TANDBERG Television introduced its "iPlex UltraCompression" high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) IPTV head-end.
The iPlex UltraCompression video processing system, which is based on the company's second-generation AVC platform - Intelligent Compression Engine (ICE3), delivers bandwidth improvements of up to 50% over previously deployed MPEG-4 AVC units. 
TANDBERG TV said it designed the iPlex to be a flexible video processing platform, rather than just being an encoder chassis. As an IPTV head-end solution it includes MPEG-2 SD encoding, MPEG-4 AVC HD and SD encoding, MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 AVC transcoding, MPEG-2 transrating, and picture-in-picture (PIP) service generation.
New capabilities include improved motion estimation processes, single slice video processing architecture, dedicated processing for low resolution encoding of PIP services, and a number of performance boosting features such as Multi-Pass analysis and enhanced video pre-processing, which are the basis of 12 new patent applications.
- With MPEG-4 AVC HD UltraCompression, TANDBERG TV said its iPlex can achieve the delivery of two full-resolution HDTV channels over ADSL2+ @ 2km - with data rates at below 6 Mbps @ 1080i and 4 Mbps @ 720p, a new industry benchmark.
Multi-channel density enables service providers to roll out 100+ channels total with simultaneous delivery of four or more SD or two HD channels per home using ADSL2.
The iPlex video processing platform is managed by TANDBERG nCompass Control and Monitoring, which also controls the professional receivers and descramblers used for content acquisition, providing a tightly integrated and seamlessly managed head-end solution.
Other key features include:
- Stream replication -- the ability to take each video stream processed inside the unit and output it across different delivery formats (ASI, IP, ATM), enabling an operator to deliver their service simultaneously across multiple delivery mechanisms - for example cable and DSL services from a single head-end.
- One in, multiple out video processing - from a single input source the iPlex can process the video into different resolutions and standards, supporting multiple service provision of the same content, such as IPTV to TV and DVB-H to cellphone delivery.
- Integrated Internet and IP security - with an integrated firewall, the iPlex provides an additional level of security to operators and broadcasters, protecting against unauthorized access and malicious actions, such as denial of service attacks. The iPlex provides a user configurable firewall to manage access via unsecured and secured protocols such as Telnet, FTP, HTTP, SNMP V2 & V3 SSH, and HTTPS. Additional security features such as access list control and in band/out of band management ensure a secure environment for the iPlex to maintain high levels of service availability as an IP streaming device.
