Optinel Systems, a privately-held provider of optical transport systems for the cable television industry, and SeaChange International, a leading provider of video-on-demand (VOD) systems, have announced that Optinel's PLEXiS MFX transport system and SeaChange's MediaCluster video server architecture now integrate seamlessly for the reliable deployment of VOD services.
In addition to VOD, Optinel's PLEXiS transport system offers cable operators a scalable and cost-effective bandwidth expansion method for advanced services such as high-definition television (HDTV), high-speed Internet access and IP telephony.
Successful tests integrating the products from the two vendors demonstrate that Optinel's PLEXiS system and SeaChange's VOD system can be co-deployed with complete compatibility for flexible, scalable and cost-effective VOD operations.
"Optinel's demonstrated interoperability with SeaChange's VOD system means that MSOs have a proven, reliable combination to look to when seeking VOD or other broadband transport solutions," said Jim Faust, CEO of Optinel Systems.
Joe Ambeault, director of broadband systems for SeaChange, noted that vendor integration efforts and open systems have helped on-demand gain significant ground in markets across the USA.
"Our ability to reliably support larger libraries and an ever widening variety of content and formats such as HD programming will assert VOD's widescale popularity and its role in the business of television," he said.
SeaChange's VOD system is a widely implemented platform for the delivery of on-demand services to large subscriber bases. Based on its MediaCluster architecture, the system supports a range of output types, including Gigabit Ethernet and IP transport. When combined with the Optinel system, cable operators can give their subscribers the ability to use a digital set-top box to instantly call up movies and other programming, and control their selection with VCR-like functionality -including fast forward, pause and rewind.
For more information, visit www.schange.com and www.optinel.com.
