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Broadband Access
SCTE 2007: Improving Cable’s Digital Video Migration
RGB Networks Introduce Universal Scaleable Edge QAM Modulator
by Jim Barthold
Anticipating the cable industry’s need to migrate to (and between) next-generation digital video architectures that range from video-on-demand (VOD), switched digital video (SDV), and modular cable modem termination systems (MCMTS) RGB Networks has introduced a Universal Scalable Modulator (USM) for edge QAM modulation.
The new unit, introduced yesterday at the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) Conference on Emerging Technologies in Houston, is a rack-mounted unit that can support up to 128 6 MHz QAM channels and demultiplex up to 128 digital programs – perhaps overkill at the present time – but not necessarily out of reach as cable tries to offer more programming and content without drastically rearranging its existing hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) networks.
“Not everybody day one is going to be ready to jump into 128 QAM channels,” conceded Ramin Farassat, vice president of product marketing at RGB Networks. The purpose, though, is to build a product that sits on the edge of the cable network, can handle later bandwidth demands and can also migrate between different services as the need arises.
VOD, he said, is “probably the most straightforward use of this product” but it also will come into play as the industry adds increasing levels of high definition television, IP and other broadband content and modulates that content at the edge using quadrature amplitude modulation schemes.
RGB, he said, has “truly modularized our architecture” to be able to handle future demands such as SDV which is generating a “significant amount of interest” both domestically and internationally and high definition television which is going to consume large amounts of cable bandwidth.
“We see all of these added together” as a reason to develop a high density product to help the industry repurpose content at the edge, said Farassat.
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