operators currently use the Digital Transcoder tohandle local advertisement insertion, even in High-definition format, for a number of their cable headends.Building upon the success of this product, SeaChangeand Ligos are now working together on a new product,a real-time encoder based on the PC platform andMediaRig Core. Ligos has already introduced its ownMediaRig Encoder product targeted at the satellitecontribution and digital terrestrial-emission markets,becoming one of the first software-based encoders toaddress Digital TV standards, such as AdvancedTelevision System Committee (ATSC) and Digital VideoBroadcast (DVB). The SeaChange/Ligos relationshiptakes it a step further with support for cable industry-specific requirements, and the hardware interfacesnecessary for the PC platform to integrate seamlesslywith other headend equipment.

In addition to the quality and features that multi-channeloperators expect as standard, this new encoder canprovide more features than traditional digital signalprocessor-based (DSP-based) systems. Options suchas multi-channel encoding, integrated multiplexing andUser Datagram Protocol (UDP) output are generallyhandled by additional devices external to the encoder.With MediaRig systems, these features and more areintegrated by means of the software and providedwithin a single, cost-effective box. As new technologiesand applications such as High-definition video andH.264 become important to the professional markets,MediaRig software-based systems will be well suitedfor field upgrades, rather than requiring hardwarereplacements to support emerging standards.

what standards a device should support for maximumindustry interoperability. As home appliances andother consumer devices become networked, a well-connected personal computer gains the capability torepurpose and stream existing content to otherdevices, such as networked media players, digitalvideo recorders and home entertainment systems.For these types of uses to become commonplace,the performance of the underlying codec andmiddleware is crucial.

To achieve this vision of the digital home requires thesame attention to performance that Ligos delivered forthe professional marketplace. The Ligos MPEG-2codec, capable of transcoding multiple streams ofvideo on Intel Xeon processor-based servers forprofessional broadcasters, delivers exceptionalperformance on the latest generation of desktopcomputers equipped with Intel Pentium 4 processors.

Distributing Digital Media Seamlessly

While the streaming media usage models in the digitalhome are still evolving, Ligos is ahead of the curvewhen it comes to support. MPEG-2 is the minimumstandard for digital video in the Intel 2003 NetworkedMedia Requirements for networked devices. Theexpertise that Ligos has gained serving theperformance-conscious video editing and authoringmarket translates well to a range of other markets. Theability to transcode media in real time for a wide rangeof devices—from desktop PCs to enterprise mediaservers—is a natural progression of technologies thatLigos has helped pioneer.

Instead of delivering a single type of media to a singledesktop monitor, developers create applications thatchannel multiple streams of audio and video tonetworked devices throughout the home. The risingpopularity of wireless networking in the home makes iteasier to share digital media in many different forms,distributing it to portable players, storage devices,notebook computers, home entertainment systems andoptical disc recorders.

Consumer Benefits of High-Performance Codecs

The benefits and performance of Ligos transcodingcapabilities extend beyond the backend professionalmedia server market. Real-time and better than real-time transcoding also provides a means for streamingdigital media content to consumer electronics deviceswithin the digital home. Support for media in MPEG-2format is a core component of the Intel®NetworkedMedia Product Requirements (Intel®NMPR). WhileIntel NMPR is not an actual standard, it does providereasonable baseline recommendations that suggest

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