TV/Media Distribution over IP Technology

HoloVis work in partnership with Cabletime to deliver turn-key solutions based on the MediaStar range of IP TV/Media distribution technology using standard CAT5e/6 structured cabling systems.

MediaStar Evolution is a range of versatile products to deliver TV, multimedia and digital signage to a wide audience over IP networks and is the latest addition to the family of MediaStar video networking products, MediaStar Pro and MediaStar Compact. The MediaStar Evolution family has been designed to take advantage of the developments in technology that allow efficient digital video delivery over IP based networks.

As well as enabling the delivery to be separated from sensitive data networks, this process also offers a robust and cost effective means of distributing a large number of channels to an unlimited number of screens and desktops.

MediaStar media delivery systems bring the potential of visual communication to every desktop, every screen and every display within an organisation. Staff are better informed, empowered and involved. Information is delivered right into the heart of an enterprise quickly and efficiently.

MediaStar Evolution exploits the best of two worlds, digital and analogue. Evolution is designed to deliver the best features of digital - state of the art video streaming and multimedia content delivery across your LAN and WAN, combined with analogue overlay – to provide real time TV wherever your twisted pair infrastructure can reach. When integrated together, these products offer the best solution to meet any managed media delivery needs locally, regionally, globally.

With IP Browser/RS232/USBv1.1 control interfaces, built around an ultra reliable dual-core computing engine running under Linux, the MediaStar Evolution Encoder can generate either a single MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 "Dual Output" encoded streams  This innovative feature ensures best performance and minimises network impact.  A high bit rate stream directs video to large displays where vision quality is paramount; a second lower bit rate stream is simultaneously encoded and can be directed to desktop PCs and small displays where lower resolution is acceptable.

Configuration and control of the Evolution Encoder is accessed via a password protected web page server. A simple, yet secure upgrade routine allows new encoding algorithms to be loaded or updated as revisions become available, extending product life and return on investment.

To accommodate differing content requirements and network parameters, MediaStar Evolution MPEG-2/4 streams can be configured to run between 500Kbps to 8Mbps, at either pre-defined constant bit rates, irrespective of picture content, or variable bit rates where an acceptable picture quantisation value can be selected to operate within a specified maximum bit rate and, in the case of MPEG-4, to a defined average bit rate limited to a pre determined peak bit rate. This last innovation improves picture quality by allowing instantaneous peak bit rates to be utilised to accommodate complex scenes but allocating lower bit rates to simple scenes, thus maintaining the average bit rate defined by the network administrator.

The MediaStar Evolution MPEG2/4 Encoder is available in two forms, either as a freestanding single unit or as part of a 3U, 19” AC powered rack frame that is able to house 9 Evolution Encoder Modules.

Dependable
MediaStar Evolution has been designed with flexibility and reliability in mind from the start. With MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 support, MediaStar Evolution achieves the best possible quality for available bandwidth.

Flexible
Upgrade options ensure that the system configured today will be capable of growth and enhancement as demands change. The system architecture will support emerging standards for TV delivery and extend product lifetime.

Innovative
MediaStar Evolution encoders support an innovative dual stream feature allowing a high bitrate stream to be delivered to large displays and a simultaneous low bitrate stream for delivery to desktop PCs.

Business TV
Corporate communications has become one of the primary adopters of video over IP. The adoption of such a system is made easy as the topology of the session is usually a one-to-many multicast. An organisation will usually have an existing IP infrastructure that can be used for video delivery. Applications range from delivery of live TV channels to specific training programmes and messaging.

Digital Signage
There is an increasing number of display types that are used for providing information; ranging from small displays on shelves in stores right up to giant outdoor displays found in stadiums and arenas. MediaStar Evolution is completely scalable from a single endpoint right up to entire multiple networks with thousands of individual displays.

Archives
Media assets may be stored on central servers for later viewing by a specified audience. Organisations that operate in multiple time-zones need to ensure that all employees view informational bulletins. This is achieved by storing the bulletin and allowing users to access the information when convenient.