2netFX demos multicast HDTV over IP

2netFX, a San Jose, CA-based company targeting MPEG video over IP, will demo multiple streams of high definition video over IP using a Motorola HD encoder, at next week's Streaming Media West in San Jose, CA.

Using 3com networking equipment, TeraLogic's Janus single-chip HDTV decoder board and software as well as a specialized HDTV-over-IP streaming server and client software, 2netFX says it will be showcasing the technology for a "wide range" of applications for broadcasters, telecom carriers, businesses, distance learning and government.

The company's platform will show that "HDTV can be easily delivered over switched broadband networks and can effectively multicast HDTV programming over a cyberspace medium to a virtually unlimited number of viewers," says 2netFX CTO Eric Yao, adding that the company has spent three years perfecting the technology.

2netFX's Streaming Media Application (SAM) servers and SAM receivers can handle HDTV streams from Kbps to 25Mbps via satellite, ATM, LAN/WAN, xDSL, cable modem or dial up. The HDTV streaming software is NT-based, compliant with Microsoft's DirectShow streaming media architecture.

The service will most likely be available first on dedicated high-speed Internets, such as Internet2, a primarily government-based private network, or MMDS/LMDS wireless access systems for homes, according to Yao. 2netFX is also partnering with AirSwitch, World Wide Packets and others to deliver HDTV content to a multitude of homes that are now being equipped with ethernet connections up to 1 GB.

Edited by Tom Butts