NextIO and Broadcast International will team to showcase a breakthrough HD video demonstration at the IPTV North America show in Chicago, July 22nd and 23rd. The demonstration -- which utilizes NextIO’s ExpressConnect solution and BI’s ultra-high speed video compression technology, running on the IBM BladeCenter QS21 server -- will feature real-time video encoding at under 3Mbps. This is compared to the MPEG 2 standard of 19.4 Mbps at which most HD video is transmitted, and will enable video providers to pack more HD video onto limited bandwidth.

The NextIO technology solves one of the most important challenges encountered by high-speed HD video transmission -- limited and limiting I/O throughput. The ultra-high speed connections provided by the Next/I/O’s PCI Express-based ExpressConnect solutions allow maximum and scalable data flow to the system, commensurate with the processing power of the IBM BladeCenter environment. This input speed, combined with the unrivaled power of the underlying CPU technology, enables BI’s CodecSys video compression software to deliver encoded HD video in real-time at breakthrough rates, under 3 Mbps.

The combined technologies promise to change the video distribution world by making it possible for cable, satellite or IPTV providers to deliver live HDTV at compression levels four to six times higher than is currently possible. Conservation of limited bandwidth resources has become a critical requirement in the broadcast, cable, satellite, mobile and IPTV markets, especially as bandwidth-intensive, high-definition video becomes the industry standard.

NextIO’s Express Connect

NextIO’s Express Connect is a complete end-to-end connectivity solution, using PCI Express (PICe) technology. Express Connect provides an optimal platform that complements the high density and scalability of the IBM BladeCenter family of products.

NextIO will be demonstrating the first of the Express Connect family of products, the N1400-PCM High-Speed Switch Module, which lets all blade servers extend their PCIe signals to an external I/O expansion unit, the N2800-ICA I/O Consolidation Appliance. Both products are immediately available in sampling quantities.

Broadcast International’s CodecSys Video Compression Software

Broadcast International’s breakthrough CodecSys software will provide access to a patented, multi-codec approach in which a video stream is analyzed and the codec best-suited for a particular frame or video sequence is automatically selected from an entire library of specialized codecs. These specialist codecs are designed to handle particular types of high-bandwidth video frames or streams -- such as fast-motion sequences in a basketball game or explosions in an action movie -- that pose chokepoints to generalist codecs. By selecting the best expert codec for the job, CodecSys is able to eliminate these chokepoints and offer performance several times higher than competitive products.

One of the key benefits of the CodecSys software approach is CodecSys-based encoders can be easily updated as standards and requirements evolve, through simple, cost-effective software downloads. Other commercial solutions based on embedded systems require costly, full replacement. The underlying IBM multi-core hardware platform is also highly programmable and scalable, enabling users to add additional processing power by simply adding extra processors.