Scalable, Flexible Platform Offers High-Quality Encoding, Transcoding, Downscaling, and Adaptive Bit Rate Live Streaming Capabilities for Multiscreen Video Deployments
OLD BRIDGE, N.J. -- Feb. 25, 2015 -- At the 2015 NAB Show, booth SU6524, Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE MKT:BDR) will launch a new Scalable Transcoder-Encoder Platform (STEP) that offers broadcasters a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective approach to video-over-IP distribution. Blonder Tongue's STEP is capable of performing high-quality HD/SD MPEG-2 or H.264 encoding; HD/SD MPEG-2 to H.264 and H.264 to MPEG-2 transcoding; HD to SD downscaling; and creating adaptive bit rate live profiles supporting popular HTTP streaming protocols such as HLS, HDS, and IIS, making it the ideal solution for operators to deliver multiscreen video and migrate to a next-generation video network architecture.
"Broadcasters need cost-effective, versatile solutions in order to adapt to today's fast-paced and ever-changing competitive environment," said Walt Davis, senior director of product management and technical services at Blonder Tongue. "STEP features a flexible software architecture that allows users to overcome the technical challenges of multivendor products, constantly changing design requirements, and the introduction of new standards. By providing superior-quality encoding, transcoding, downscaling, and streaming functionality, all in a single software-based package, STEP makes video-over-IP distribution affordable, scalable, and easy."
Available as a 1RU, 2RU, or 3RU integrated system, STEP helps broadcasters meet the latest video requirements and transition to a modern video network architecture by carrying out a variety of scalable video processing tasks. The flexible platform supports multiple video quality encoding bit rates, multiple audio formats, and text scrolling. In addition, STEP is compatible with any industry media server or digital rights management software, and can be easily integrated into CDN providers, offering users a tailored solution based on customer needs.
At the heart of STEP are three separate components: a splitter block capable of splitting incoming ASI- or IP-based MPEG-2-TS streams and rerouting them, or the individual programs, into a multiprogram transport stream (MPTS); a media processing engine that provides comprehensive video and audio processing functions required for applications such as decoding, encoding, transcoding, and format conversion as well as AES scrambling and logo insertion; and a mux functionality that can pass through and/or merge single program transport streams (SPTS) into an MPTS.
STEP's low-latency MPEG-2/H.264 encoder utilizes multicore video encoding technology to perform real-time transmission of content at low bit rates over broadband IP networks. The state-of-the-art encoder also supports on-screen text scrolling for a variety of applications including advertising, company logos, symbols, and stock tickers. In addition, the STEP solution supports various input options including analog baseband, VSB, and clear QAM programs, as well as a PIP output and Pro-MPEG CoP3 forward error correction.
More information on Blonder Tongue and its products is available at www.blondertongue.com.
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About Blonder Tongue
Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE MKT:BDR) together with R.L. Drake Holdings, LLC -- its wholly owned subsidiary -- offer customers more than 130 years of combined engineering and manufacturing excellence with solid histories of delivering reliable, quality products. As a leader in the field of cable television communications, the Company provides system operators and integrators serving the cable, broadcast, satellite, IPTV, institutional, and professional video markets with comprehensive solutions for the provision of content contribution, distribution, and video delivery to homes and businesses. The Company designs, manufactures, sells, and supports an equipment portfolio of standard- and high-definition digital video solutions, as well as core analog video and high-speed data solutions for distribution over coax, fiber, and IP networks. Additional information on the Company and its products can be found at www.blondertongue.com and www.rldrake.com.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The information set forth above includes "forward-looking" statements and, accordingly, the cautionary statements contained in Blonder Tongue's Annual Report and Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 (See Item 1: Business, Item 1A: Risk Factors, Item 3: Legal Proceedings and Item 7: Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations), and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated herein by reference. The words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "project", "target", "intend", "plan", "seek", "estimate", "endeavor", "should", "could", "may", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to projections for our future financial performance, our anticipated growth trends in our business and other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management's analysis only as of the date hereof. Blonder Tongue undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof. Blonder Tongue's actual results may differ from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in Blonder Tongue's "forward-looking" statements.
Photo Link: www.202comms.com/BlonderTongue/BlonderTongue_STEP.jpg
Caption: Blonder Tongue's Scalable Transcoder-Encoder Platform
