TVMax, a provider of cable services to MDUs (multiple dwelling units) and housing communities in the greater Houston area, has purchased a complete Piccolo headend solution from Scopus to support its migration to an all-digital network.
The new installation will enable TVMax to deliver high-quality digital programming to subscribers securely and cost-effectively, Scopus said. TVMax boasts approximately 100,000 passings.
“We chose to partner with Scopus because they offer smart solutions for the cost-effective delivery of digital programming today and advanced services going forward,” said David J. Curtin, chief operating officer and executive vice president at TVMax. “Our decision to use a single-vendor headend solution simplifies day-to-day operation and ongoing maintenance of the digital delivery infrastructure.”
Scopus products are used successfully by cable providers across the globe, Curtin said.
TVMax will use Scopus UE-9240 real-time QUAD MPEG-2 encoders to encode local channels while IVG-7102 Intelligent Headend Video Gateways will aggregate feeds for each multicast and perform grooming, rate shaping, and ASI-to-GigE conversion.
Programming will be processed by the IVG-7208 Intelligent Broadcast QAM Gateway for delivery to the RF network and subsequent end-user reception via a digital set-top box. TVMax will streamline ad insertion by incorporating the IVG-7500 Intelligent Video Splicer into the mix. The IVG-7500 features seamless splicing and standards-based DPI implementation for compatibility with major ad server providers.
Scopus’ experience in working with DVB architectures and the industry’s leading conditional access (CA) providers enabled smooth integration of the Conax CA encryption solution into the TVMax digital delivery model, which in turn will allow for use of lower-cost digital STBs.
The entire system being installed at TVMax will be managed and monitored through the Scopus’ Network Management System (NMS).
“Our headend solutions enable MSOs to increase their competitiveness and revenue potential through improved processing efficiency, as well as enhanced functionality that enables the introduction of advanced services such as high-definition television,” said Carlo Basile, president-North America of Scopus.
