Bandwidth Management: A Conundrum Bandwidth Management Systems September 2010
Competitive environment Fiber service operators –Lots of Bandwidth –Lots of MPEG-4 HD –High data rates –VOD Satellite service operators –MPEG-4 HD –Lots of HD –No data –Push VOD Over the Top providers –use our infrastructure for free –LOTs of content –High speed data (ours) –Social networking 2
Competitive environment Bundles still the big draw –Video, Data and Home phone –And now Cell phone, PDA, etc “Churn” Drivers – HDs Paramount (and starting to be 3D) –Guide, presentation and user friendliness –Multi-room DVR –Data, High speeds –VOD, number of hours, number of “free” and HD titles Retention Drivers –Trusted provider, i.e. straight answers, customer service, reliability, LISTENs to what the customer wants –More and/or better of all of the above churn factors 3
135 QAMs153 QAMs Unless you make the spectrum more efficient there is little room to add services <-860MHz 1GHz->
Bandwidth needed: Where to get it? 90% + of the Spectrum is occupied today by video Less than 10% other services (DOCSIS, telephony, control, carousel, etc) Where indeed??? So how to do that…. Video must become MUCH more efficient!!!!
Multiple Simulcasts (Plant Percentages) Analog %49% to Digital SD (MPEG-2) 7-8 6% 5% to Digital HD (MPEG-2) %25% 89%79% to MPEG-4 AVC HD %12% Traditional to IP % 7% Linear to Time shifted ? Linear to Adaptive Bitrate ? 110% 98% 6 6MHz slots (“QAMs”) Used Assumes base formats without bandwidth levers, e.g. no statmux, no SDV, etc. 860MHz Plant 1GHz Plant
Bandwidth Levers Switched Digital Video (SDV)2.8:1 Just in Time Service Group Segmentation 3 QAMs/yr MPEG-4 AVC HD (1G & SDV markets) 4.6:1 3:1 Statmux1.5:1 Recover unused QAM B/W (FM, Above 860, etc) 2-6 QAMs Analog Reclamation 2-3 QAMs/yr Just in time VOD & DOCSIS supportVaries Future ideas –QAM Sharing –Video over IP –1024QAM –Deep Digital or All Digital –Reduce “legacy” multi-formatted channels: SD, Linear? 7 Efficiency Increase
Bandwidth Efficiency (Multiplier) 1 6MHz Analog SD HD 3D Video Over IP BroadcastSimulcastStatmuxSDVStatmuxSDVBroadcastSimulcast MPEG-4 AVCMPEG-2 Frame Compatible Frame Packed ** ** 9* Assumes min. 4 Bonded channels; 300ms buffer in Settop * Due mostly to few settops able to receive MPEG-4 AVC **Assumes few 3D viewers as yet, when Frame Compatible that advantage is gone
Bandwidth Efficiency (Channels) 1 6MHz Analog SD HD 3D Video Over IP BroadcastSimulcastStatmuxSDVStatmuxSDVBroadcastSimulcast MPEG-4 AVCMPEG-2 Frame Compatible Frame Packed 2 12** ** 18* Assumes min. 4 channels bonded; 300ms buffer in Settop * Due mostly to few settops able to receive MPEG-4 AVC **Assumes few 3D viewers as yet, when Frame Compatible that advantage is gone
Spectrum Usage (860MHz plant) QAMs
Spectrum Usage (1GHz plant) 153 QAMs
End Point ( ) 9-11 Analog Broadcaster Channels->eventually no analog Digital Content format –Linear Content: Live Sports only –Time shifted content: All other (Broadcast, Movies, etc.) IP throughout the home (80% Video, 20% Data) –IP settop –Handheld (mobile, nomadic) –PCs –Video Gaming Marriage of Wireless and HFC? –Possibly MicroCells using Cable distribution 12
Conclusion No matter how big the pipe, new services will grow to oversubscribe it: Bandwidth Management has no end…
Thank You Any Questions?