
REGINA — Access Communications Co-operative announced Tuesday its next-generation IPTV video service, expected to launch next month, will be powered by the Inca IP Video Platform from WISI America, a Pitt Meadows, B.C.-based provider of carrier-grade video delivery solutions.
WISI’s Inca IP Video Platform will provide transcoding for both linear and adaptive bit-rate (ABR) services. (WISI acquired the technology when it bought Vancouver-based Inca Networks in 2015.) Other vendors providing technology for Access’ new IPTV video service include Vecima Networks for packaging and Seachange International for middleware, says the news release.
This new IPTV video service will completely displace Access’ existing QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) video service. The new solution transforms the entire headend to IPTV and provides versatile multiscreen video for subscribers. A year in the making, Access plans to launch in September 2020, says the release.
Access says it chose WISI’s Inca IP Video Platform to transcode its entire channel line-up. Inca’s modular platform bridges the gap between legacy equipment and new video technologies, including HEVC and ABR transcode applications. It easily replaces racks of legacy, end-of-life, or end-of-support headend equipment with one sophisticated platform, says the release.
“We look at Inca like a Swiss army knife. The platform is so flexible that without changing our headend, without uprooting anything, we would be able to pivot our service by adding a couple of licences. No other product is able to do this,” said Jeffery De Sarno, chief technology officer for Access, in the release. “Add to that the low power consumption, the high scalability for our ABR deployment, and the significant cost savings we gained in the data centre — no other transcoding vendors compare.”
The Inca IP Video Platform is powered by VidiOS management and monitoring tools. The VidiOS user interface was designed with visibility in mind and includes an intuitive, user-friendly experience to review video statistics and analyze data. Features include inbound and outbound video thumbnails, stream sample downloads, extensive statistical analysis, and end-to-end process logging.
“As a Canadian-based company, the team at WISI America is thrilled to be a part of this new service launch for Access Communications,” said Robert Bell, CEO of WISI America. “We are excited to help power this service and bring carrier-grade multiscreen video to Saskatchewan communities.”