In the beginning was the wire, and the home network consisted of a router and a PC, possibly linked to a printer. It was data-centric, with streaming video an incidental byproduct. Pay TV first became networked when operators offered ways (over coax, twisted pair or powerline) to link DVRs. Separately wired data and video networks have not disappeared, but a lot has changed in the past several years, in particular:
- Video compression (and fragmentation), ever-faster data throughputs and proliferating video display devices made multi-screen video a reality.
- The Wi-Fi (802.11) standard became ubiquitous and increasingly robust, providing complements or even substitutes to wired home networks.
The data network was the first to go wireless, as Wi-Fi became a standard feature of routers and most computers and IP-enabled devices. Then, with the rise of streaming video and devices that could display it, the distinction between data and video networks began to blur. Now with a new iteration of 802.11 emerging, the question is how far can video become wire-free.
A wide range of experiences informs the wireless strategies of Pay TV operators. Interviewed for a recent Videonet industry report, Fernando Enrile, Head of Digital Television Services at Canal+ Yomvi’s Technical Department, indicated that the wireless flavor they have tried has not proved out. “Wi-Fi is really weak for this environment, especially for high bit-rate demanding devices such as connected TVs or game consoles,†he said.
In Hong Kong, PCCW leads with Cat-5 unshielded twisted pair (UTP), backed up by under-carpet flat-ribbon cable, then turns to HomePlug 2.0 in the absence of carpeting and copper. “As a last resort, we use Ruckus wireless (802.11.n) Wi-Fi with beam forming antenna to penetrate walls,†said Keith Huang, VP Product Management at PCCW.
In the U.S., Verizon launched multi-room VOD and DVR in 2008, using a combination of specifications from Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) and additional in-house technology. But while Verizon chose MoCA as its local area network (LAN) “backbone†for FiOS TV, it is open to wireless options. “802.11n 5Ghz technology with MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) and beam-forming capabilities is an alternative to delivering video in the home, particularly to un-tethered devices such as tablets,†said Brian Whitton, Executive Director, Access Network Technologies, at Verizon.
Favoring its telco roots, AT&T was an early champion of Home PNA (which operates over coax and twisted pair). But a year ago it launched 802.11n-enabled set-tops, and is now revving up related marketing efforts, according to Fierce Cable.
Not surprisingly, wireless technology providers are bullish and eager to differentiate. Chip manufacturer Quantenna, for instance, contrasts its 4×4 MIMO technology with the 3×3 MIMO of its competitors. It also boasts of adding optional features into the 802.11n specification and of pioneering the 802.11ac chipset. The forthcoming ‘ac’ standard itself, however, may not be delivering the hoped-for performance.
“What you’re seeing is that the ‘ac’ is giving you more bandwidth, but doesn’t necessarily solve the reliability challenge that our 4×4 MIMO does,†said Hossein Dehghan, Senior Director of Software and Systems at Quantenna. The company, which has focused on IPTV-specific algorithms that deliver high-performance video distribution in the home, has high ambitions. “Our wireless technology can replace the wires inside the home,†Dehghan said.
For more on this topic, see the latest Videonet industry report, “QoE and the New Pay TV Home,†from which this article was adapted.
