-one operator footprints, enabling regionalized channel viewing. An ideal solution for multichannel video programming distributors and programmers looking to deliver regionalized content, such as sports or local programming to the right audience on any device, it includes the Harmonic ProStream 9100 high-density stream processor integrated with This Technology’s SwitchStream alternate content delivery system.

• Virtualized Transcoding On the Fly: A virtualized video transcoding on-the-fly solution that showcases the broad capabilities of Harmonic’s VOS virtualized video delivery platform and PURE Compression Engine. Leveraging Intel video acceleration technology running on an HP Moonshot server system, the solution alleviates bottlenecks in real-time multiscreen workflows, relying on integration with Harmonic’s ProMedia X Origin server and Harmonic MediaGrid shared storage systems.

In addition to the demonstrations at the Harmonic booth, Asaf Matatyaou, senior director, solutions and strategy, cable edge business, at Harmonic, will present at the “NFV Applications for DOCSIS: Tomorrow’s Weather Is Clearly Cloudy” workshop, scheduled to take place Friday, Oct. 16 from 2-3:30 p.m. Matatyaou’s session will focus on how cable operators can transform the HFC access network with a software-based CCAP.

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