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Solution overview |
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| Video On Demand (VOD) provides a dedicated multimedia stream to each customer. In order to achieve cost effectiveness and therefore to reduce the integration and qualification time of complex and costly video interfaces, it is preferable to use extremely compact and low-cost servers streaming over IP (Internet Protocol) over standardized network interfaces (such as Fast-Ethernet and Gigabit-Ethernet). This approach can accommodate the different standards followed by US, European and Asian broadcasters and cable operators.
Several VOD architecture types can be set up:
- A centralized VOD architecture where streaming servers and shared storage are located at headend (central content/VOD server). In this case, a lot of cabling and network bandwidth are necessary to reach the terminal remote hubs (remote edges) from the headend.
- A decentralized architecture where streaming servers and shared storage are located at headend and at remote edges. In this case network bandwidth required between headend and remote hubs is minimized, but there is a lot of shared storage replication.
Therefore, a hybrid architecture between the centralized and the decentralized types, is likely to be proposed: cable headends handling central content/VOD server are likely to serve the geographical area in which they are located. Streaming servers will likely be deployed in the cable headends (for small audience movies) and replicated in the main cable hubs (for top ten blockbuster movies). |
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Value proposition |
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| HP's VOD solution is a modular, flexible and highly scalable architecture, which
enables the Digital Cable TV operators and the xDSL network operators or Service
Providers to implement value-added services in order to attract new subscribers,
and lower "churn" rates. |
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VOD solution components |
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- Provisioning, Content management including encoding, acquisition, pre-encryption, storage and archiving.
- Unicast Content distribution to consumers.
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