C-Cube customer Avid tries streaming....................
telecomclick.com
Avid, Vsoft form VOD Stream Team
by BRIAN SANTO
Cable World, Jan 1, 2001 Brought to you by:
With more and more companies offering end-to-end video-on-demand systems, selling the components piecemeal doesn't seem to be cutting it anymore.
Getting with the program, Avid Technology Inc. and Vsoft Ltd. have joined forces to offer a VOD system they say can deliver up to 1,500 MPEG-2 DVD-quality streams and 3,000 MPEG-1 VHS-quality streams.
The agreement between the two allows Vsoft to offer its VideoClick video services software with the Trilligent Cluster turnkey streaming media system from Avid's Internet Solutions (AIS) division.
The companies Avid and Vsoft are up against include Concurrent Computer Corp., Diva Systems Corp., Intertainer Inc., nCube Corp., and SeaChange International Inc. and their respective partners.
Concurrent and partner Prasara Technologies have systems deployed by Time Warner Cable, while Diva has VOD products deployed in six cable systems in the United States, including AT&T Broadband, Charter Communications and Insight Communications.
Being part of an end-to-end VOD system also improves Avid's profile in the cable equipment market.
The company is best known for its digital media creation and digital media distribution solutions, including one of the first popular non-linear editing and finishing systems. What Avid knows about digital media distribution - including streaming video - should be perfectly applicable to VOD. Vsoft provides the cable industry savvy.
The AIS Trilligent Cluster is a streaming Internet platform that supports up to 5,000 megabits per second (Mbps) sustained streaming bandwidth. It can be configured with a maximum of seven terabytes of online storage.
In practical terms, the company says that translates into the ability to deliver, live or on-demand, the equivalent of more than 10,000 unique 500k broadband streams.
The Trilligent Cluster has distributed file server software running on a storage area network, giving all servers access to all disks in the system.
The use of a SAN, the company said, "dramatically enhances performance," and enables real-time, shared media access by eliminating the need to replicate disks and manage content between media servers.
VideoClick is a standards-based software solution for Internet service providers. VideoClick@Home enables service providers to deliver on-demand, personal video services to their subscribers.
The Avid/Vsoft integrated VOD system is being sold through Vsoft's direct and indirect sales channels. Pricing varies by configuration.
BROADBANDNOW LINKS WITH VESTA BroadbandNow Inc., an Internet service provider has linked up with Vesta Broadband Services to provide video on demand. Vesta's NetMovies is an IP-based VOD system that includes full billing and digital rights management services. BroadbandNOW will host all content for NetMovies on Web servers placed within its nationwide network. The company provides high-speed Internet access to multiple dwelling units (MDUs), hotels and residential subscribers through its own private network, which is based on data centers in 28 metropolitan areas.
ULA SIGNS WITH NORTEL NETWORKS United Latin America (ULA) signed a three-year contract with Nortel Networks for infrastructure equipment and services that will enable delivery of high-speed Local Internet access and other services through a number of Latin American cable networks, including those in Mexico, Chile, and Peru. The companies estimate the deal to be worth about $43.5 million. The contract calls for Nortel Networks to supply Local Internet solutions that will allow ULA to roll out new data, video and voice services from a single, integrated platform. This will make secure, `always on' Internet access available to many ULA subscribers. |
