Cable-Tec Expo: News Briefs, Round II

Here’s another snapshot of news and announcements being made at this week’s SCTE Cable-Tec Expo in New Orleans. Please go here to check out our first batch of briefs from Expo, or visit our show microsite

-CableLabs (booth 2845) has teed up a handful of tech demos for this week’s show: Spectrum Capture Analysis (tools that analyze data from cable modems with spectrum capture capability);  Ultra HD, including content that showcases High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Wide Color Gamut (WCG);  CPE Energy Efficiency that’s tied to the industry Energy Efficiency Voluntary Agreements for Set-Top Boxes and Small Network Equipment ; the Internet of Things, featuring interoperability between competing  ecosystems from AllSeen, UPnP, Hue and possibly others.  CableLabs will also show the separation of IPv4 and IPv6 traffic on a home gateway, highlighted by an IPv6-GRE tunnel between a home gateway and a device in the cable provider’s network.

-Casa Systems (booth 3035) said it will show a “live” DOCSIS 3.1-based environment running on its flagship C100G converged cable access platform, and present the results of a  C100G deployment with Time Warner Cable in New York City that  reduced energy consumption and rack space and simplified operations for the MSO by combining video and broadband services on the same platform.

The vendor will also introduce its Remote CCAP Node, which distributes PHY layer functions, and a MobileEdge managed WiFi platform that works in concert with DOCSIS-based network and modem equipment.

-MDSi (booth 2715)  said it will team with Fulcrum Technologies to demonstrate an integrated asset lifecycle management (ALM) system that can recover value from equipment and parts that are no longer needed for their original purpose. The combined system will show how operators can gain visibility and take control of new, existing, and stranded assets.

-ATX Networks (booth 842) will feature its new UCrypt IP to Analog (IP2A), and QAM to Analog (Q2A) gateways. The UCrypt IP2A gateway is designed for conversion of IP video streams to NTSC or PAL analog formats, and is capable of ingesting up to 60 MPEG-2/H.264, HD/SD video streams and convert them to NTSC or PAL. The vendor’s next generation UCrypt Q2A gateway enables MSOs to decrypt select programs from their digital tier and retransmit them in NTSC or PAL analog, and is viewed as a product that can help operators reclaim their analog video tiers.

-Monroe Electronics (booth 1707) will show the Model 216 MultiPort RF Routing System, a new multiple-input, multiple-output switching system. The system enables any of the 16 inputs to be selected and routed to either or both of the two independent outputs via a Web browser or Monroe’s own CrossPoint Control Protocol (MXCP). The product performs over 5 MHz to over 2 GHz with 20db of gain, the company said.  Monroe will also show its One-Net SE, a product that’s used for Emergency Alert System/Common Alerting Protocol compliance management for FCC regulations and FEMA mandates.

-IneoQuest Technologies (booth 425) will demo its latest test and measurement tools for linear and OTT/adaptive network infrastructures, including its IP Digital Video Analyzer (DVA IP) and Audience Measurement Platform (AMP).

-Sencore (booth 1414) said it will introduce new solutions for caption compliance, portable test and measurement devices, an enhanced lineup of HEVC-ready products. Its Video Bridge Advanced Extractor (VB7880) provides real-time caption monitoring and historical archiving to ensure FCC caption compliance, while StreamCast provides encoding, streaming, modulation, recording and local IP playback. Its All-Standard All-Band USB Modulator (DTU-315) is a pocket-sized portable modulator for satellite, cable or terrestrial signals. Also on show will be Sencore’s TV/RF Portable Signal Analyzer (DSA1491), which features a 9-inch color touchscreen display to help troubleshoot and pinpoint transmission issues with digital satellite signals, digital TV broadcast channels, cable QAM channels, and ASI MPEG streams.