Cable Forum - View Single Post - Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.

popper · 13-09-2008, 23:29

key points to remember first:
this new chipset/SOC is not certified yet.

it want be until they get the chip through certification testing at CableLabs sometime NEXT YEAR assuming it passes first time, the original 4x4 didnt though and even today its still only "bronze" remember, thats download bonding but not upload bonding cert.

even then, its going to take time to make it through the channels to VM bargin basement CM products they seem to like buying, that most likely puts the top TNETC4840 chipset and its capabilitys out of your end user hands straight way.

assuming the best case (not very likely is it!) Virgin Media clearing of the analogue tv and re-shuffling the digital channels to make best use of the cleared freqs.

the 4x4 DS3 chipsets will still not be able to provide *neils/VMs stated 200Mbit by 2012 a MAX of 160Mbit/sD x 120Mbit/sU remember.

and you dont/cant run your kit at 100% spec ever, so it means these 8x4 DS3 chipsets/SOC are required to be purchased first and OEMs putting them in some CM/STB for VM to then buy off the shelf.

http://www.lightreading.com/document...63565&site=cdn
"
Peter Percosan, executive director of broadband strategy for TI's Digital Connected Home business, calls that original 4x4 configuration the "meat and potatoes version" of the Docsis 3.0 platform, because it's supporting the near-term wideband requirements for MSOs in United States, Canada, and parts of Europe.

While that version should meet those needs for another 12 to 18 months, the new eight-channel version is more likely to play a broader role in 2010 and beyond."
...

"
Video options
However, thanks to an analog front end and an extension TI calls "Quad QAM," the same chipset can also also accomodate the cable operator's legacy digital video services, essentially creating a broadband-powered "video gateway." TI is adding that function through the integration of silicon tuners from Microtune Inc. (Nasdaq: TUNE - message board).

In yet another "intermediate" configuration, the new Puma 5 enables operators to "extract" up to four of the eight downstream channels flowing into the device and tune them to a specific frequency in the cable operator's spectrum for the delivery of the MSO's legacy video service. In that scenario, the chip performs as a QAM/IP hybrid.

Percosan holds that the new chip is smart enough to take in an MPEG transport video stream (how most cable operators transport digital video today) and convert it to IP. That's helpful, for example, if a customer wants to watch a broadcast channel via a PC on the home network. Conversely, that same gateway/advanced-set-top can ingest IP video and reconstitute it as MPEG, making it viewable on a traditional television. "

...

"
Although all configurations are powered by TI's baseline Docsis 3.0 silicon and software, each has its own designation in TI lingo.

The TNETC4820 is the advanced set-top/multimedia configuration;
the TNETC4830 is the data-only cable modem platform; and
the TNETC4840 is for data and video apps that require more than four downstream channels.

But which configuration option is expected to hold sway? In Europe, operators are trending toward an architecture that combines the modem with the video decode function, Percosan says. Telenet of Belgium, for example, already uses an architecture that pairs a set-top with a stand-alone cable modem.

If the price is right, some U.S. MSOs are looking to use it in advance set-tops with support for IP-based devices hanging off the home network.

"It's kind of a mix right now," he adds. "But everyone who wants to be serious in this converged legacy digital video/IP space needs to embrace this approach."
"

* http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitalt...s-by-2012.html

meanwhile the costs of DocSis 3 rollout to the end users are being talked about here.
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=163546

"Charter Talks Docsis Costs

SEPTEMBER 11, 2008

Discuss >

Cable's ballyhooed Docsis 3.0 technology aims to pump out speeds in excess of 100 Mbit/s, but little has been said in terms of how much it will cost operators to wire up systems for the speedy platform. Now we have an answer: About $8 per customer.

That's according to Charter Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: CHTR - message board) president and CEO Neil Smit, who presented late Wednesday afternoon at the Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. conference in Marina Del Ray, Calif.

No one bothered asking Smit whether the $8 includes the wideband modems.

However, a source who's seen the numbers tells Cable Digital News that it doesn't -- nor does it include the costs of provisioning services on those modems.

Charter's estimate, which the source says is actually in the range of $8 to $10 per home, covers the costs for Docsis 3.0 "network enablement," including the necessary cable modem termination system (CMTS) and routing gear. That cost range will also vary depending on the MSO's deployment starting point.

"

---------- Post added at 23:29 ---------- Previous post was at 23:13 ----------

BTW do we have a current cable freq map of the VM useage handy ? to see were hey can perhasp clear off large sections of freqs for this newsest 8x4 DS3 SOC to use?

13-09-2008, 23:29	#218
popper Inactive Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 3,270	Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year. key points to remember first: this new chipset/SOC is not certified yet. it want be until they get the chip through certification testing at CableLabs sometime NEXT YEAR assuming it passes first time, the original 4x4 didnt though and even today its still only "bronze" remember, thats download bonding but not upload bonding cert. even then, its going to take time to make it through the channels to VM bargin basement CM products they seem to like buying, that most likely puts the top TNETC4840 chipset and its capabilitys out of your end user hands straight way. assuming the best case (not very likely is it!) Virgin Media clearing of the analogue tv and re-shuffling the digital channels to make best use of the cleared freqs. the 4x4 DS3 chipsets will still not be able to provide neils/VMs stated 200Mbit by 2012 a MAX of 160Mbit/sD x 120Mbit/sU remember. and you dont/cant run your kit at 100% spec ever, so it means these 8x4 DS3 chipsets/SOC are required to be purchased first and OEMs putting them in some CM/STB for VM to then buy off the shelf. http://www.lightreading.com/document...63565&site=cdn " Peter Percosan, executive director of broadband strategy for TI's Digital Connected Home business, calls that original 4x4 configuration the "meat and potatoes version" of the Docsis 3.0 platform, because it's supporting the near-term wideband requirements for MSOs in United States, Canada, and parts of Europe. While that version should meet those needs for another 12 to 18 months, the new eight-channel version is more likely to play a broader role in 2010 and beyond." ... " Video options* However, thanks to an analog front end and an extension TI calls "Quad QAM," the same chipset can also also accomodate the cable operator's legacy digital video services, essentially creating a broadband-powered "video gateway." TI is adding that function through the integration of silicon tuners from Microtune Inc. (Nasdaq: TUNE - message board). In yet another "intermediate" configuration, the new Puma 5 enables operators to "extract" up to four of the eight downstream channels flowing into the device and tune them to a specific frequency in the cable operator's spectrum for the delivery of the MSO's legacy video service. In that scenario, the chip performs as a QAM/IP hybrid. Percosan holds that the new chip is smart enough to take in an MPEG transport video stream (how most cable operators transport digital video today) and convert it to IP. That's helpful, for example, if a customer wants to watch a broadcast channel via a PC on the home network. Conversely, that same gateway/advanced-set-top can ingest IP video and reconstitute it as MPEG, making it viewable on a traditional television. " ... " Although all configurations are powered by TI's baseline Docsis 3.0 silicon and software, each has its own designation in TI lingo. The TNETC4820 is the advanced set-top/multimedia configuration; the TNETC4830 is the data-only cable modem platform; and the TNETC4840 is for data and video apps that require more than four downstream channels. But which configuration option is expected to hold sway? In Europe, operators are trending toward an architecture that combines the modem with the video decode function, Percosan says. Telenet of Belgium, for example, already uses an architecture that pairs a set-top with a stand-alone cable modem. If the price is right, some U.S. MSOs are looking to use it in advance set-tops with support for IP-based devices hanging off the home network. "It's kind of a mix right now," he adds. "But everyone who wants to be serious in this converged legacy digital video/IP space needs to embrace this approach." " * http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitalt...s-by-2012.html meanwhile the costs of DocSis 3 rollout to the end users are being talked about here. http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=163546 "Charter Talks Docsis CostsSEPTEMBER 11, 2008Discuss >Cable's ballyhooed Docsis 3.0 technology aims to pump out speeds in excess of 100 Mbit/s, but little has been said in terms of how much it will cost operators to wire up systems for the speedy platform. Now we have an answer: About $8 per customer. That's according to Charter Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: CHTR - message board) president and CEO Neil Smit, who presented late Wednesday afternoon at the Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. conference in Marina Del Ray, Calif. No one bothered asking Smit whether the $8 includes the wideband modems. However, a source who's seen the numbers tells Cable Digital News that it doesn't -- nor does it include the costs of provisioning services on those modems. Charter's estimate, which the source says is actually in the range of $8 to $10 per home, covers the costs for Docsis 3.0 "network enablement," including the necessary cable modem termination system (CMTS) and routing gear. That cost range will also vary depending on the MSO's deployment starting point. " ---------- Post added at 23:29 ---------- Previous post was at 23:13 ---------- BTW do we have a current cable freq map of the VM useage handy ? to see were hey can perhasp clear off large sections of freqs for this newsest 8x4 DS3 SOC to use?