BigBand Networks Unveils New Video Processing Engine for Flagship Video Networking Platform

BigBand Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: BBND) today unveiled a new video processing engine for the Broadband Multimedia-Service Router (BMR®), its flagship video networking platform. The new video processing engine will form the core of a new family of cards—the XE family—for the BMR, designed to significantly enhance advertising insertion and RateShaping® performance. The new engine can also enhance video quality and increase density for BigBand’s switched digital video and addressable advertising solutions. BigBand will demonstrate some of the BMR’s new functionality this week at the SCTE Cable-Tec EXPO in Orlando.

The new video processing engine is designed to contribute a range of feature and application enhancements to the BMR, including:

• RateShaping®. BMR’s RateShaping enhancements are designed to enable a significant improvement in video quality and can allow more programs—up to 15 standard-definition or four high-definition programs—to fit into a single QAM.

• Increased Splicing Density. The new enhancements are designed to double the BMR’s splicing density to enable simultaneous splicing of 200 standard-definition streams or 50 high-definition streams in a single chassis. The enhancements also simplify operation by consolidating splicing and RateShaping functionality on the same processing port.

• QualityShaping™. This new feature—an evolution of traditional “clamping”—is designed to allow video streams to be processed individually, based on two key considerations: video quality and bit-rate requirements. QualityShaping is designed to ensure optimal picture quality for each program or stream delivered.

The new functionality slated for inclusion in the BMR includes enhancements for a range of applications, including:

• Enhanced Switched Digital Video. With the new enhancements, the BMR can re-use bandwidth reclaimed by its QualityShaping feature to improve video quality for switched digital video streams.

• Addressable Advertising. The BMR’s increased processing speed and density are designed to make it an excellent option for delivery of advanced, bandwidth-intensive applications, such as addressable advertising.

• New Acquisition Functions. The BMR will also feature a faster staging processor to support a suite of advanced acquisition applications such as the collection of program stream metadata for reporting and measurement, IP encapsulation and conversion of multi-program transport streams (MPTS) and single-program transport streams (SPTS).

“The BigBand BMR is widely recognized as a benchmark video networking platform for its ability to support a wide variety of rich media applications, including commercial deployments of switched digital video,” said Ran Oz, chief technology officer of BigBand Networks. “The BMR’s new functionality is designed to allow our customers to continue to leverage their investment in the platform to deliver next-generation applications such as addressable advertising with the same quality and reliability their customers have come to expect from existing applications.”

The BMR is one of the most widely-deployed video networking platforms in the world, and supports service delivery to more than 50 million subscribers. The BMR’s programmable, modular architecture allows it to be upgraded and reconfigured easily, allowing service providers to add support for new functionality only as needed to generate increased return on capital expenditure. The BMR switches and processes content in MPEG, IP or Ethernet content and supports a wide assortment of applications including switched digital video, digital ad insertion, HDTV, video on demand, network-based DVR, digital television management, IP video transport and digital simulcast.