What is Switched Digital Video?

BigBand SDV (Switched Digital Video) enables dramatic savings in bandwidth consumption, allowing cable operators to increase revenues via expanded program offerings and the delivery of personalized, high-margin services. The BigBand SDV:

• Achieves dramatic savings in network bandwidth by transmitting programs to subscribers only when subscribers are watching them, rather than broadcasting all programs to all subscribers all the time
• Allows monetization of reclaimed network capacity by enabling substantial increases in SD and HD program offerings and delivery of new, highly personalized services
• Supports the broadest suite of SDV ecosystem patterns, including QAM, middleware and STB vendors
• Leverages the versatile BigBand BEQ platform, which supports applications like SDV, VOD, network-based time-shifting and more
• Deploys seamlessly in a matter of weeks, leveraging embedded assets and providing best-in-class ROI
• Maintains the subscriber viewing experience by requiring no change to viewing habits or EPG lineups
• Integrates seamlessly with all popular set-top boxes, including DVRs

BigBand Networks pioneered SDV and has commercial installations passing millions of households. Unlike legacy environments, network capacity in a BigBand SDV environment seamlessly scales with the number of active viewers in each service group. This demand-side paradigm means that, with the amount of long-tail content increasing exponentially and advances in transcoding technology; there is virtually no limit to the programming and personalization that can be made available to subscribers.

There is no need to alter viewers' behaviors since there is no noticeable delay or change during channel surfing and tuning, and programs appear the same in EPG lineups. Integration with all popular brands of STB (set-top box), including DVRs, is seamless.

Although a sophisticated technology, BigBand SDV is not difficult to deploy when done so by experts familiar with the technology. Benefiting from a wealth of experience accumulated over multiple deployments, BigBand Networks’ professional services team can install a switched video system in as little as 90 days. Over time any deployment can be incrementally expanded to allow delivery of a virtually unlimited number of services, including high definition programming choices.

Designed to provide massive scalability, the highest levels of reliability and the most open platform for third party interoperability, BigBand SDV provides the innovation engine to increase competitive service differentiation, improve subscriber satisfaction and maximize profitability.

Dramatic bandwidth savings for expanded HD programming with BigBand SDV