IPTV and DIRECTV® MFH3
Until recently, IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) has been limited by the size and expense of the headend equipment required - six to eight racks of equipment, extensive configuration effort, and specialized equipment to support the merging of RF video signals onto the fiber network. None of these issues are show-stoppers, but the overall cost and technical complexity can leave even the experts scratching their heads. Technical challenges aside (after all, that’s why we have engineers), the real challenge with video is accessing content, particularly HD content.
Recent technological developments solve both issues with MFH3 - the new DIRECTV® video as a data stream service with an architecture similar to Ethernet. This solution will revolutionize FTTH. While the concept of IPTV is not new to FTTH, the new MFH3 solution occupies less than one rack of equipment and is capable of delivering all DIRECTV programming – including HD channels.
This solution is more than just technical hype to those familiar with the technology. Sky Cable, Inc. and AFL Telecommunications are among a group of companies that are working with the technology and see it as a step-change for FTTH within master-planned communities.
Bob Saylor – CEO of Sky Cable, Inc. – has a perspective built on 12 years of designing and building RF based systems. “I see the emergence of IPTV technology paired with FTTH to be the most significant technical transformation benefiting private cable systems since the original master antenna TV. We have been building RF based systems for so long we are accustomed to the architectural demands attached to RF. This MFH3 technology brings an entirely new elegance to FTTH in terms of simplicity, reliability, quality of signal, and enhancement of the subscriber experience. Once a system operator deploys the MFH3 architecture with FTTH distribution, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to return to RF. Making life even better for the System Operator, the MFH3 technology is particularly conducive to utilizing typical digital bulk program packages, another bonus for both the operator and the subscriber.”
As an end-to-end FTTH systems integrator, AFL Telecommunications sees bottom line benefits that will make FTTH accessible to more communities and drive value from the headend to the living room. “Our cost models reflect a 20-30% reduction in cost on top of the network management and triple-play convergence benefits of a 100% IP network”, states Kent Brown – Director of AFL’s Access Solutions group. Brown describes the basic system components as a rack-mounted gateway that accepts traditional satellite inputs and handles the job of encoding MFH3 content for distribution across the FTTH network. At the subscriber’s home, set-top boxes, including DVR-based boxes, are connected to the network using traditional Ethernet. “The solution virtually eliminates the technical hassles associated with IPTV. When coupled with a suitable network design, the system is virtually plug-and-play. System operators can reap all the benefits of IPTV and consumers enjoy wall-to-wall HD content”, stated Brown. In an effort to help evangelize the benefits of this technology, AFL has added the MFH3 platform to its “FTTH Made Easy” program – an end-to-end FTTH solution designed to help developers and system operators deploy the most flexible and cost effective FTTH solutions.
