Orlando, Fla. -- EGT added several features to its Headend Micro (HEMi) edge video-processor products, including one it intended to deliver six months ago: the ability to let channels continue being transmitted even if the device is offline.
The HEMi converts analog channels -- such as public, education and government (PEG) channels -- to digital format at the “edge” of the network, such as at a multidwelling-unit building, thereby saving bandwidth. It can also locally insert MDU-specific channels, like a security-camera feed, in digital format.
Now, according to EGT, the HEMi family includes an integrated radio-frequency-bypass switch to provide a feature the company had originally expected to deliver with the HEMi 2.0 release in January.
The RF-bypass switch protects network feeds against interruption, including from power outages, by passing the network signal through HEMi intact to subscribers. EGT pointed out, however, that locally inserted channel feeds would be dropped if the HEMi were offline.
Another enhancement is what EGT calls intelligent quadrature-amplitude-modulation protection. This feature automatically drops a locally inserted channel in the event that an operator accidentally overprovisions the QAM or if there is spike in bit rate, which could degrade the quality of all the channels in the QAM.
HEMi is also now integrated into EGT’s element-management system, Orchestra SPDr, to provide central-device management. In addition, EGT claimed that the HEMi’s management interface is easier to use.
