New video processing solution enables operators to seamlessly expand services to web and mobile devices
Harmonic Inc has announced the Electra 9000, the world's first multicodec, multiformat video encoder for broadcast, satellite, telco, and cable operators that simultaneously supports broadcast, mobile, and Web formats in a 1-RU chassis. This integrated broadcast and multiscreen compression platform continues Electra's leadership in video quality and multifunction collapse to provide a flexible, open, scalable architecture that integrates easily with existing broadcast infrastructure and enables new multiscreen services, while lowering capital and operating expenses.
Multiscreen services have become a priority for operators as consumer expectation for affordable, convenient, high-quality video everywhere becomes the norm. A priority for Harmonic was to incorporate Web and mobile support into the Electra platform without compromising quality or reducing the Electra's broadcast feature set. Operators benefit from a streamlined headend operation, with several critical functions for broadcast, mobile and Web video brought together in a single platform.
Benefits
"The business benefits are substantial," said Neil Brydon, senior group manager, compression products at Harmonic Inc. "With mobile and Web delivery, operators can reach a wider audience and increase the value proposition for subscribers by offering maximum video quality on a wide range of devices. The Electra 9000 also reduces expenses through its multifunction, high-density, power-efficient design, which supports multiple services on one platform."
The Electra 9000 encoder delivers HD and SD video services using Harmonic's proven MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) and MPEG-2 compression algorithms, and combines the company's market-leading broadcast capabilities with the ability to support emerging multiscreen applications. The Electra 9000 maximizes bandwidth efficiency and channel density by providing up to four audio/video processing modules per chassis. Each module supports flexible combinations of up to four SD/HD inputs, with up to eight broadcast output profiles and 32 multiscreen aligned output profiles.
