Russia’s Rostelecom selects Appear TV to support live IP transmission
Appear TV, a global provider of next-generation video processing platforms for broadcast and IP television, has been selected by leading Russian communications company Rostelecom to support the live IP transmission for its macro-regional branch, Volga (CSTB 2016 Hall Stand 4-489). Appear TV’s Dense Broadcast Encoder Module, multiplexing and IP streaming capabilities will provide MP4 streams to the main Rostelecom multiplex for distribution over its IPTV network from nine regional cities, with more to follow.
Rostelecom is one of the largest telecommunication companies throughout Russia and Europe, occupying a leading position in the Russian market for broadband access and Pay TV services. When selecting equipment for the regional programme insertion project for Volga, Rostelecom wanted a solution that could provide high quality video compression on a platform that offered high channel density, expansion capability in a compact solution, while at the same time offering low power consumption in a reliable solution.
Volga is a macro-regional branch of Rostelecom that provides interactive TV services via IPTV throughout the coverage area. The service includes more than 150 channels, grouped in thematic packages, including HD channels, along with Video on Demand, Catch Up TV and Parental Control options. Different information services such as currency exchange rates, weather forecasts and news are also available. A key element to Rostelecom’s success with Volga and its other offerings has been the positioning of the company as a technology leader in innovative solutions in the field of e-government, cloud computing, healthcare, education, security, housing and communal services. As such, implementing the latest technologies in its broadcast workflows is paramount. Appear TV was able to help Rostelecom maintain its standing as the frontrunner of technical excellence while meeting its stringent requirements for MPEG encoding.
“When Rostelecom was selecting equipment for Volga, it was looking for a high-performance, reliable solution that could accommodate high-efficiency video compression to ensure advantageous use of the data channel bandwidth and the possibility of MPEG-encapsulation into an IP transport environment,” says Pål Gulbrandsen, international sales manager, Appear TV. “In conjunction with our regional business partner Kontur-M, Appear TV’s multiplexer, High Density Broadcast Encoder Module and IP streamer where deployed and can accommodate these requirements while taking up minimal rack space while offering support of future formats. As new technical features or additional channels are required, Rostelecom will be able to accommodate them by simply adding more modules to meet technical requirements.”
All are part of Appear TV’s modular concept, where users have a choice of modules and software to create a video processing solution custom-tailored to their needs. Any signal input from any carrier can be captured and adapted to any other signal output, with highly dense and powerful video processing in any format and to any device. Appear TV’s modular platform allows users to have multiple distribution format processes originating from one chassis, saving on hardware space and making it easy to make additions and upgrades as new formats and transmission technologies arise. In addition, all Appear TV modules can work with other third-party devices, making the integration with existing transmission equipment seamless.
With Appear TV’s XC5100 Series Video Processing chassis populated with encoders, multiplex and IP streaming capabilities, Rostelecom can contribute regional program content into its main IP channel bouquet for the Volga branch. Volga includes 12 regional branches: Kirov, Nizhny Novgorod, Orenburg, Penza, Samara, Saratov, Ulyanovsk, as well as branches in the Udmurt and Chuvash Republics and the republics of Mari El, Mordovia and Tatarstan, totalling around 500 thousand interactive subscribers.