MPEG-2 is the new analog
Intelsat is helping customers move forward
Peter Ostapiuk, Intelsat Regional Vice President, North America Video Solutions, coined the above phrase, saying, “I call MPEG-2 the new analog. It’s like when we moved from analog to digital. Now many service providers want to move from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4”.
He noted that there are about 90 million MPEG-2 STBs in the field. They cannot be replaced rapidly and no service provide or cable company is fond of the cost to do so. There are, however, two companies not tied to legacy MPEG-2 installations; Verizon and AT&T. Both companies are using newer MPEG-4 technology in at least part of their installs, which gives them advantage over legacy systems.
Intelsat is well position to support both delivery formats with both terrestrial fiber optic links and a bevy of satellites.
When asked about the driving forces for HD, Ostapiuk said it was the increased amount of primarily sport programs and the exposure of Blu-ray video. He said even his wife, who he considered a typical viewer, easily noticed the difference between OTA HD and Blu-ray video.
As viewers become more familiar with higher quality, they will demand it from their providers.
So, while your least favorite cable company may be cramming HD into 12Mbs or smaller channels, Blu-ray will cause customers to complain. No longer will the battle cry between satellite and cable be who has the most HD, it will be who has the best HD. Intelsat is showing its breath of delivery systems and available bandwidth services in booth (C4937).
Also, don’t miss their in-car satellite-delivered television in the outdoor display area. Called AT&T CruiseCast, it provides back seat viewers up to 42 channels of live satellite video. Or, just enjoy it here and don’t tell you kids the technology is available.
