Insight Picks Harmonic For 'Digital 5.0' Upgrades

MSO Uses Vendor's Video Encoders To Offer 330 SD, 58 HD Channels

Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 1/28/2010 1:33:51 PM

Insight Communications has deployed Harmonic video equipment as part of its "Digital 5.0" initiative, including the vendor's standard- and high-definition encoders with integrated video/audio re-encoding technology and distributed statistical multiplexing.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. With the upgrade, Insight is offering more than 330 digital channels and an HD lineup of up to 58 channels. Harmonic also provided system integration and commissioning services for the project, which spanned system upgrades in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.
Insight completed the Digital 5.0 upgrade, which included digital simulcast of its entire channel lineup, in October.  The MSO is continuing to offer up to 69 analog channels depending on market.
Insight is using Harmonic's NSG 9000 universal edge QAMs to power its video-on-demand service, which has more than 7,500 titles monthly, as well as the NMX Digital Service Manager to manage the complete video network infrastructure.
"We are very satisfied by the great video quality of Harmonic's compression and stream processing solutions," said Abraham Naghibi, Insight's vice president of advanced video engineering. "With this upgrade, we have invested in a state-of-the-art, fully IP-based infrastructure that can seamlessly support our recently expanded digital cable service."
Insight is the ninth-largest cable operator in the U.S. with approximately 775,700 customer relationships in the three contiguous states of Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.