(28 June 2008 4:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Communications and information technology company Harris demonstrated a range of products.

These enable cable television professionals to enhance operational workflows and improve revenue. They were showcased at the recently concluded Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers Cable-Tec Expo 2008 show in Philadelphia.

In its 25th year, the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo hosted more than 10,000 attendees and provided information about the latest in cable technology, products and services.

Harris adds that it is uniquely positioned to help in the transition to digital and to meet the technological and business needs of cable companies. Attendees at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2008 saw a range of Harris decoding, networking and test and measurement solutions designed to meet the specific requirements of cable operators and field technicians.

There was a demonstration of the DDM-840 frequency agile digital demodulator/decoder, which offers 8-VSB, 64 QAM or 256 QAM demodulation to DVB-ASI transport stream and decoding to multiple video and audio signals.

With the approaching analogue shut-off in early 2009, the DDM-840 demodulator’s compact, 1RU footprint provides cable operators with a space-efficient and economical solution for ATSC off-air reception. Harris also offers a modular option in its 6800+™ core processing platform — providing a lower cost, highly scalable and controlled alternative to advanced distribution architectures. By combining modules such as the DDM-6800+D digital demodulator and the MFD-6800+ multiformat video and audio decoder, cable operators can customize a solution to meet their specific requirements.

For test and measurement applications, the Harris booth featured a selection of Videotek® solutions, including the TVM-950 multiformat signal analyzer, the AVM-717 multiformat video and audio monitoring system, and the popular Videotek Star series of handheld test instruments, which are well suited to the demands of cable field technicians. The award-winning Videotek® STAR product line comprises the HD-STAR™ HD/SD-SDI monitor/generator, GEN-STAR™ HD/SD-SDI test signal generator, ASI-STAR™ transport Stream monitor and the VSB-STAR 8VSB/QAM signal analyzer.

Harris also demonstratied the NetVX MPEG-2 and H.264 video encoding platform, an efficient solution for content backhaul and distribution, as well as Harris Digital Signage solutions, which enable cable operators to establish out-of-home networks that repurpose content and offer opportunities to insert ad content.