If you’ve been following us lately, you’ve probably already guessed that our big focus for this year’s NAB show is ‘Multiscreen 2.0’ and the array of solutions that we offer under this umbrella to help video service providers streamline and monetize their TV Everywhere and OTT offerings.

If you’re going to be in Las Vegas this week, stop by booth #SU5924 for demos of all of our latest and greatest solutions. Here’s a quick list of what you’ll see and you can read more details in this press release.

• High-Density Transcoding without Compromise: RGB’s new, carrier-class VMG Gen 2 performs the industry’s highest capacity real-time transcoding. Tightly integrated with RGB’s TransAct Packager for delivering live video services to any device, this unique pair can scale easily to meet growing demand for multiscreen services. Come see the pristine video quality achieved by the new platform, without compromise.
• nDVR and VOD for Multiscreen: Complementing our powerful live delivery solution, RGB offers a flexible set of options to meet a wide range of on-demand and time-shifting delivery needs. A demonstration will illustrate how RGB’s TransAct Packager and TransAct Encoder/Transcoder support a variety of VOD and nDVR applications.
• Multiscreen Monetization: RGB’s Ad Insertion for Multiscreen (AIM) solution enables VSPs to migrate to a proven model for monetizing video services to the multiscreen environment. RGB will demonstrate the VMG and TransAct Packager delivering three different targeted ads to three separate iPads inserted within the same linear feed.
• Adobe Primetime: As a key Adobe Primetime ecosystem partner, RGB will highlight its TransAct Packager performing Adobe HDS encapsulation. It also supports Adobe Primetime DRM encryption (formerly known as Adobe Access) for secure content delivery.
• Surround Sound for Multiscreen Ad Insertion: This audio demonstration will show the integration of Dolby® Digital Plus with RGB’s AIM ad insertion solution, performing seamless audio bitrate switching across network and ad content, allowing VSPs to deliver surround sound via various adaptive streaming protocols to any device.
• Audio Loudness Correction with DTS Technology: This demonstration will highlight how the DTS/RGB solution takes loudness correction to the next level, ensuring a premium audio experience across all IP devices—both large and small screen. Download this white paper for more information now >>
• OTT Swipe from Siemens: RGB will highlight an exciting new technology – OTT Swipe – developed by Siemens Convergence Creators. This web-based “swipe” technology allows users to quickly and easily move video content from a mobile device to a TV and back again with the swipe of a hand. Together with RGB’s multiscreen transcoding, packaging and ad insertion, VSPs can deliver an exceptional user experience to their subscribers. Come use the swipe technology yourself and learn about end-to-end multiscreen solutions, brought to you by Siemens.

We hope to see you in Las Vegas!

We’ve been touting the virtues of ‘Multiscreen 2.0’ for a while now. If you’re still not sure exactly what it is, please take a look at this video for a great explanation. Diving deeper into this next-generation solution, this posting highlights the first key component of a true next-gen multiscreen solution – high-density, high-capacity, highly scalable live transcoding.

As outlined in a recent report from TDG, live TV Everywhere services are critical in order for pay-TV operators to differentiate themselves from OTT competitors who only offer on-demand video viewing. The report states that approximately 61% of pay-TV subscribers are, to varying degrees, interested in signing up for live linear TV service for an additional $5 per month. While consumers are increasingly turning to their mobile and other connected devices for video services, clearly they aren’t willing to give up their live TV viewing.

Whether it’s sports (have you seen the record-breaking live streaming numbers for March Madness?), news, reality shows or just the latest crime drama that viewers don‘t want to miss while on the go, it’s evident that live multiscreen services are something operators should be focusing on, both to attract and retain subscribers, as well as to monetize services.

However, in order to support the delivery of a growing number of live channels to thousands, or possibly millions of subscribers, VSPs require a robust solution that can scale to meet demand without compromising on video quality. For just this reason, RGB Networks developed the Video Multiprocessing Gateway (VMG), a modular, carrier-class live transcoding platform that uniquely offers the density, capacity, scalability, flexibility and reliability to meet the challenges of delivering video in today’s multiscreen world. And today, we’ve introduced our second generation platform – the VMG Gen 2 – which more than doubles the transcoding density for live streaming applications without compromising on video quality.

If you’re heading to Las Vegas next week for NAB, stop by and see us at booth #SU5924 to see demonstration of the video quality from the VMG Gen2 and to learn how you can integrate the newest generation of IP video technology into your network, resulting in streamlined operations, lower expenditures, new sources of revenue, and most importantly, happy subscribers. And check back soon for more on Multiscreen 2.0.

As we continue to expand our customer base (recently tallied at over 400 video service providers worldwide!), we’re excited to be able to share the story of one of the premier operators in Europe—Ziggo in the Netherlands.

Take a look at this case study for an overview of their multiscreen deployment and close partnership with RGB Networks. If you’re interested in more details, please get in touch and we’d be happy to discuss how we can help you with your multiscreen and other digital video needs.

It seems the beginning of the year brings two things—an endless slate of college football bowl games and everyone’s lists of trends in the broadband industry. Last week, we revealed our top ten predictions for 2012. We’re always eager to compare notes with the broadband press, so we eagerly awaited CED Magazine’s annual “Broadband 50”—the top trends and benchmarks as determined by CED’s learned editors and “high-ranking industry execs.” Not surprisingly, they chose a number of topics related to IP video—a subject near and dear to us at RGB:

#1 – IP Migration: A perfect circle: IP continues its inexorable progression to being the basis of all the services operators offer, not just video. The pace is quickening though as operators realize they can take advantage of the flexibility and economic advantages of IP to expand their TV Everywhere services.

#6 – Multiscreen on the move: TV Everywhere has left the proverbial drawing board for real-world mobile devices, and though not fully ready for primetime, advanced trials and early deployments are progressing nicely thanks to second generation transcoding and adaptive streaming technologies.

#12 – Transcoding for multiscreen: So many different viewing platforms, so many different screen sizes, so many different networks, and programming coming to headends in both MPEG-2 and H.264 – you bet TV Everywhere requires transcoding, and a lot of it (no complaints here!).

#20 – Putting the advertising puzzle together: Interactive “clickable” ads remain poised to move from trials into the mainstream, as are hyper-targeted ads, a leading-edge revenue booster we first discussed here.

#24 – Adaptive bit rate streaming: The secret sauce for seamless video delivery to mobile devices and PCs, adaptive streaming compensates for the bandwidth fluctuations inherent in today’s overburdened networks. Now a requirement for streaming video, look for more announcements from RGB in 2012 on additions that enhance our adaptive streaming solution.

#26 – TV Everywhere: Waiting game: Live TV on smartphones and tablets remains the next big thing. The technology is in place and we’ve had success in many trials in 2011, but it’s the content rights that are holding the industry back from full-scale deployments. With recent developments in this area, we believe the waiting game will soon be over.

It’s clear that IP video delivery will remain at the forefront of the broadband industry in 2012, with developments on both the technology and contents sides pushing it ahead. We look forward to helping make video a key component of the new mobile lifestyle for consumers around the globe.

New tablet devices are rolling out rapidly, with the Motorola Xoom recently joining Apple's new iPad 2 and a plethora of others. As these devices emerge at a blistering pace, equipped with high–resolution screens, there is much excitement around the possibilities for delivering video to this slick new gadget.

Several large cable operators in the U.S. have already deployed iPad apps for streaming and on–demand video, and more operators have plans underway. Mobile video delivery is also on the rise worldwide, with many large–scale trials and deployments in progress.

As subscriber demand grows, cable operators are seeking out solutions that will help them add multi–screen capabilities to their networks without completely revamping their architectures or overloading their budgets or operations staff.

As they look for these advanced tools to help transition their networks, we hope they will come talk to RGB Networks—our multi-screen transcoding solution was built to address the challenges of delivering any video to any device and to ensure a smooth migration from large-screen-only infrastructure.

We’ll be at the upcoming ANGA Cable show in Cologne, Germany, May 3-5, where we’d love to talk with all operators—large and small—about how they can cost effectively deliver scalable, high-quality video to TVs, tablets, PCs and mobile phones, all from the same headend.

Please read more now, check out our videos and stop by stand V18 to learn more.

With memories of a very successful Mobile World Congress still fresh in our minds, we wanted to share a video from the show of RGB's Andy Salo discussing the challenges of mobile video delivery.

One of they key points raised in the discussion is the fact that operators receive most of their content in a single format and must quickly convert it to dozens of new profiles, making rapid changes to codecs, resolution and bit rates, as well as packaging the content for different adaptive streaming protocols, such as Apple HLS, Microsoft Smooth Streaming and Adobe Zeri. As mobile video expands rapidly, operators are faced with a serious problem—how do they deploy a solution today that will scale easily and cost-effectively as demand grows and provide the reliability and quality required for a pay service? Take a look at the video to learn more.

You've heard the saying—"If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes." Here at RGB, we're very happy to have a great view of the rapidly evolving world of multi-screen video as we help lead the way into an exciting new "TV everywhere" era. Today we’re excited to be able to highlight a deployment that not only demonstrates the power of RGB’s transcoding solutions, but it also gives us the opportunity to take an interesting view into an extraordinary event pitting dog and human against the elements.

Called “the last great race on earth,” the Iditarod race kicks off this weekend, taking dedicated teams of dogs and their mushers over 1150 miles through the frigid Alaskan wilderness. Subscribers to GCI, the largest telecom and cable operator in the state, will not only be able to tune into the excitement of this event on their TVs, but on their PCs and laptops as well. GCI is utilizing RGB’s TransAct Transcoder to deliver high-quality video in real-time to this “second screen,” putting them well on their way to a full blown three screen service.

RGB’s transcoding products take on the burden of converting individual streams to the large number of resolutions and bit rates required by the wide variety of PCs and broadband speeds used by subscribers; and the scalability of RGB’s solution enables customers to start with small deployments and easily grow them as demand increases for more channels on more devices.

Every dog has his day and we hope that GCI’s subscribers enjoy watching the remarkable sled dogs of the Iditarod have theirs.

With the SCTE's Canadian Summit coming up next week in Toronto, we would like to give a shout out to all video service providers in Canada to let you know that you can now purchase RGB's award-winning Video Multiprocessing Gateway (VMG™) direct from RGB Networks (no middleman!).

The beauty of RGB’s flexible solution is that it can be used today for simple codec and format changes, such as converting H.264 to MPEG-2 and HD to SD (or vice versa) for large screen applications, and later, as you look to deliver video to multiple screens, the same VMG can be paired with RGB’s TransAct Packager to deliver premium content simultaneously to any device, including mobile phones, PCs, tablets or other smart devices.

Come see us next week in Toronto at booth #731 to learn more about this highly scalable solution for real-time video delivery.

Every year we look forward to CED’s annual year-end ranking of the most important things impacting the cable television industry—it provides a good reference check for what’s really top-of-mind with operators throughout the industry. Right on schedule, CED posted its annual ‘Broadband 50’ ranking, and as we expected, more than a few relate directly to RGB.

Advanced advertising (#3), multi-screen video (#4), IP video (#8), MPEG-4 (#28), CMAP (#45) and transcoding (#49) are all near-and-dear to RGB as they’re at the core of what we do.

We’re not surprised to find any of these topics on CED’s list—RGB’s focus from day one has been to bring the most advanced video processing technology to video service providers around the world.

We continue to do that today with next-generation solutions that are very relevant to operators’ plans for the future and CED’s rankings help demonstrate this. As we say goodbye to 2010 and move forward into a new and exciting year, please stay tuned for more news from RGB on the topics above (a subscription to this blog will provide you with easy, automatic updates to the latest news from RGB!).

RGB’s CEO, Jef Graham, spoke with Light Reading at this year’s Cable-Tec Expo. He discussed some of the takeaways from three screen trials that are underway now, including why the scalability and reliability provided by an integrated hardware platform are important to addressing deployment challenges.

Take a look at the video to learn a little about what RGB has been up to and how we’re working with our customers to make multi-screen deployments a reality.