Thursday, January 10, 2013

Cisco Introduces ‘Videoscape Unity' TV Platform to Enable Advanced Multiscreen Video and TV Services


Videoscape Unity, Integrating Cisco and NDS Video Portfolio, Empowers Service and Content Providers to Deliver Unified and Unique Video Experiences Across All Screens

Today in a press conference at CES 2013, Cisco will unveil Videoscape Unity, its new and expanded Videoscape video services delivery platform. This new platform empowers service providers and media companies to deliver new intuitive and synchronized multiscreen video experiences. These include a multiscreen cloud digital video recorder (DVR), which enables consumers to restart shows, catch up on past programs, and play back DVR-captured content from anywhere, on any screen.
For the first time, video operators will have an agile, open software platform that goes above and beyond "TV Everywhere" services, empowering operators to speed the delivery of immersive multi-screen video experiences that advance their unique service and brand visions.

During Cisco's press conference (streamed live online at 2 p.m. PST with a replay available at 3 p.m. PST), Marthin De Beer, senior vice president of Cisco's Video and Collaboration Group, will host a panel of leading service and content providers for a discussion titled, "The Future of TV: Above and Beyond TV Everywhere," during which they will share their visions for delivering personalized video experiences. Panelists include:

  • Len Barlik, EVP, chief product officer, Cox Communications
  • Bill Bradford, senior vice president, Digital Media, Fox Broadcasting
  • Joe Inzerillo, senior vice president, Multimedia and Distribution, Major League Baseball Advanced Media
  • Balan Nair, chief technology officer, Liberty Global
  • Andrew Olson, director of product planning and design, BSkyB

New Preintegrated Offers Enabled by Videoscape Unity Include

  • Multiscreen Cloud DVR: Offers cloud-driven video recording with capture and storage in the cloud instead of the end device. Consumers can restart shows, catch up on past programs, and play back DVR-captured content from anywhere, on any screen.
  • Video Everywhere: Broadens the TV Everywhere proposition with unified search, discovery, and viewing functions to allow consumers to watch premium live and on-demand content on any (service provider managed or unmanaged) connected device regardless of location.
  • Connected Video to Any Device in the Home: Cisco's Connected Video Gateway serves as a single entertainment hub, with back-end management of IP and QAM video, for distributing video content and metadata to any IP-connected device in the home, while providing a unified user experience.
  • IP Video over Cable: Gives consumers expanded choice of content and IP video services, with faster delivery of on-demand and interactive offerings, across a wider range of service provider managed devices - with the flexibility to add unmanaged devices.

About Videoscape Unity
Cisco announced its Videoscape TV services delivery platform at CES in 2011. Videoscape Unity was created by integrating Cisco Videoscape with the assets and business model of NDS, the leading video software and content security and experience provider acquired by Cisco in 2012. The new platform comprises a set of cloud, network and client based components, connected by open interfaces.
  • The cloud and network components power new, personalized video services and enable multiple screens to be synchronized to create a single unified experience for the subscriber, so things look and feel the same no matter what device they use.
  • Client components use the Cisco Snowflake interface design model and NDS Media Highway multiplatform clients. This approach enables network operators to design exciting user experiences, engineer them into clients for connected devices and set-top boxes, and quickly deploy them across multiple screens and throughout large service footprints.

Flexible Deployment Options

  • Videoscape Unity can be deployed in one of many end-to-end pretested configurations, which can be tailored to each operator's service plan.
  • Operators can also opt to select individual components and tailor them into their operations via open interfaces.
  • For the first time, Cisco is offering Videoscape "as a service," allowing operators to have Cisco build, monitor, operate and even host their video infrastructures.

Advantages for Operators
  • Compelling multiscreen experiences delivered from the leading video experience platform and continuosly refreshed by Cisco's 7,500+ video engineers.
  • A modular open platform, which operators can enhance with third-party components using open interfaces built into the Videoscape Unity platform.
  • For operators that deploy Videoscape Unity for one service can easily enhance and add to the modules they initially deploy to bring other services to market quickly.
  • Reduced operations costs by the elimination of single-service, "siloed" platforms, and the need for constant in-house engineering to keep platforms current. 
 

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