VICTORIA – Equipment supplier Vecima has signed a multi-year agreement with an unnamed U.S.-based cable multiple system operator for its new Terrace product, which could help pave the way for new HDTV market services.
The TerraceQAM is designed to provide cable system operators with technology to deliver high definition and standard definition digital video streams in a secure format connecting directly to newer, flat panel TVs, eliminating the need for an additional digital set top box.
The result, according to the press release, is a cleaner and more reliable installation offering a broader range of video services and a simplified user experience. The company says that it expects that this technology will prove particularly attractive to the hospitality industry, hospitals, schools, universities and other institutions, as it streamlines infrastructure requirements and reduces costs.
"Signing this agreement for the TerraceQAM product provides further evidence of the lead role Vecima is playing as networks transition to all-digital service," said Vecima chief executive and chairman, Dr. Surinder Kumar, in the release. "TerraceQAM allows operators to use their networks to take full advantage of the capabilities of next-generation HDTVs providing an improved end-user experience. As we continue to execute on our strategy to exploit opportunities supporting Cable MSO’s transition to all-digital networks and the provision of new and enhanced HDTV services, we would expect to obtain a sizeable portion of this market over the mid-term.”
Vecima says that the market is expected to grow to a cumulative $600M worldwide over the next ten years, creating opportunities for operators to deploy all-digital services to new market segments.
TerraceQAM is a modular system allowing simultaneous decoding of 32 QAM modulated channels to either MPEG-2/SD or MPEG-2/HD video channels. The product allows bulk decryption and re-encryption of video streams and re-modulation to QAM format.
The re-modulated signals are distributed to subscribers via one of four output ports, and the channel line-up is configurable for delivery to devices with QAM demodulating tuners. The TerraceQAM allows for insertion of local feeds by encoding baseband audio and video signals as either MPEG-2/SD or MPEG-2/HD video streams.
