HD IPTV via fiber-optics coming to Northern California
posted Oct 25th 2005 7:30AM
SureWest Communications in Northern California is rolling out IP HDTV functionality for their fiber-optic subscribers. They claim that they'll be "the first broadband provider in the nation to deliver commercial HD programming with the technology known as Internet Protocol," which is a rather silly statement, given Verizon's current IP HD entry in the market, and since Verizon does video on demand—a reflection of the future of IPTV. SureWest claims to have the goods because they can get more mainstream programming with their more traditional technology, but right now they're 5 channels short of Verizon. No matter what, it's still hard to complain about 15 HD channels delivered nice and fresh via fiber-optic pipes. They're starting trials Tuesday and hoping to go hog wild in November, offering this to their 80,000+ subscribers.
How many times are people going to mis-interpret Verizon FIOS TV as IPTV. It is NOT IPTV, they are simply broadcating all of the video channels via a secondary downstream wavelength. This is not neccesarily a BAD thing, but it sure isn't IPTV.
Yes, Verizon VOD is IPTV. But so is VOD from my cable company.
Verizon was going to do IPTV for regular channel streams using microsoft software in an effort to save bandwidth by sending your house only the channels you are watching.
Turns out, they would need a server per every ten households. So they decided to traditionally stream all channels, the your box would "tune" into them.
VOD doesn't count.
I mean VOD doesn't count, when its just for PPV and HBOOD.
Wake me when its all channels. However, hurry up with the fiber, and please seriously undercut cable's price point. Real, wired, non-dish competition, rescue us from high-cable bills. I want channels a-la-carte too.
Holy shit this is right in my neihborhood. I can see the Surewest building right out my window. Im gonna have to call them and ask about this.
Greg, good luck. I live in Roseville, CA...home of Surewest and I cannot get their Fiber. Seems like they do it everywhere, but where their headquarters are.
The fiber business of Surewest is what they acquired from bankrupt WinFirst. That's why its not available in SureWest's (aka, Roseville Telephone) "home" market.
It's not IPTV. IPTV implies the VOD datastream is switched to one particular home. It's not. The video wavelength has multiple channels that are 'reserved' and broadcast to each home that shares the same OLT interface. Your set top box 'tunes' into this channel once the session is initiated. There _may_ be some packetizing of the video signal upstream from the OLT, but my bet is it's L2 based Ethernet or ATM. The network is so deterministic there is no need for L3 switching anywhere.
Hello Greg,
I'm currently conducting a benchmark report on the US deployments of IPTV (yes FiOS is included) and would like to talk to you, or anyone you know in that area who has the Surewest service. I only have a few questions for you, or whomever I speak with and it will only take a short while.
If you are interersted please email me at: IPTVBenchmark@hotmail.com. In fact if anyone knows individuals who have an IPTV service from any of the carieriers I would really appreciate speaking with them. - Thanks