Inca Networks announced today that diversified telecommunications and technology company, Hamilton Telecommunications, has deployed Inca’s IP video reception and MPEG-4 transcoder products to power their new IPTV service dubbed “Cobalt TV”. In a joint venture with Mid-State Community TV, Inc., Hamilton Telecommunications decided to upgrade from a traditional cable video service to pure IPTV, becoming one of the first companies in Nebraska to offer a completely digital TV service.
In the past, the telephone and cable TV company had only been able to offer their video service to part of their total serving area via an older and geographically-limited cable system. Video is a competitive business and, in order to stay relevant, Hamilton Tel wanted to improve their picture quality, offer more HD content, and extend the reach of their video service across all of their outside plant infrastructure – allowing them to reach all the homes in their serving area. By using Inca’s MPEG-4 transcoder and off-air reception platforms, Hamilton Tel has successfully launched their IPTV service, Cobalt TV, and now offers 123 SD, 87 HD channels, 52 movie and 50 music digital channels to their serving area in and around Hamilton County in southeastern Nebraska.
“We are excited that we can now offer superior quality IP television service to all the communities and rural areas in our service area. We have been able to expand our service selection beyond what we could offer on a traditional cable network, better leverage our outside plant assets, and improve the customer video experience,” says Mark Sellers, Network Administrator for Hamilton Telecommunications.
Hamilton Tel uses Inca MPEG-4 IPTV transcoders to affordably optimize the format, resolution, and bit rate of HD and SD satellite and off-air sources for delivery over a DSL and fiber ring infrastructure. The video provider also uses Inca reception equipment to receive, demultiplex, process, and output all HD and SD off-air broadcast channels. The Inca products work seamlessly with Hamilton Tel’s middleware and Amino set-top boxes.
“It is always exciting for the team at Inca to help independent video providers like Hamilton Tel bring next generation digital IPTV service to their communities. We are proud that a cost-effective and operationally- efficient Inca headend is an integral part of Hamilton Tel’s successful video delivery strategy and that Inca VidiOSTM-powered equipment has helped boost their bottom line and reduce labor and training costs,” says Jeff Campbell, CEO of Inca Networks.
“Inca has the best bang for our buck. Our cost per channel is very reasonable so we’re able to price ourselves competitively against the satellite providers and grow our video subscriber base,” says Sellers. “The operational visibility and embedded monitoring included in the Inca platform save us money and make managing the service a pleasure.”
Hamilton Tel has already seen more than one-third of their traditional cable customers convert to Cobalt TV. New customers from the expanded service area have continued to subscribe as word has spread regarding the quality and reliability of the service.
“With the move from traditional cable to the launch of our IPTV service, we have seen a huge cost savings with Inca, and expect to see an ROI within two years. We are extremely happy as we have less maintenance and very satisfied customers who continue to be impressed with the amazing picture quality of the HD channels we now offer,” says Sellers.