Virgin Media Upgrades Digital TV Platform With Cisco

[Jasmeet_87]

Cisco Helps Virgin Media Evolve Network Into a Medianet, a Platform Optimised for Rich-Media Delivery

Cisco today announced that Virgin Media, a leading entertainment and communications company in the UK, has chosen Cisco to support its Internet Protocol (IP) TV distribution platform and help upgrade its legacy digital TV infrastructure.

Virgin Media will deploy Cisco? Digital Video Headend technology in all of its regional and central headends to enable growth in standard-definition and advanced high-definition TV (HDTV) services. Deployed across Virgin Media's national fibre optic network, Cisco IP core and edge network technologies will provide high-speed distribution between the central and regional headends and support delivery to Virgin Media's high-speed access network. On completion, the new TV platform will be capable of delivering advanced services to more than 12.6 million UK homes.

Highlights / Key Facts:

* Virgin Media's upgraded TV distribution platform will be extensively based on Cisco technology, including Cisco's IP Next-Generation Network core and edge routing and switching, digital video headend solutions, and system management and monitoring.
* The project, managed by Cisco, includes installation, full system integration, the priming of third-party elements and support provided by the Cisco Advanced Video Services Group.
* The simplified infrastructure will help Virgin Media to reduce operating expenses, support the rollout of new conditional-access security services, and accelerate the introduction of new standard- and high-definition services.

Quotes:

* Daniel Hennessy, director of technical architecture at Virgin Media
"Upgrading our digital TV platform means we can continue bringing innovative new services to our customers. With greater resilience and added capacity, we can guarantee an outstanding viewer experience as we add further HD content to our TV platform. Cisco has the right experience and expertise to deliver a complete solution and help support the rollout of a next generation of entertainment services."

* Phil Smith, vice president, Cisco UK & Ireland
"Cisco values the relationship with Virgin Media, which has developed and deepened over the years. Since Cisco introduced the concept of medianets, intelligent networks that are optimised to deliver rich-media content, we have seen service providers like Virgin Media take the lead in transforming their networks to really differentiate the consumer experience. With the new IP-based TV transmission platform, Virgin Media customers can look forward to services that will change the way they are entertained."

Virgin Media Upgrades Digital TV Platform With Cisco

[batman44]

Check out the cisco website about IPTV and CA, the end is nigh!

[mickydibble]

This is probably the end ,but can anything be done about it,looking at recent introduction in Ireland ."no"...however if something could be done, it would be better to wait until a full roll-out of there service then hit back! If possible! But all this seems unlikely and I think we are probably ~~~~ed!?

[Delboy07]

Shyt I got bad timing I'm waiting for my new ex7000HD.

I'm guessing this will take a while for virmin and sicko to complete. Will we still get a few years before it all changes?

[batman44]

Shyt I got bad timing I'm waiting for my new ex7000HD.

I'm guessing this will take a while for virmin and sicko to complete. Will we still get a few years before it all changes?

I think you may have some time yet, enough to pay for itself. i think a new box roll out is required to those people who have old kit. Also there may be a fix with Ip router share, same as card share. Check out the specs in Cisco's IPTV kit hi tech stuff but it all come down to will it work nationally.

[mark_hopley]

Sorry to sound thick but could some nice person please explain to me what this means in laymans terms as regards the encryption and why this spells the end?

[batman44]

Sorry to sound thick but could some nice person please explain to me what this means in laymans terms as regards the encryption and why this spells the end?

OK, IP (Internet Protocol) TV basically at the moment all channels and signals are sent down the cable and the subcribed box decides what channels you have and pay for, if you have a dodgy box (for want of a better word) this will decode all the channels so you get them all. IPTV is based on you internet address thats allocated to you, and you only, they will send you just the signals for the channels you pay for, nothing else. This will be encrypted by a muticrypt system like NDS and specific for your sub box, each IP address will have a different code sent so no two are the same. This makes it difficult for you to bypass the encryption, the good thing though is the time is comming when you can have just the stuff you want without the crap to go with it, and you have on-demand in HD. Start thinking about sat....

[mark_hopley]

I always said when this day came I would go up the route of sky cs but if I am not wrong the rumour is the new cards been sent out are to put an end to that too. What to do then? dare I say I might have to bloody pay for it!

[lincsat]

IPTV was announced last year. It will mean a different box for everyone as the current Pace & Sammy boxes are not IPTV boxes, it was announced that the roll-out would complete in 2011 - so, no panic yet.. Look at it as streaming video off the internet.

[Delboy07]

I don't know much on this subject but is it likely to have something like a modem?

[Swiftie]

I don't know much on this subject but is it likely to have something like a modem?

Well considering the current boxes have a built in modem anyways. It just means you will get a new box which will function with the new service when introduced. Which will mean your box will be online in order to get the service.

[Delboy07]

I'm pretty new to all this but my brain is ticking anyway. I'm thinking modems and IP addresses and stuff and I'm thinking that this may not be the end now. Might take a while but their are some amazing people out there who can't refuse a challenge

[Jasmeet_87]

But the plan revealed today "isn't quite announcing the 'launch of IPTV services'," a Virgin Media spokeswoman noted in an email response questions from Cable Digital News.

"The agreement with Cisco is to help enhance our existing TV platform, which broadcasts content over DVB-C [Digital Video Broadcasting ? Cable], and then our VoD service runs on IP," she noted.

Cable Digital News - Video - Virgin Taps Cisco for Video Upgrade - Telecom News Analysis

[satman]

Check out the cisco website about IPTV and CA, the end is nigh!

And we were the ones accused of scaremonging mr batman eh

[SupremeMonarch]

So what does it all mean then?