Background

The growth of OTT (Over-the-Top) has greatly impacted the ecosystem of TV broadcasting ecosystem, due to the diversified demands of multi-screen video content consumption, wide use of mobile viewing gadgets and changes in CDN (content delivery network). Since the beginning of the digitalization era, OTT has become the mainstream service that broadcasting operators all over the world are striving to provide to their subscribers. Therefore, they realize that the success of OTT lies in the encoding, decoding and transcoding capability in order to support multi-format viewing on various devices.

Since video transcoding involves compression and streaming process, operators have to improve their efficiency in the UHD/4K, H.265, and HEVC video encoding in order to establish larger viewer base. In other words, as consumers demand multi-screen viewing experience, multi-format compression and multi-device support are key to competitiveness and both require high-efficiency video transcoding technology to gain competitiveness for the success of CDN business models.

In the technological aspect, video transcoding is the encoding process involving the conversion of a video file from one format to another, in order to make it compatible on various devices and operating systems. Actually, video transcoding is the core technology behind the success of OTT, for instance Netflix. Indeed, efficient transcoding technology can solve the bandwidth and video delivery obstacles for webinars and webcasts by setting the adaptive formats, as well as the bitrates and frame sizes involved.

Requirement

Today’s consumers demand quality viewing experience with rich content selection and resilient services. However, the operators’sunk costs can be astonishing so that they have to control their costs. Therefore, operators or service providers must deploy intelligent transcoding appliances as the enabling mechanism to offer live streaming TV, video-on-demand services and perhaps IPTV functions on all types of mobile Internet devices including smartphones, tablets, PC, and TVs. In fact, the hardware appliance for video transcoding shall perform video encoding/decoding in an efficient manner, accelerate GPU related functions and appear in modular design for future scalability.

Therefore, a solution provider in North America worked with Lanner to deliver a x86 intelligent video transcoding platform for video encoding/streaming, performance boost and video service density for VOD service provider and OTT/IPTV operators. The video delivery solutions must meet below requirements:

High-performance Server-grade Processor

Video encoding and transcoding may consume large sum of bandwidth so that a high-performance, server-grade processor is required to perform these instructions.

Modular Design

Transcoding requires various module configurations to provide all types of I/O ports like 10GbE in RJ-45, fiber, and coaxial cable port for various video sources. The modular design enables scalability for the infrastructure and easily strengthens capacity as the operation expands, while reducing CAPEX and OPEX costs.

Capability in Handling IP Video Network

Basically, it indicates the compression capability to encode videos from different sources to other formats for content delivery. The better the compression, the more smooth the content delivery within limited bandwidth and reduced buffering. Remember, buffering interrupts viewer experiences.

Compact 1U Rackmount Form Factor

In today’s data center infrastructure, compact 1U is a space-friendly design for cost and maintenance.


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Lanner’s Solutions

Lanner demonstrates video transcoding capability for operators and service providers in IPTV and OTT with its 4K video transcoding-accelerating NIC module NCS2-VT02A, empowered by Intel® Skylake CPU, built in Intel® Iris Pro Graphics GT4e and hardware-assisted HEVC/H.265 (High Efficiency Video Encoding). The module is capable of transporting high-quality streaming and bandwidth-hungry video content, while assuring video delivery density for applications in OTT streaming, Mobile Network Optimization and CDN (Content Delivery Network).

To function as the carrier of the transcoding module NCS2-VT02A, Lanner provides the optimal, award-winning compact appliance FW-8877, featuring flexibility with processing modules and high-capacity network interfaces. FW-8877 is a 1U rackmount network appliance empowered by server-grade Intel® Xeon® processor, offering the high-performance to convert formats, resolution, and bitrate for live streaming, as well as off-air digital sources to be delivered to set-top boxes or multi-screen devices. FW-8877 can be expanded with up to 4 modular bays for transcoding modules, capable of encoding/decoding large number of MPEG-4 files.

With server-grade CPU and modular expansion, FW-8877 with NCS2-VT02A can optimize the following advantages for operators and service providers:

  • Boost performance in adapting bitrate for enhanced content delivery to multi-screen devices
  • Optimize high bitrate streaming from satellite receivers, ASI and IP sources, no matter single/multi-program
  • Enable multiple delivery channels over DSL, cable and OTT
  • Optimize the conversions of format, resolution and bitrate for substantial amount of live satellite, IP and other off-air digital sources and enable the delivery to set-top boxes or multi-screen devices.

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