[opendtv] Re: 060707 Free Friday Fragments (Mark's Monday Memo)
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 13:51:00 -0400
Steve Wilson wrote:
> Please forgive my ignorance, but I dont get it. I heard the
> cable systems were already at capacity with MPEG2 and that's
> driving some interest in H.264.
Yes, but they are wasting a lot of bandwidth with analog channels still.
That's why I qualified by saying "fully converted" to 256-QAM. And also,
VOD offered by the cable company, as opposed to VOD provided by an
in-home PVR, either consumes very large amounts of core system
bandwidth, or creates the need for smart boxes at the edge of the cable
system's network, outside customer premises.
The math is simple. Existing cable systems can carry at least 120 6-MHz
channels, which, with 256-QAM, translates to 240 60p HDTV at least. And
more with AVC, and more still with SD streams and 24p HD streams.
Cable system HFC plants just don't need to fat-pipe-to-thin-pipe feature
IPTV was designed to provide. The telcos do need this.
> Even so, isn't IPTV going to enable new services as compared
> to what you can get over cable/MPEG TS? Cable co's are
> going to have to invent something new to compete or start
> running IPTV as well. Assuming of course, IPTV becomes a
> large enough threat.
IPTV was developed to try to compete with cable systems, when the end
user pipe is very thin. But as is, cable systems can increase their
offerings dramatically, just by converting to all-digital. And they can
also offer improved broadband access, without having to whole-hog
convert their entire PON plants into switched 10G Ethernet routed
networks. So I don't see this IPTV threat, except in the sales
brochures. IPTV is trying to do catch-up, as I see it.
Then there are those who jump up and say, "Who needs 2000 simultaneous
streams in the home?"
No one needs to watch 2000 simultaneous channels in the home. That's not
the issue, though. The issue is that if you had 2000 simultaneous
channels, CE vendors could sell smartly designed boxes to select and
record programs, and display the menu of recorded programs, without
involving the cable system in any way. So, you've greatly improved the
experience for subscribers, and reduced the need for any in-system VOD.
(And, of course, the cable company is still providing that broadband
access, let's not forget, which can be used for those niche channels.)
My conclusion is that IPTV for cable companies is primarily aimed at
giving back to the service provider more contol, taking it from the
subscriber. By creating narrow pipes to customer premises.
Bert
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