Blonder Tongue Enables Superior Video-Over-IP Distribution With STEP
Scalable, Flexible Platform Offers High-Quality Encoding, Transcoding, Downscaling, and Adaptive Bit Rate Live Streaming Capabilities for Multiscreen Video Deployments
Old Bridge, N.J.(25 Feb 2015)
At the 2015 NAB Show, booth SU6524, Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE MKT:BDR) will launch a new Scalable Transcoder-Encoder Platform (STEP) that offers broadcasters a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective approach to video-over-IP distribution. Blonder Tongue's STEP is capable of performing high-quality HD/SD MPEG-2 or H.264 encoding; HD/SD MPEG-2 to H.264 and H.264 to MPEG-2 transcoding; HD to SD downscaling; and creating adaptive bit rate live profiles supporting popular HTTP streaming protocols such as HLS, HDS, and IIS, making it the ideal solution for operators to deliver multiscreen video and migrate to a next-generation video network architecture.
"Broadcasters need cost-effective, versatile solutions in order to adapt to today's fast-paced and ever-changing competitive environment," said Walt Davis, senior director of product management and technical services at Blonder Tongue. "STEP features a flexible software architecture that allows users to overcome the technical challenges of multivendor products, constantly changing design requirements, and the introduction of new standards. By providing superior-quality encoding, transcoding, downscaling, and streaming functionality, all in a single software-based package, STEP makes video-over-IP distribution affordable, scalable, and easy."
Available as a 1RU, 2RU, or 3RU integrated system, STEP helps broadcasters meet the latest video requirements and transition to a modern video network architecture by carrying out a variety of scalable video processing tasks. The flexible platform supports multiple video quality encoding bit rates, multiple audio formats, and text scrolling. In addition, STEP is compatible with any industry media server or digital rights management software, and can be easily integrated into CDN providers, offering users a tailored solution based on customer needs.
At the heart of STEP are three separate components: a splitter block capable of splitting incoming ASI- or IP-based MPEG-2-TS streams and rerouting them, or the individual programs, into a multiprogram transport stream (MPTS); a media processing engine that provides comprehensive video and audio processing functions required for applications such as decoding, encoding, transcoding, and format conversion as well as AES scrambling and logo insertion; and a mux functionality that can pass through and/or merge single program transport streams (SPTS) into an MPTS.
STEP's low-latency MPEG-2/H.264 encoder utilizes multicore video encoding technology to perform real-time transmission of content at low bit rates over broadband IP networks. The state-of-the-art encoder also supports on-screen text scrolling for a variety of applications including advertising, company logos, symbols, and stock tickers. In addition, the STEP solution supports various input options including analog baseband, VSB, and clear QAM programs, as well as a PIP output and Pro-MPEG CoP3 forward error correction.
More information on Blonder Tongue and its products is available at www.blondertongue.com.
About Blonder Tongue
Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE MKT:BDR) together with R.L. Drake Holdings, LLC — its wholly owned subsidiary — offer customers more than 130 years of combined engineering and manufacturing excellence with solid histories of delivering reliable, quality products. As a leader in the field of cable television communications, the Company provides system operators and integrators serving the cable, broadcast, satellite, IPTV, institutional, and professional video markets with comprehensive solutions for the provision of content contribution, distribution, and video delivery to homes and businesses. The Company designs, manufactures, sells, and supports an equipment portfolio of standard- and high-definition digital video solutions, as well as core analog video and high-speed data solutions for distribution over coax, fiber, and IP networks. Additional information on the Company and its products can be found at www.blondertongue.com and www.rldrake.com.