BroadLogic Uncloaks Cable's Secret Weapon.

Terapixel-Speed Video Processing Chip Powers Device to Reclaim Over 450MHz of Bandwidth, Gives Operators Quickest Path to All-Digital Network

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- BroadLogic Network Technologies, a leading provider of silicon solutions for broadband networks, today announced the commercial availability of the TeraPIX[TM] video processor, a technology which enables cable operators to triple their digital spectrum. This additional bandwidth elevates cable multiple system operators' (MSOs) network performance to the equivalent of fiber-to-the-home, allowing dozens more high definition (HD) channels, video on demand (VOD) services, telephony, and ultra-high-speed cable modem service transparently to subscribers, without requiring MSOs to make extensive network upgrades.

The BL80000 TeraPIX chip is the world's first massively parallel, multi-channel video processor, capable of decoding dozens of digital video streams and generating a full analog and digital service tier, including an 80-plus analog channel lineup, that any number of cable-ready devices (TVs, DVRs, PCs with tuner cards, etc.) can view, plus up to 160 standard definition (SD) or 50 HD programs. The TeraPIX processor powers a new type of Residential Gateway, installed outside or just inside a residence, which allows the network to be all-digital, while subscribers continue to receive the cable-ready analog video, digital video, high speed data and voice services they crave. Conventional set-top boxes output one channel at a time and thus feed only one TV. Cable MSOs can use this technology to take their networks "All Digital," thus tripling their digital capacity at a time when rising content and competitive requirements demand it.

"The BroadLogic TeraPIX video processor is the cable industry's best path to tripling their digital bandwidth while sustaining the cable-ready competitive advantage they enjoy today," said Danial Faizullabhoy, CEO, BroadLogic. "With the release of the TeraPIX video processor, we are completely focused on working with our partners to accelerate the delivery of products to leading cable operators."

With consumer demand for cable services like HDTV and triple-play soaring, and telecommunications companies building solid subscriber numbers in nearly every market they enter, BroadLogic has introduced the TeraPIX processor at a time when the cable industry is facing pressure on multiple fronts.

"Competition from the telcos is here today and will be unrelenting," said Mike Arden, Principal Analyst, Broadband, at ABI Research. "MSOs, who have enjoyed a healthy competitive advantage as fiber inched its way to the home, face the competitive fight of their lives. Growing demand for HD, VOD, Voice, and much higher-speed Internet will require conversion of much or all of today's analog spectrum to digital sooner than later to remain competitive with telcos."

According to Faizullabhoy, existing solutions to the bandwidth dilemma require a host of trade-offs: Upgrade to all-digital and abandon a lucrative analog customer base; use stop-gap measures that may be obsolete in a year; or deploy millions of additional digital set-top boxes and face subscriber attrition.

"A cost-effective technology that provides cable companies with this bandwidth can effectively neutralize imminent threats from the telcos," said Faizullabhoy.

The BroadLogic TeraPIX video processor was designed from the ground up with guidance from the broadband industry's most visionary and forward-thinking network operators and OEMs, leading to what some MSO executives have referred to as "cable's Holy Grail": a cost-effective way to reclaim 450+ MHz of spectrum without deploying set-top boxes ubiquitously.

According to Wayne Davis, former CTO of Charter Communications and a member of BroadLogic's Technical Advisory Board, operators need to carefully evaluate the options available to increase bandwidth.

"Upgrading the cable plant to 860MHz or using 'switched digital' may be valid interim approaches, but are not long-term solutions because the incremental bandwidth they yield is quite limited," said Davis. "Another approach, requiring set-tops on every TV, will lead to many unhappy subscribers and bring onerous operational implications, based on my experience. BroadLogic's TeraPIX chip is one of the most exciting technologies I've seen because it is the first which addresses MSOs' migration to an all-digital network in a consumer-friendly and cost-effective manner. In the battle for new subscribers, TeraPIX is an important, new weapon in cable's arsenal."

How It Works

Virtually every cable operator's core video service is an 80-or-so channel lineup of the most popular broadcast and cable channels. Today's cable-ready TVs, DVRs, VCRs, PCs with tuner cards, etc. can receive these channels directly, without need for a set-top box. Because these channels are delivered in analog format, not digital, they take up a disproportionate amount of an operator's bandwidth (500MHz of a typical 750MHz network). To get this bandwidth back, operators can deliver every channel in their lineup in digital format - but conventional approaches to viewing these digital channels would require their subscribers to install a digital set-top box and remote for every cable-ready device in the home. This solution is both costly for operators and undesirable to many subscribers.

The BroadLogic TeraPIX video processor works by decoding bandwidth-conserving digital video signals delivered by a cable operator, and generating 80-plus high-quality channels of television. Cable operators get their extra bandwidth, and consumers get the channel lineups they're used to without having to get more set-tops, run more coaxial cable, or lose more remotes. The TeraPIX processor enables solutions that support virtually all existing analog and digital consumer devices. For example, if a subscriber has a DVR set-top from their cable operator, the digital signals are passed through TeraPIX to the DVR.

Pricing and Availability

The BL80000 TeraPIX chip is available in sample quantities to qualified product developers immediately. Pricing in sample quantities of up to 1,000 units is $300 per unit. Higher quantity pricing is available upon request from BroadLogic.

About BroadLogic

Headquartered in San Jose, California, BroadLogic designs and supplies breakthrough video-processing technologies that enable broadband network operators to maintain their competitive edge by offering next-generation video-on-demand, digital-video, voice, and high-speed data services to more consumers. BroadLogic's patented technologies power devices that simultaneously process an order of magnitude more video content than conventional approaches, helping operators maximize revenue gains while controlling operational and capital expenditures.

For more information please visit www.broadlogic.com.