The SCTE Cable-Tec Expo held in Atlanta (Nov 15-17, 2011), provided further industry confirmation that multi-screen delivery has become table stakes for operators. Yet, an undercurrent of all the promise that multi-screen video can bring is the cost of delivering applications and services to additional screens. There are network costs for additional bandwidth provisioning, data center costs for transcoding content into various bit rates and formats, and customer support costs related to the launch of new services, among others. How can operators confidently launch multi-screen services under these circumstances? Cisco’s Videoscape addresses this operator concern with an architecture designed to mitigate the cost of multi-screen video delivery and to achieve tangible results.
Let’s take the use case of linear TV streaming to companion devices in the home. There is growing concern that consumers will treat their companion devices as they do their regular TVs, and continuously stream linear content to their connected devices, raising the cost to provision sufficient bandwidth to support subscribers. There are multiple ways to tackle this consumer behavior challenge. Better content discovery and recommendation can ensure that consumers only stream content they actively want to watch, and data caps can provide the disincentive to over-consumption.
Cisco’s Videoscape architecture addresses this challenge by extending cloud transcoding and network intelligence into the home. Videoscape multi-screen home gateways can alleviate some of the bandwidth concerns for streaming to Internet-connected Read More »
Cisco’s Home Networking business is launching a new Wireless-N home router today that is actually pretty unique and can be very helpful to a lot of people looking to go wireless. The new Linksys X2000 a Wireless-N ADSL 2+ Modem Router that works with either DSL or cable broadband connections.
The Linksys X2000 enables consumers to access the internet and enjoy reliable wireless access on all their wireless devices around the home such as laptops, tablets, smart phones, game consoles and Internet ready televisions. The X2000 is the ideal solution for consumers to go wireless with their fixed broadband connection and for those who want to upgrade to wireless-N. The new hybrid solution provides the flexibility to connect to cable or DSL broadband connections when moving to a new home or switching service providers.
The Linksys X2000 gateway is shipped with Cisco Connect software, enabling users to set up their wireless home networks in just a few easy steps on a PC or Mac. Consumers also have the advantage of being able to customize and control their wireless settings to match their individual preferences. Read More »
What’s the best way to demonstrate the physical durability of a new router? How about a spec sheet detailing stress test results? Not at Cisco; video of the router being used as a basketball and dog food plate gets the point across much more clearly. I was pleasantly shocked when I saw the abuses endured by Cisco’s new ISR 819 Router. It survived not only immersion in hot coffee but also a baking in a toaster oven.
