Optical network equipment company Transmode has announced it will support Switched Video Transport via the Layer 2 Ethernet Muxponder family of its TM-Series platforms.
With high-definition television becoming increasingly popular and 3D TV on the way, cable multiple systems operators (MSOs) and other carriers must accommodate a significant rise in video traffic on their networks. To address this challenge, Transmode’s Switched Video Transport capabilities use Source-Specific Multicast (SSM) and Internet Group Managed Protocol (IGMPv3) capabilities within the Layer 2 Ethernet Muxponder family of TM-Series plug-in units. The new capabilities are designed to enable network operators to optimize multi-cast traffic by only forwarding multicast channels to ports that have specifically requested them rather than flooding all channels to all ports.
The new feature set also supports services such as unicast video traffic, broadband backhaul, and wholesale and business services from the same network infrastructure.
"Network operators, and MSOs in particular, are dealing with a rapid rise in both streamed and on demand video content within their networks," stated Michael Howard, principal analyst at Infonetics Research. "Streamed multicast IPTV traffic creates even harsher challenges as these operators move to high-definition and 3D services, with bandwidth demands increasing enormously while service revenues do not. Network operators are today assessing how best to optimize this traffic to simplify network operations-and at the same time reduce costs as they make the move to HD and 3D services."
Transmode asserts that similar capabilities are typically only found in high-end core routers and switches. Transmode’s approach, where the transport network provides this optimization, can radically change the economics of deploying an optimized network, the company asserts.
The new capabilities will be available starting in June 2011.
Sten Nordell, Transmode's CTO comments, "This new solution really shows the benefits of the applications-focused approach we have taken with our Native Packet Optical solution to Layer 1 and 2 consolidation. This architecture enables Transmode to focus on providing a range of high-end solutions for Transport Ethernet in applications such as business Ethernet Services, mobile backhaul, and now Switched Video Transport, rather than a generic switching device.
"This means the overall solution can excel in terms of both performance criteria such as low latency, virtually zero jitter and excellent Sync-E support and application specific features that optimize the overall network design. This ultimately can radically reduce cost and simplify network operations for our customers," Nordell concludes.
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