Posted by Derrick on June 15, 2010 under Video Streaming and Compression | 
Envivio announced that N-Type, a leading systems integrator in Taiwan, is deploying a multi-channel Envivio Mobile TV Headend that will enhance the capabilities of Taiwan’s largest telecommunications company, Chunghwa Telecom (CHT). The all-IP Envivio Mobile TV head-end featuring the 4Caster™ C4 Three Screens encoder/transcoder replaces CHT’s existing software-based infrastructure, enabling CHT to support today’s most exciting Android smartphones and the Apple iPhone. The headend will deliver both 3GPP and HTTP live streaming services. CHT presently serves over 9.4 million mobile subscribers, with more than half of those (4.9 million) receiving 3G services.
“The CHT team knows that when a subscriber chooses an advanced smartphone, they expect to take full advantage of their device’s vibrant screen and performance capabilities,” said Wilson Liu, General Manager, N-type. “Envivio’s Mobile TV Headend will enable CHT to deliver services that consistently provide an outstanding experience that is tailored to today’s most desirable devices. We are also streamlining CHT’s operations because Envivio multi-profile encoders simultaneously prepare content for all devices and delivery methods.”
Envivio’s Mobile TV Headend uses the 4Caster C4 to encode content in multiple profiles to enable full support for Apple’s HTTP live streaming technology. This adaptive live streaming solution combined with Envivio’s H.264 Extreme™ codec ensures the continuous delivery of video to iPhones, regardless of fluctuations in network bandwidth. Envivio’s 4Caster C4 simultaneously streams the same content for 3G devices, which can include iPhones and the latest generation Android smartphones. Advanced features such as network-aware rate control and video display aspect ratio management help to ensure the best quality of experience for customers.
“The mobile device landscape is constantly changing,” said Envivio CEO Julien Signès. “The Envivio Mobile TV Headend gives service providers like CHT the flexibility and reliability needed so that they are fully prepared to support the demands of their subscribers with the best possible video experience, regardless of what new device or format may come along. The expertise of our partner, N-Type, is invaluable in helping CHT smoothly and quickly migrate its headend.”
The Envivio 4Caster C4 encoding platform provides video compression for all Three Screens of consumer video – TVs, PCs and mobile devices – from a single platform. Designed to enable fixed line and mobile network operators to deliver content simultaneously across the full range of consumer devices, the 4Caster C4 is able to take multiple channels of content and encode them simultaneously to deliver multiple mobile TV profiles, multiple Internet TV profiles, or SD and HD IPTV profiles.
Tags: 3GPP, Apple, encoder, encoding, Envivio, Envivio 4Caster C4, Envivio Mobile TV, HTTP, iPhone, Live Streaming, technology, transcoder
Posted by Derrick on May 21, 2010 under Video Streaming and Compression |
Envivio Inc. announced that StarHub has installed the Envivio Mobile TV head-end featuring the 4Caster C4 Three Screens encoder/transcoder, from Envivio, to extend the reach of the “StarHub TV on Mobile” service to more 3G mobile customers, including those using the iPhone. The encoding solution has also enabled StarHub to further enhance the efficiency of network resources in delivering its mobile TV service, which offers 25 premium branded channels of news, lifestyle, documentary and entertainment programs.
“To support hundreds of different 3G handsets for the streaming of 25 cable TV channels on mobile, it is important for us to make TV-viewing on mobile devices as seamless as that on television for customers,” said Ms Yeong Mun Ling, Vice President, Business Development and Integrated Applications, StarHub Ltd. “After deploying Envivio’s 4Caster C4 encoder, we are able to greatly reduce the complexity at our headend, using a single platform to encode signals for both 3G and HTTP content streaming. In addition, the H.264 Extreme Compression from Envivio ensures high picture quality, so our customers can enjoy the best mobile TV viewing experience even on the most sophisticated playback devices such as the iPhone.”
The 4Caster C4 encoder/transcoder encodes and protects the content in multiple profiles to enable Apple’s http live streaming technology. The adaptive live streaming combined with Envivio’s H.264 Extreme codec enables the delivery of the best picture quality regardless of fluctuations in network bandwidth.
At the same time as it is encoding for iPhone users, the 4Caster C4 system also streams the same content directly to other 3G handsets. Advanced features such as network-aware rate control and video display aspect ratio management help to ensure the best quality of experience for customers. StarHub subscribers with a 3G device access the mobile TV channels via StarHub’s mobile TV client installed on their phone or through a designated portal in their phone.
“StarHub is setting a compelling example for service providers operating in competitive markets,” said Envivio CEO Julien Signès. “The fact that they have chosen the 4Caster C4 attests to the value service providers place on the flexibility our solutions offer. StarHub is able to immediately satisfy its existing 3G customer base with a high quality TV service and at the same time provide a top quality service for its iPhone customers.”
The 4Caster C4 convergence encoding platform provides video compression for all Three Screens of consumer video – TVs, PCs and mobile devices – from a single platform. Designed to enable fixed line and mobile network operators to deliver content simultaneously across the full range of consumer devices, the 4Caster C4 is able to take multiple channels of content and encode them simultaneously to deliver multiple mobile TV profiles, multiple Internet TV profiles, or SD and HD IPTV profiles.
Posted by Derrick on March 23, 2010 under Video Streaming and Compression |
Envivio Inc. announced that its Three Screens solution based on the 4Caster C4 encoding system has been used to launch four new 3G-based Mobile TV implementations across China. These new multi-channel services, including deployments by China Unicom, Shanghai Mobile, Shanghai Telecom and Xin Huashe, offer live and video on demand TV options to millions of subscribers. Envivio will demonstrate its entire portfolio of solutions for Mobile, IPTV and Internet service delivery at CCBN 2010 (Hall 3, Stand 3401) in Beijing from March 23-25.
“Envivio’s flexible platform for Three Screens services enables operators to quickly deploy a solution that matches their specific service goals,” said Julien Signès, President and CEO at Envivio. “It enables them to easily bypass technical challenges and focus on developing compelling TV services that look great and serve to attract and retain subscribers.”
These latest deployments are built on the 4Caster C4 Three Screens encoder from Envivio, which supports high quality compression for H.264 and AVS, and an extensive array of network protocols including DTMB and CMMB. The flexible software design of the 4Caster C4 enables it to readily adapt to evolving standards and local requirement and as a result has been widely adopted in China where it supports delivery to all Three Screens.
Envivio 4Caster C4 provides mobile consumers with a smooth, first-rate viewing experience similar to what they expect from cable or satellite TV in the home. Using quality-enhancements such as Envivio Elite and Extreme codecs, 4Caster C4 optimizes video streams for each handset’s video resolution and aspect ratio, from budget 3G devices to the most advanced iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile and other smartphones. Advanced QoS with new adaptive bitrate streaming technologies ensures continuous viewing even under changing Wi-Fi or 3G network conditions. The flexible Envivio software architecture enables the company to readily add support for new devices and ongoing quality enhancements.
Tags: 3G, 4Caster C4, Android, encoder, encoding, Envivio, iPhone, mobile, Screens, Smartphones, streams, System, Three, TV, Video, Window Mobile
Posted by Derrick on February 22, 2010 under Video Streaming and Compression |
Envivio Inc. today introduced Envivio On Demand, a new set of solutions that enable operators to turn their subscribers’ recorded content into premium on demand assets that can be made available to mobile and PC screens for later viewing, on the go. Envivio On Demand solutions extend broadcast and IPTV services beyond the living room, enabling them to reach consumers anytime they access a network with a device that can display video.
“Smartphones and PCs are quickly becoming equals to the TV when it comes to consumer entertainment,” said Boris Felts, VP Marketing, Envivio. “Envivio On Demand solutions give broadcast and IPTV operators the opportunity to extend their services to these other screens using the content that people want most – the programs they have chosen to record. Cost-effective and easy to deploy, Envivio On Demand enables operators to increase revenue and reduce churn by offering innovative new services that let people take their content on the go. This creates an exciting opportunity for competing in a changing landscape of entertainment consumption.”
Solutions based on Envivio On Demand are deployed entirely in the operator’s network, requiring no costly, support-intensive customer-premise equipment and giving the operator greater control. This approach enables the operator to instead invest incrementally in valuable network capacity as needed to match increased subscriber uptake.
When a user requests the recording of a program on their PVR, a request is also sent to the operator’s Envivio On Demand system at the headend to simultaneously transcode the program into the appropriate formats for the end user’s other devices. The content is available immediately after recording completes for viewing by the consumer via streaming or download. The generated asset can be watched as it is being downloaded to the device. Envivio’s new 4Balancer™ automated load balancing tool optimizes the use of encoding resources to ensure seamless, uninterrupted operations of all encoding/transcoding operations. Envivio 4Manager™ provides high-level service supervision for full control and monitoring of equipment.
Content is prepared by the Envivio 4Caster™ C4 encoder/transcoder, which supports a wide variety of codecs including H.263, MPEG4-SP, and VC-1, as well as Envivio’s leading H.264 Elite and Extreme codecs. This variety combined with support for the widest range of network protocols enables video streams to be optimized for the full range of portable devices and provides the best viewing experience on any device, from an iPhone to an HD laptop computer screen. Envivio On Demand supports encryption for Windows Media, Silverlight and iPhone to protect premium content regardless of end device.
Posted by Derrick on November 17, 2009 under Video Streaming and Compression |
Envivio Inc. announced that its 4Caster C4 video encoder is being used by Bouygues Telecom, one of France’s largest mobile network operators with ten million subscribers, to encode video for its TV 3G+ mobile video service. The Bouygues Telecom video headend is hosted by Cognacq-Jay Image, the content management and delivery subsidiary of TDF. TV 3G+ provides subscribers with access to more than 60 channels in a variety of standard and premium packages.
When launching the new service in November 2008, Bouygues Telecom and Cognacq-Jay Image elected to replace their legacy software encoders with the 4Caster C4 hardware encoder configured for Mobile TV. The multi-profile 4Caster C4 enables the TV 3G+ service to be optimized for the 176 different handsets currently in use by Bouygues Telecom subscribers. This includes a QVGA resolution, 3.5G HSDPA profile to deliver premium video quality for subscribers with high end devices.
“4Caster C4 from Envivio has helped us by delivering the reliability and performance needed to provide a good quality of experience for the end user, as well as flexibility that is enabling our company to follow the fast-moving mobile market.” said Thibaut Keraval in charge of Mobile Services Solutions in Bouygues Telecom.
“Upgrading the existing infrastructure to an up-to-date Envivio platform was an important decision in the development of TV 3G+,” said David Karoutchi, Business Development Manager – Mobile & Broadband, Cognacq-Jay Image.
“The 4Caster C4 provides a high reliability, high performance foundation that offers the superior service levels we were looking for in order to ensure the best experience for subscribers.”
The award-winning Envivio 4Caster C4 simultaneously delivers four channels of video with up to 32 different Mobile TV profiles per system, providing an advanced compression platform for operators launching new services or upgrading early generation services based on software encoding platforms. The Bouygues Telecom deployment also includes the Envivio 4Manager headend management system, providing M:N automatic redundancy configuration for true carrier-grade service availability. This transforms mobile TV into a full-fledged service offering, based on a state-of-the-art professional headend infrastructure.
