By Edmond Shapiro, NDS, Ltd.
The cable industry has long debated the merits of using general purpose devices to access cached information in the network (commonly referred to as “cloud storage”) as opposed to using cached information stored locally (on a device or within a home network), and in what combinations. In the past these trade-offs have involved the location of video on demand (VOD) and digital video recorder (DVR) storage. Today technical design decisions have become even more complex as engineers grapple with the growing number of caching permutations that will facilitate the deployment of Television 3.0, the next generation of IP based advanced digital cable services.
This paper analyzes network design considerations that cable engineers should consider when architecting Television 3.0, the next generation of IPTV applications using an array of cacheable information that includes: Application logic (cached JavaScript), Presentation logic (Remote and Local User Interface], Content (Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) and Progressive Download (PDL) files as well as Metadata and Network Interfaces.
By highlighting the importance of an abstraction layer herein referred to as the Television 3.0 Common Service Framework, this paper explores hybrid architectures that permit network operators to dynamically cache information at multiple locations within a network – to dynamically adapt deployed services from one type of device to the next and from one region to the next – constantly evolving as new devices and network resources are made available in a rapidly changing technological environment. Smart software design builds an agile, future-proof foundation to increase deployment velocity of advanced services and enhance the operator’s brand through improved system performance and better user experiences. Smart software design also avoids the many pitfalls of the past that have afflicted cable operators – from outdated devices and vendor lock-in, to degrading performance and feature bloat, to network-wide equipment upgrades in support of new services.
Specific applications and services highlighted in this paper include: • Content protection solutions – Conditional Access System (CAS), Digital Rights management (DRM) • Content Delivery Networks – global, regional and federated • Content recording and playback – DVR scheduling, resource allocation • Ad insertion –graphic and video •Multi-screen service delivery