relay these streams to over 190 target devices – which is either a Harmonic IRD, with Zixi’s SDK contained within, or a Zixi receiver. By having access to the SDK within the Harmonic IRDs, we were able to avoid the additional cost of replacing all those devices in the field.” McCrackan adds that the transition for the service’s MVPD customers was seamless once the internet connection was made to the IRD. “There was really no change for the downstream MVPD broadcast equipment; it was a simple software update on the IRDs. For the customer, everything else operates as normal, and we didn’t need to build any additional components.” Zixi’s Zen Master application also allows McCrackan’s team to configure, control and monitor all streams and devices. This level of control now also makes signal piracy “almost impossible”, and it’s safer than the previous, unencrypted MPTS signal via satellite. The Zen Master application also allows MC to detect any problems with the stream or the connection to an IRD, before the customer even realises there’s an issue. Data collected from the IP-based platform means that, in the event of an outage, Zixi can help detect how long a channel or site remained down. SPEEDY DELIVERY McCrackan estimates that MC is saving approximately three-quarters of its overall costs on the new platform. “Most of the reductions came from switching from the traditional satellite feed, but we also observed savings with our network infrastructure and reduction in broadcast operations personnel,” he says. It took approximately four months to transition MC’s full customer base and turn down the satellite feed. There are additional capabilities on the horizon, which Zixi will be offering, including predictive analysis of network and service quality using AI. “Zixi has enabled us to quickly deploy customised channels and monetise them at little incremental cost. We’re pleased with the solution, and look forward to extending the partnership in future.”
MCCRACKAN ESTIMATES THAT MC IS SAVING APPROXIMATELY THREE-QUARTERS OF ITS OVERALL COSTS ON THE NEWPLATFORM
– all without expanding satellite bandwidth and cost. There were numerous reasons for the move, according to MC’s SVP of engineering and operations, Michael McCrackan: “We wanted more flexibility in terms of capability. The reliable distribution of broadcast- quality streams over IP allows us to deliver direct feeds to our customers. We can create a set of streams that are specific to Comcast, Charter Communications and other MVPDs, while delivering targeted messaging to our subscribers. Our national
broadcast over satellite wouldn’t allow for this without incurring additional bandwidth and cost.” END-TO-END SERVICE MC had been closely monitoring various services that could provide an alternative solution. The decision to go with Zixi’s cloud-based and on-premises Software-Defined Video Platform (SDVP), says McCrackan, was based on the reliability and quality of its IP delivery. Its capacity to make MC’s existing hardware infrastructure compatible with the new IP-based workflow was vital, too. “Zixi provided the full end-to-end service,” he explains. “We used Zixi’s broadcaster in our data centre, to deliver multiple-source streams to its cloud infrastructure. From there, we
IN SYNC The Zixi SDVP is made up of four components working as one
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