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Harmonic expert wins prestigious ATSC award
Harmonic’s Technical Marketing Manager J. Patrick Waddell was recently awarded the Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award for 2010 at the ATSC Annual Meeting in Washington DC. Named for its first recipient, the award is given each year to an individual “whose technical and leadership contributions to the ATSC have been invaluable and exemplary.”
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Electra 8000 featured in CED Video Product Showcase
Industry magazine CED recently interviewed Harmonic Vice President of Business Development and Marketing Communications David Price at the Cable Show in Los Angeles as part of a special feature on video products. The segment focuses on Harmonic’s Electra 8000 encoder and how its capabilities continue to evolve to fit the needs of the industry.
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Harmonic to acquire Omneon
Harmonic has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Omneon Inc, a leading provider of video production and playout solutions. For more information, please visit www.harmonicinc.com/omneon.
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Harmonic powers new Comcast Media Center fiber service
HITS, a division of Comcast Media Center, recently announced a major new fiber service designed to deliver video to cable operators nationwide, and built on Harmonic technology. CMC’s COO called the new fiber solution the “evolution of transport technology in the cable business today,” and said that its “bandwidth and resiliency” would provide operators with the means to stay competitive.
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Harmonic unveils new 4x4 node
The new PWRBlazer 3142E is the world’s smallest 4x4 segmentable optical node for cable networks. Dense, powerful and flexible, the PWRBlazer 3142E offers redundancy and four-way segmentation options in both forward and return paths, enabling it to economically deliver broadcast services as well as support additional narrowcast services such as VOD, data or telephony.
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Kabelsignal chooses Harmonic for DTV upgrade
Leading Austrian cable provider Kabelsignal has chosen Harmonic’s market-leading IP-based solutions, including the ProStream 1000 with Mentor re-encoding technology, NSG 9000 and NMX Digital Service Manager, for use with its kabelDigitalTV service. The solution will cost-effectively increase capacity between headends and ensure highly reliable service.
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Romanian Digital Service launched with Harmonic
Digital Cable Systems, Romania’s third-largest cable and DTH service provider, selected Harmonic’s solutions to power its new 80-channel AKTA TV digital service. An existing Harmonic customer, DCS added the ProStream 1000 stream processor, bNSG 9000 edgeQAM and NMX Digital Service Manager for a fully integrated IP-based solution.
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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation chooses Harmonic for digital transition
The Republic of Cyprus’s public broadcaster Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation has selected Harmonic’s IP-based solutions for a seamless upgrade from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 AVC. The deployment, which includes Electra 5400 and 7000 encoders, ProStream 1000 stream processors with DiviTrackIP statistical multiplexing and ProView 7000 integrated receiver/decoders, will provide CyBC with a comprehensive digital video delivery system.
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Harmonic releases new DMS solution
Harmonic’s new Distribution Management System provides control and management for Harmonic’s distribution solutions, enabling over-the-air in-band control of content distribution network elements, simplifying system management and reducing expenditures.
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Harmonic introduces new Rhozet Workflow System
The newest addition to the Rhozet product line, the Rhozet Workflow System, is a new task-based workflow engine for automated management of video asset transformation, improving scalability, efficiency and reliability. The WFS manages large-scale networks of Carbon Coders, and supports the the Rhozet Quality Control System for maximum flexibility in the transcode process.
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SKY Brasil chooses Electra 8000 for expanded HDTV
Brazil’s largest HD pay-TV operator, has selected Harmonic’s Electra 8000 multi-channel universal encoder to expand its HDTV service and increase bandwidth efficiency. The service was launched last year using Harmonic’s MPEG-4 AVC solutions, including the Electra 7000 encoder, ProStream 1000 stream processor and NMX digital service manager. |
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Harmonic powers new services for Changzhi TV
Changzhi TV, a subsidiary of Changzhi’s municipal media bureau, recently deployed a full complement of Harmonic’s video processing and on-demand solutions to enable its new digital TV and time-shifted VOD services. The deployment gives Changzhi a powerful, flexible and scalable platform to support its interactive services.
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Swisscom selects Harmonic for multi-screen launch
Switzerland’s leading telecom provider is offering new web and mobile TV services powered by Harmonic’s ProStream 4000 real-time multi-screen transcoder. The new service will include more than 30 channels in multiple formats to many different devices. |
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Hunan Cable Group expands with Harmonic
The leading cable provider in the Chinese province of Hunan has chosen Harmonic to power a new HDTV offering and increased VOD services. Utilizing Harmonic’s broad range of video delivery solutions, Hunan has deployed a fully-integrated all-IP headend including Ion AVC HD encoders, the ProStream 1000 with DiviTrackIP statistical multiplexing, and the NSG 9000 universal edgeQAM.
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Leading Middle Eastern DTH satellite provider Orbit Showtime Network (OSN) selected Harmonic’s digital headend solutions for its new HD service. OSN’s new service, the first in its region to deliver MPEG-4 HD to multiple countries, is powered by Harmonic’s Electra 8000 multi-channel universal encoders. As part of its network upgrade, OSN also deployed the ProStream 1000 Stream Processor and NMX Digital Service Manager.
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NBC chose Rhozet Carbon Coder for the preparation of its on-demand coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Carbon Coder provided the high-volume transcoding and fast turnaround necessary to produce on-demand content for an event of Olympic magnitude. Carbon Server was also deployed to accelerate the workflow.
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The shortlist is out for SCTE’s annual Technological Innovation of the Year Awards, and Harmonic’s ACE Transcoding Technology has made the top three in the Best Broadband Digital Processing Solution category. The winners will be announced April 24th at the SCTE Annual Gala Dinner in London.
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Informa Telecoms and Media has announced the shortlist for this year’s IPTV World Series Awards, and Harmonic received three nominations: Best Hybrid Broadcast-IP Video Delivery Solution or Service, Best On-Demand Technology for IPTV for MediaPrism Convergence Suite, and Best Internet TV Technology/Solution for Rhozet transcoding solutions.
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Boston-area NBC affiliate WHDH-TV has chosen the market-leading Electra 8000 for the HD broadcast of the Winter Bridgestone Classic hockey event, and the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. WHDH’s Director of Engineering stated that the Electra 8000 was selected for its highest-quality 1080i encoding and compact, multi-channel design.
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A recent piece in Satellite Today on how new technology is helping teleport operators address cost and operational challenges made specific mention of BEI’s recent Ellipse 1000 deployment as an example. The article noted that Ellipse 1000 was chosen for its ability to transmit MPEG-2 SD and MPEG-4 AVC SD/HD video to multiple transponders, and that Harmonic offers a range of satellite solutions to reduce cost and complexity.
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Top-ten US cable operator Insight Communications recently deployed a full range of Harmonic solutions to upgrade its network and power its Digital 5.0 service. The upgrade included HD and SD encoders and statistical multiplexing, in addition the already-deployed NSG 9000 Universal EdgeQAM powering Insight’s on-demand service and NMX Digital Service Manager used to manage its network infrastructure.
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Harmonic Senior Manager of Cable Solutions and Strategy Yoav Derazon was recently consulted by Communications Technology for his QAM expertise. While the article focuses on QAM density, Derazon points out that frequency agility is just as important, especially as the greater number of channels begin to pose operational challenges.
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Indian broadcast solution provider Broadcast Equipment India (BEI) recently deployed Harmonic’s Ellipse 1000 contribution encoder to its Delhi teleport facility. The Ellipse 1000’s advanced encoding capabilities, including its unique ability to transmit MPEG-2 SD and MPEG-4 AVC SD/HD video to multiple transponders, will give broadcasters a smooth migration path to HD.
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Harmonic is proud to be a founding member of the MPEG Industry Forum 3DTV Working Group, introduced at CES 2010. The new working group will focus on fostering industry cooperation to develop standards and business models enabling 3DTV to become a viable reality. Harmonic is excited to take part in furthering the evolution of television.
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Leading Korean telecommunications provider KT recently deployed Harmonic’s Ellipse 1000 contribution encoder and ProView 2900 integrated receiver/decoder and network management solution to distribute broadcast channels to over 160 cable operators across the country. These solutions will allow KT to securely and cost-effectively provide satellite distribution with terrestrial IP backup services.
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As Light Reading reports, Harmonic is pursuing a “DOCSIS Lite” architecture for cable IPTV. This architecture will use IPTV-optimized edge QAM devices to bypass the CMTS, providing a simpler, less costly alternative to M-CMTS. Software added to the CMTS and edge QAMs will enable the DOCSIS modems to understand the IPTV streams. |
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The Carbon Coder Universal Media Transcoder, from Harmonic’s Rhozet business unit, captured a 2009 Reader’s Choice Award from industry news site Streaming Media. The Carbon Coder was voted Best Encoding Software (over $1000) by Streaming Media readers. |
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New broadcast and on-demand IPTV services at the Santa Barbara Plantation resort community in Curacao, the most populous island in the Netherlands Antilles, will be powered by Harmonic’s digital video solutions in an end-to-end IPTV deployment. The new system will allow operator Santa Barbara Utilities to cost-effectively offer high-quality new services, including HD, without requiring a complex and expensive network architecture |
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Iowa-based cable and telecom operator Butler-Bremer Communications recently announced that it would deploy Harmonic’s Direct-2-Edge CMTS bypass technology to offer IPTV services. The service, which will also utilize a content solution from Falcon IP/Complete, will be operated on Butler-Bremer’s existing phone line and FTTH network, enabling a comprehensive service offering with minimal capital expenditure. |
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Harmonic Technical Marketing Manager and SMPTE Fellow J. Patrick Waddell was a featured speaker in a session discussing audio issues at the recent SMPTE Technical Expo in Hollywood, California. Patrick first addressed problems with lip-syncing, explaining the sources of the issue and outlining current efforts to solve them. He then gave a second presentation on the topic of inconsistent loudness, recently brought to national attention by the CALM bill banning “loud commercials,” currently before Congress. A writeup of the discussion is available via ProSound News. |
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Alaskan telecom and cable services provider GCI recently selected Harmonic’s SUPRALink 1550 nm DWDM solution and PWRBlazer segmentable nodes to increase its bandwidth capacity throughout the network. GCI is currently transitioning from a centralized narrowcast architecture to a distributed architecture using IP transport and full-band SUPRALink transmitters, a change which will both expand bandwidth and improve network reliability. |
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Blue Ridge Communications, a top-20 US cable provider based in Pennsylvania, has chosen the Electra 8000 universal encoder to cost-effectively expand its HD services. The first live installation of the Electra 8000 platform by a cable operator, the deployment allows Blue Ridge to offer high-quality HD content over its existing MPEG-2 infrastructure, while the platform’s unparalleled flexibility leaves open the door for future upgrades.
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Two of Harmonic’s solutions were awarded high honors in Broadband Gear Report’s 2009 Diamond Reviews. The MediaPrism Convergence Suite with ProStream 4000 Multi-Screen Transcoder earned the maximum score of five diamonds, indicating “new standards for performance and groundbreaking technical milestones.” The ProView 7000 integrated receiver and stream processing platform was granted four diamonds in recognition of its “clear and substantial benefits” to operators.
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Communications Technology recently ran an article on increasing interest in IPTV by prominent cable operators such as Time Warner and Liberty Global. Among experts consulted was Harmonic Vice President of Solutions and Strategy Nimrod Ben-Natan, who discussed Harmonic’s successful Direct-2-Edge IPTV solution. Nimrod also commented on an uptick in interest in workflow managers as the vision of TV Everywhere becomes more and more of a reality.
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Green Dot Ltd, the leading telecom provider of Trinidad and Tobago, selected Harmonic to expand its terrestrial (DVB-T) services. The new, IP-based headend, installed at St. James in Trinidad, allows Green Dot to deliver more than 80 MPEG-4 AVC channels across the islands. |
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Harmonic Director of HFC Solutions Fred Coppinger recently gave a presentation at the SCTE Autumn Lecture series. Titled “Digital Technology in Return Path HFC Architecture,“ Dr. Coppinger’s lecture discussed the technology behind the return path and the advantages of digital versus analog, and also possible upgrade options. A webcast of the presentation can be viewed here. |
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ScreenPlays magazine recently ran an in-depth article on the potential and challenges of bringing 3DTV to the home, and included contributions from Harmonic Senior Product Marketing Manager Arnaud Perrier. Arnaud was consulted for his technical expertise in encoding, and discussed the impact that 3DTV will have on bandwidth requirements, as well as the most promising ways to encode and distribute 3DTV. |
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Harmonic Vice President of Marketing Communications and Business Development David Price recently participated in an roundtable discussion put on by industry magazine videonet about the future of convergence and its effects on the industry. In this series of videos, David and the other panel speakers share their expertise on technical aspects of convergence, its business ramifications, and how it is likely to become a reality. |
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Harmonic’s Director for Broadcast and New Media Solutions Tom Lattie was interviewed by Satellite Markets and Research Editor in Chief Virgil Labrador at the IBC show in Amsterdam. In this segment, Tom discusses the successful integration of Scopus Video Networks into Harmonic Inc and Harmonic’s subsequent increased presence in the EMEA markets. Tom also gives his opinion on the future of the satellite market and Harmonic’s promising position in an uncertain economy. |
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Harmonic and German audio specialist Jünger announced at IBC 2009 that they were joining forces to address a persistent audio problem—uneven volume levels within a channel, or during channel changes. Junger’s Level Magic technology will be integrated into Harmonic’s Electra and Ion encoders and ProStream 1000 processsing platform, providing operators with a more scalable and cost-effective solution to the audio level problem. |
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Norwegian triple-play operator Altibox recently deployed Harmonic’s StreamLiner® video servers, Armada® intelligent asset management, and ProStream™ 8000 digital mosaic solution for advanced VOD IPTV services across Norway and Denmark. The new service will be primarily focused on sports coverage, and will offer football fans an unparalleled viewing experience. |
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Harmonic announced at IBC 2009 that leading content management technology provider Civolution has chosen the Rhozet™ Carbon Coder™ to deliver multi-format transcoding with watermark and fingerprint technology. This solution allows media companies to track and control their content without disrupting their existing workflow. |
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Harmonic offered the first look at the new MediaPrism™ Convergence Suite at IBC 2009. The comprehensive multi-screen delivery solution is designed to support numerous emerging delivery formats, and includes live and offline content ingest, transformation, delivery and workflow management. |
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Leading telecom provider Deutsche Telecom will use Harmonic’s Electra 8000 universal encoder to expand its successful “T-Home Entertain” IPTV services, expected to hit one million subscribers later this year. The expansion will allow Deutsche Telecom to offer the highest number of HD channels in Germany. |
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Argentinian cable and multi-service operator Cablevision SA recently selected Harmonic’s HFC access solutions for a significant upgrade to their network. Harmonic’s PWRBLazer™ scalable nodes and PWRLink™ transmitters will be used in a network segmentation project to increase bandwidth to the home, enabling such services as HDTV. |
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German systems and consulting specialist Solutions 4 Media will integrate the Rhozet Carbon Coder with its video production management system (VPMS). The Carbon Coder will allow S4M’s VPMS, already widely deployed across Europe, to add video effects during transcoding. This will streamline the production process for users such as broadcasters, for whom time-to-air is paramount. |
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The July 2009 issue of Communications Technology magazine features a special Technology Supplement section, outlining Harmonic’s innovation and leadership. The special section showcases the power and versatility of the Electra 8000 , and explains how it can be used to significantly enhance compression gains and video quality. Also discussed is Harmonic’s extensive stable of fiber solutions, including the SUPRALink and MAXLink families of transmission systems.
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Taiwan’s Public Television Service Foundation has chosen to launch its new HD service using Harmonic’s MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) solution set. The new H.264 terrestrial broadcast service will be the first in Taiwan, and will enable the PTSF to efficiently broadcast its free public programming in both HD and SD to viewers throughout Taiwan. |
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Harmonic and Audible Magic announced that they will collaborate to produce a solution for managing copyrighted online content. Audio Magic’s fingerprint creation tools will be integrated with Harmonic’s Rhozet Carbon Coder universal media transcoding solution, resulting in a simplified, effective management process for copyright holders. By completing the free registration of their content with Audio Magic, rightsholders will be able to track and protect their content, providing greater opportunities for monetization. |
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Industry magazine Digital Studio India recently published an article by Harmonic’s Director of Broadcast Solutions Ian Trow discussing the evolution of AVC and MPEG-2 encoding. Trow explains the need to accommodate legacy MPEG-2 systems, and demonstrates how Harmonic’s latest generation of encoders are designed to flexibly address both formats. |
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German broadband operator M-Net chose Harmonic’s MAXLink solution for its new fiber to the building/home service, which will offer customers both a digital/analog TV service and high speed data connectivity. M-Net’s Head of Central Planning Norbert Erl states that "Harmonic's optical transmission solution offers greater reliability, performance and cost-effectiveness for our GPON architecture,” and notes that Harmonic’s “flexibility and reliability” also influenced the decision. Harmonic partners Quative and Normann Engineering GmbH provided crucial support in the deployment. |
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The recent interviews of Harmonic Sr. Director, Cable Solutions and Strategy Gil Katz by industry blog Videonet are now available for viewing. In the two segments, filmed at ANGA Cable Show in Germany, Gil discusses the importance of packaging and marketing the correct content for maximum ROI on VOD, and the most economical method of deploying Cable IPTV. |
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Mark Aitken, director of advanced technology for Sinclair Broadcast Group, states in a podcast for Broadcast Engineering that improvements in MPEG-2 encoding have allowed Sinclair to roll out Mobile ATSC services without degrading HDTV offerings. Without these developments, specifically the encoder technology advanced by Harmonic, Aitken asserts that broadcasters would never be able to muster the bandwidth to offer the advanced on-the-go services that will define the future of television. |
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A new report by prominent market research firm In Stat asserted that Harmonic captured the most encoder market share in 2008, shipping more than 12,000 channels. In Stat’s principal analyst for Converging Market and Technologies, Multimedia noted that Harmonic “has consistently held a strong leadership position in MPEG-2 and AVC,” and expressed her belief that Harmonic’s market position would only grow stronger in 2009 following the integration of Scopus. |
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Harmonic’s Rhozet Carbon Coder transcoding solution will be integrated with Vobile’s VideoDNA fingerprinting technology, allowing Carbon Coder users to generate seamless and automatic VideoDNA fingerprints on their content. This will allow content owners to more effectively protect and control their assets, ensuring proper identification and increasing monetization. |
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Leading Korean telecom SK Broadband recently launched the world’s largest commercial cable IPTV service using Harmonic’s award-winning Direct-to-Edge solution. The pioneering deployment allows SK Broadband to provide uniform IPTV services across its multiple and varied networks with significant infrastructure cost savings. |
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The province of Salzburg, Austria has selected Harmonic’s SUPRALink DWDM transport solution to upgrade its HFC cable network. The SUPRALink solution allows Salzburg to significantly increase its bandwidth without requiring new fiber, significantly reducing costs. The deployment, the first of its kind in the region, will be handled by longtime Harmonic partner Normann Engineering GmbH. |
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