RGB Networks and TANDBERG Television Enable Telecom Carriers to Seamlessly Insert Local Ads into High Definition MPEG-4 AVC Video Programs

Partner Companies Demonstrate Integrated Solution at TelcoTV 2008
TelcoTV 2008

ANAHEIM, Calif. – At the TelcoTV 2008 conference, RGB Networks, the leader in network video processing, and TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group (NASDAQ: ERIC), are demonstrating their advanced integrated ad insertion solution for telecom carriers, which enables them to earn additional advertising revenue by inserting local ads into MPEG-4 AVC High Definition (HD) programming. The demonstration in the RGB booth (565) shows RGB’s carrier-class Modular Video Processor (MVP) performing frame-accurate ad splicing into MPEG-4 AVC streams encoded by the market-leading TANDBERG EN8090 Series MPEG-4 AVC HD encoder.



Television programming and broadcast movies are increasingly being delivered in the popular MPEG-4 AVC format which offers tremendous bandwidth advantages compared to MPEG-2, particularly for HD programming. Splicing MPEG-4 AVC encoded transport streams is not the same as splicing MPEG-2 streams due to the more complex MPEG-4 AVC encoding structure. This requires intelligent video processing by the encoder and the splicer to support seamless frame-accurate ad insertion at the splicer. Working as an integrated solution, the TANDBERG EN8090 encoder adds the SCTE-35 cue tones to the MPEG-4 AVC programs which are then detected by the MVP and used to seamlessly and accurately insert local ads into the programs. Seamless and accurate splicing is a critical aspect of the ad insertion process, without which ad spots can run short or overlap the broadcast content, causing serious consequences, such as picture freezes from buffering problems at the set-top box level.

“Local and zoned advertising is a proven source of additional advertising revenue that earned cable television operators more than $4.7 billion in 2007, and working with TANDBERG Television we are enabling telecom carriers to take advantage of this lucrative opportunity,” said Ramin Farassat, RGB Networks’ Vice President of Product Marketing. “RGB is committed to helping our customers make the most from their networks. Whether it’s delivering more programming without increasing bandwidth or inserting local ads, RGB – and our partners – will help our customers achieve their most strategic business goals.”

Carl Furgusson, Vice President of Product Management at TANDBERG Television said: “Delivering localized and targeted advertising creates new revenue generating opportunities for operators and drives the next generation of personalized television. With the growth of MPEG-4 AVC HDTV services it is important that we enable our customers to take advantage of advanced advertising business models, whilst at the same time ensuring the high quality of their HD pictures.”

About RGB’s Modular Video Processor

The Modular Video Processor (MVP) is a complete IPTV solution that enables telecom carriers to deliver high quality, IP-based video services to their subscribers. The MVP is specifically designed for mid-to-large size carriers and fully supports the MPEG-4 AVC and MPEG-2 encoding standards. The MVP utilizes all of RGB’s proven video processing capabilities, enabling carriers to aggregate content, groom channel line-ups from multiple sources, transrate programs to enable the delivery of more programming without impacting picture quality and deliver advanced advertising solutions. By combining all these capabilities within a single, carrier-grade chassis, the MVP dramatically reduces the start-up costs for carriers to begin delivering video services.

About TANDBERG Television

TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group, delivers the multimedia technology and expertise that is moving digital video forward. Whether it’s advanced compression systems, on-demand or content distribution, the company’s award-winning solutions are used by the world’s leading broadcasters, operators and programmers to deliver new viewer experiences and advertising opportunities. With a broad suite of open, standards-based products, TANDBERG Television offers the highest quality solutions for Digital TV, HDTV, VOD, and IPTV. For more information, please visit www.tandbergtv.com

About RGB Networks

RGB Networks delivers extremely high-density, flexible video processing solutions that enable video service providers to deliver highly targeted and personalized video content at considerably lower costs than conventional solutions. Based on its unique Video Intelligence Architecture™ (VIA), RGB’s VIA product family simplifies management and delivers scalable, multi-function capability in a single, programmable platform, allowing video service providers to leverage existing infrastructure, while building an advanced foundation to meet the needs of the rapidly growing market for personalized video services.

For more information about RGB Networks and its advanced video processing solutions, please visit www.rgbnetworks.com.