Harmonic Sets the Bar for High-Volume Multiscreen VOD Transcoding With New ProMedia Xpress
New File-Based Transcoder Uses Harmonic's MicroGrid Parallel-Computing Technology to Achieve Dramatic Improvement in Transcoding Performance
SAN JOSE, Calif.(15 May 2012)
Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced the release of the ProMedia Xpress high-performance file-based transcoder, the newest addition to the company's ProMedia family of software and appliance solutions engineered to optimize video production workflows for high-volume multiscreen video-on-demand (VOD) applications.
ProMedia Xpress uses Harmonic's market-leading H.264 codec technology to deliver excellent video quality without impeding transcoding speeds, thereby improving video workflows for content owners and service providers, enabling them to deliver a significant increase in content hours while adhering to processing timetables and video quality targets. Facilitating cost-effective, faster-than-real-time transcoding of broadcast-quality content for multiscreen VOD delivery to mobile devices, PCs, and connected TVs, ProMedia Xpress allows operators and media companies to launch new services efficiently without compromising on the quality of their offering.
ProMedia Xpress employs Harmonic's new MicroGrid parallel-computing technology to achieve a dramatic improvement in transcoding performance. MicroGrid's video-centric approach for exploiting multi-core computing environments eliminates the bottlenecks associated with traditional transcoding approaches. By employing all available processor core capacity, ProMedia Xpress can scale effectively to provide remarkable transcoding performance without the need for custom computing hardware.
"Service providers and content owners must not only deliver VOD content to consumers' PCs, connected TVs, and mobile devices within a tight timeframe, but also meet specific performance requirements for each adaptive streaming format used," said Moore Macauley, senior director, multiscreen product line management at Harmonic. "ProMedia Xpress addresses these demands, enabling programmers to take on the challenge of providing high-volume multiformat OTT delivery while maintaining the quality and value of their video assets through the use of Harmonic's market-leading H.264 codec."
Part of the ProMedia suite of multiscreen products, ProMedia Xpress is a critical component of a complete file-based multiscreen workflow that scales from several to hundreds of nodes and provides the operational integrity required in demanding 24/7 VOD environments.
When combined with the ProMedia Package stream packager, ProMedia Xpress allows multirate H.264 assets to be encapsulated with the utmost speed and flexibility for target ecosystems including Apple HTTP Live Streaming, Microsoft Smooth Streaming, Adobe HTTP Dynamic Streaming, and MPEG-DASH. Because ProMedia Xpress and Package separate the transcoding and packaging processes, users can transcode an asset once and package it multiple times, thereby reducing repetitive processor-intensive tasks and easing the need to accommodate changing delivery standards and protocols. In addition, tight integration between ProMedia Xpress and Harmonic's Omneon MediaGrid™ shared storage system allows content to be stored and accessed on the network at high speed, eliminating the latency associated with copying content to the transcode nodes before transcoding, and instantly making available transcoded content for downstream operations such as QC, distribution, delivery or archive.
Harmonic's comprehensive portfolio of solutions for multiscreen production, distribution, and delivery will be on display at Harmonic's booth 212 during Streaming Media East in New York, May 15-16. ProMedia Xpress is expected to ship in the third quarter of 2012. Further information is available at www.harmonicinc.com.
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About Harmonic Inc.
Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ: HLIT) provides infrastructure that powers the video economy. The company enables content and service providers to efficiently create, prepare, and deliver differentiated video services for television and new media platforms. More information is available atwww.harmonicinc.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements related to the anticipated capabilities and benefits of Harmonic's ProMedia Xpress product and MediaGrid technology. Our expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the possibility that neither the new ProMedia Xpress product nor MicroGrid technology meet some or all of its anticipated capabilities or provide some or all of its anticipated benefits, such as dramatic improvement to transcoding performance, faster-than-real-time transcoding of broadcast-quality content, encapsulation with the utmost speed, flexibility for target ecosystems, optimization of video production workflows, delivery of significant increase in content hours, while adhering to processing timetables and video quality targets, elimination of the latency associated with copying content to the transcode nodes before transcoding, and instant availability of transcoded content for downstream operations, delivery or archive.
The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, such as those more fully described in Harmonic's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec.31, 2011, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its Current Reports on Form 8-K. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Harmonic as of the date hereof, and Harmonic disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.