Cisco Announces Videoscape Virtualized Video Processing -- Adds 4K and HEVC Capabilities and Improved Compression

LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwired - Apr 7, 2014) - NAB 2014 -- Today, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced plans to virtualize and cloud-enable the video processing elements of its industry leading Videoscape TV service delivery platform, taking another step in the Evolved Services Platform strategy unveiled earlier this year. In addition, the company announced enhancements to the Videoscape AnyRes encoding solution to support full-frame rate 4K/Ultra High Definition (UltraHD) content for higher quality and the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard for more optimized delivery.

Announcing Videoscape Virtualized Video Processing

Cisco is introducing Videoscape Virtualized Video Processing (V2P) to address several industry pain points plaguing media companies and service providers today as they look to deliver compelling video experiences across screens. These include the rapid growth in the amount of multi-screen video content and a dizzying proliferation of options at each stage of the video processing workflow.

Comprised of three elements, Videoscape Virtualized Video Processing (Videoscape V2P) focuses on delivering greater simplification optimization and agility to service providers and media companies:

• Virtualized Video Processing Portal easily configures even the most complex workflow from a single screen.
• Virtualized Video Orchestrator allocates software and hardware resources from a common pool -- which can be a mix of physical and virtual resources -- to satisfy each workflow request. It embeds business and technical logic to instantiate, as needed, additional software and to allocate additional hardware.
• The processing workload for each workflow is performed by the hardware and software elements of the V2P. Each piece of hardware, whether it is a performance optimized appliance or virtualized into an industry standard server, is multi-function; its functions are determined by the software elements instantiated by the VVO.
• The hardware and software video processing elements V2P uses include the Videoscape AnyRes software, Cisco's DCM and 9036 families of high performance video processing platforms and UCS blades.

In this way, Videoscape V2P can preserve the customer's investment in the company's video products while providing an evolution path forward that simplifies the operation of ever more complex workflows; eliminates costly silos of single purpose hardware; reduces the complexity of accommodating the rapid growth in multi-screen video; and, easily integrates a mix of physical appliances, virtual hardware and public clouds.

Videoscape V2P is based on industry standard technology such as NFV and SDN and it integrates into Cisco's overall virtualization strategy and is a key part of the broader Cisco Evolved Services Platform. More information about Videoscape V2P can be found here.

Introducing HEVC and 4K Capabilities on Videoscape AnyRes

At NAB 2014, Cisco is also announcing the next generation of its industry leading Videoscape AnyRes multi-function software-based encoder and transcoder solution. The expanded capabilities include, support for 4K video and the new HEVC compression standard for both VOD and live applications. The enhanced AnyRes also supports improved compression without loss of quality for current compression standards such as MPEG2 and AVC.

With these advancements, media companies and operators using AnyRes are well-positioned to address the full range of requirements for advanced processing. The advanced AnyRes solution, coupled with the evolution of Virtualized Video Processing offers Cisco's customers an evolving solution to their next generation video processing requirements. 

The enhanced Videoscape AnyRes is available to service providers and media companies today. Cisco will be showcasing the improved Videoscape AnyRes, in addition to other compelling video demonstrations at its booth (N9332). The Videoscape AnyRes demonstration will also be available to witness at the Akamai booth (SL4525) and AJA Video System booth (SL2505) in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Supporting Quotes

• Joe Cozzolino, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Service Provider Video Infrastructure
  
  "Our customers need a radically simpler and more agile infrastructure as they seek to deliver new video experiences, and stay ahead of the rapid growth in video processing options and formats. Virtualized Video Processing enables our customers to focus on delivering better video services, faster and more cost effectively, and frees them from the burden of buying, configuring and re-configuring individual pieces of hardware. As the proven industry leader in cloud and virtualization, we are using these technologies to empower our customers with far greater agility in deploying compelling TV experiences, while reducing operational burdens."

Additional Supporting Resources

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Tags/Keywords:
Cisco, cloud, cloud video, IP, IP Video, Joe Cozzolino, 4K, UltraHD, Videoscape, Evolved Services Platform, ESP, MPEG DASH, HEVC, TV Everywhere, service provider, cable operator, TV, NAB, NAB 2014, virtualization, video processing, multi-screen video, NFV, SDN, software-defined networking, network functions virtualization

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