du Deploys TANDBERG iPlex Encoding and Transcoding for IPTV Expansion
2008-03-05 10:59:24 -
www.tandbergtv.com/ - Corporate/EMEA/APAC Gay Bell +44 20 7486 4900 gbell@platformpr.com or North America Dawn Danaher +1 714 378 5841 ddanaher@ariesmm.com TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group, today announced that its award-winning iPlex(TM) UltraCompression IPTV video processing and transcoding system has been selected by du, the Dubai-based telco, as the head-end for its IPTV services. du is the United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s newest telecommunications company, launched in February 2007, already amassing over 1.5 million customers.
The innovative multilingual du IPTV service offers TV channels from the UAE and around the world, catering to the tastes of different nationalities and cultures. du offers more than 15 Premium TV packages, in 18 different languages from content aggregators and providers worldwide, providing UAE's consumers with a wide choice of TV programming, including live sporting events, from around the world. TANDBERG Television's broadcast expertise and its award-winning iPlex UltraCompression high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) video processing and transcoding system provides du with a range of advanced features including bandwidth savings, industry leading density and improved picture quality.
"We are deploying TANDBERG Television's best-in-class technology to enable the expansion of du's IPTV service and continuously improve its quality, while still maintaining flexibility and efficiency," said Osman Sultan, CEO, du. "We are pleased to be able to draw upon TANDBERG Television's deep understanding of IPTV, as well as its advanced solutions. This will enable us to optimize the bandwidth requirements for delivering television over our Ethernet-to-the-home network, whilst still maintaining the high picture quality that our customers demand."
The iPlex UltraCompression HD and SD IPTV head-end is based on TANDBERG Television's next-generation AVC platform and provides a step change in digital video distribution by combining the broadest choice of density and enhanced features with the industry's leading picture quality/performance. A flexible video processing platform that offers the industry's most complete IPTV head-end solution, the TANDBERG iPlex includes MPEG-2 SD encoding, MPEG-4 AVC HD and SD encoding, MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 transcoding, MPEG-2 transrating, and picture-in-picture (PIP) service generation in a high density, NEBS-certified, telco-designed chassis.
"du is an innovative, forward thinking telco that has acquired an impressive customer base since its launch last year. We are pleased to be increasing our presence in the UAE with such a pioneering customer," said Eric Baron, President of TANDBERG Television EMEA. "Our next-generation iPlex IPTV head-end will enable du to benefit from advanced solutions such as increased density, improved bandwidth management and enhanced picture quality, while at the same time future-proofing their infrastructure with features such as transcoding and a simple upgrade path to HD."
Since its launch in 2007, the iPlex UltraCompression has won a number of major industry awards, demonstrating the value it delivers to telcos. It received 'Best IPTV Head-end & Video Processing Technology' at the IPTV World Forum 2007; an IEC InfoVision Award at BBWF Asia; a CSI Product of the Year Award at IBC for 'Best Digital Video Processing Technology' and an IEC InfoVision Award at BBWF Europe.
About du
du, the UAE's new telecommunications company, was launched on 11 February 2007. Among the many firsts introduced to the market are du's historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments and Self Care. du business is an integrated business solutions partner that helps large and small companies improve their performance with offers like Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations. Likewise, International and Wholesale aims to be the regional hub for the Middle East, presenting a new choice for carriers. du's retail network, launched on 25 February 2007, supports the delivery of du services to customers.
du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du. For more information, please visit www.du.ae
About TANDBERG Television
TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group, delivers the multimedia technology and expertise that is moving digital video forward. Whether it's advanced compression systems, on-demand or content distribution, the company's award-winning solutions are used by the world's leading broadcasters, operators and programmers to deliver new viewer experiences and advertising opportunities. With a broad suite of open, standards-based products, TANDBERG Television offers the highest quality solutions for Digital TV, HDTV, VOD, and IPTV. For more information, please visit www.tandbergtv.com
iPlex(TM) UltraCompression System to Enable Better Bandwidth
Management and Enhanced Picture Quality
