Successful Demonstration Proves Technology Exists to Deliver Stunning HDTV Imagery Virtually Anywhere in the World — Or Above It
Technology from 2netFX, a leading
provider of enterprise network media software for intranet and broadband
Internet media delivery, was used in a recent HDTV-over-IP live demonstration
conducted by the government’s NASA Research and Education Network (NREN).
Used was the company’s ThunderCastIP HDTV, a multicast server for
high-definition video streaming over ordinary IP-based networks.
“The selection says a lot about the capabilities of our technology,” said
Eric Yao, 2netFX Chief Technical Officer, who participated in the
demonstration.
“Hearing all the positive comments when the crystal-clear HDTV
video images first appeared on the screen made me feel proud of our company
and of all our engineers and technicians who have worked so hard on this
technology.”
The entire demonstration involved the simultaneous feed of a 20Mbps HDTV
signal through a satellite uplink and an optical ground network.
The feed was
sent from the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. to the NASA Ames
Research Center at Moffett Field in California.
The demonstration provided
NREN with the opportunity to work with an HDTV feed in three distinct formats:
ATM, DVB, and the Internet.
Yao said ThunderCastIP HDTV is an industrial-strength multicast video
server for professional enterprise applications.
“The software supports live
or pre-recorded video streaming from 10 to 50 Mbps over ordinary IP-based
networks.
Video can be streamed to virtually an unlimited number of users
simultaneously via an IP multicast without significantly impacting the
network.”
ThunderCastIP HDTV is the first multicast server for high-definition live
or prerecorded video streaming from 10 to 50Mbps over ordinary IP-based
networks, including future advanced Internets.
Engineered into the unit are
advanced server features such as remote management and scheduling, multiple
live encoder support, group and user management, video-on-demand media
management, and support for MPEG-1, 2, and HDTV.
It allows playback on a
standard PC or set-top appliance, which are displayed on most PC monitors or
HDTV sets.
Yao said future upgrades will include fully scalable distributed
clustering architecture with media asset management, media replication, media
migration, datacasting, and store-and-forward functionality.
The demonstration originated at the Naval Research Laboratory in
Washington, where a stored high-definition video was sent to two different
transmission sources.
One was a terrestrial feed via ATDNet and NREN by way
of the NASA Goddard Research facility.
The other was a satellite feed via
Telstar 6. Both feeds were directed to the Ames Research Center in California.
The 2netFX ThunderCastIP HDTV server was used to transcode and decode the
satellite feed and deliver it to the monitor used to display the life-like
images.
The demonstration successfully proved the technology exists today to
deliver stunning HDTV imagery virtually anywhere in the world — or above it.
Besides the practical applications of delivering data from one earthbound
structure to another, HDTV-over-IP data delivery and reception also has
critical applications in any of NASA’s outer-space programs.
The goal of the NASA Research and Education Network (NREN) is to enable
more effective communication and information exchange among people at remote
locations.
It provides a test bed for a next-generation network that fuses
new technologies with NASA mission applications.
These networking
technologies provide NASA missions with the advantages of enhanced data
sharing, interactive collaboration, visualization, and remote instrumentation.
NREN partners with various technology companies, governmental agencies,
and research institutions to integrate multicast technology.
Additionally, it
partners with the NASA Integrated Services Network (NISN) and NASA local area
networks (LANs) in upgrading NASA multicast solutions.
Plus, it is working
with major NASA programs to incorporate the use of high bandwidth multicasts
in revolutionary NASA applications.
About 2netFX
2netFX (www.2netFX.com) is a leading provider of enterprise network media
software and turnkey solutions for intranet and broadband Internet.
2netFX is
the first to offer multicast streaming of HDTV over ordinary IP networks,
advanced enterprise server features for network QoS and bandwidth management,
media asset management and an integrated, customizable client player.
2netFX MPEG and HDTV over IP streaming software is currently bundled by
many leading digital video companies and in use at leading organizations
including Sprint, Panasonic, Wal-Mart, MCI Worldcom, Hughes Networks, NASA,
GlobeCast/France Telecom, Walt Disney Studios, Lucent, Echo Star, and others.
2netFX was named by Computerworld Magazine as a top Emerging Company to Watch
in 2001, and was selected by Craig Barrett, Intel CEO, to headline his
Networld + Interop keynote address.
2netFX is headquartered in San Jose, CA.
Nothing in this press release is to be construed as an endorsement of a
product or service by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration within
the meaning of 14 CFR Part 1221.100 et seq. or 42 U.S.C. 2459b.
Nor does NASA
make any assurances regarding the performance of objects tested in NASA
facilities, any resulting designs, hardware, or other matters.
All products/services and trademarks mentioned in this release are the
properties of their respective companies.
Products and specifications are
subject to change without notice.
For further information please contact: William Reed, Vice President,
Marketing of 2netFX, +1-408-232-1691, breed@2netfx.com; or Carol Warren, of
Antarra Communications, +1-714-899-7997, cwarren@antarra.com, for 2netFX.