1.5 and 3.0 Gbps Uncompressed HD Video Transport

It’s been over a year since analog television broadcasting with its SD video signals went off the air. What 4:3 sets are still in use are relics of an obsolete technology. They’re hanging on for the time being, thanks to Cable and Satellite receivers that feed their RF inputs. But look closer and you can see that HD channels are multiplying and SD channels are being abandoned by viewers with flat-screen HD TVs. What’s coming up fast is IPTV in high definition. Next year it will be 3D with and without glasses.

For broadcasters, show distributors and content providers, yesterday’s video transport techniques are just as obsolete as those old tube sets. What’s needed now is high definition digital transmission. The highest quality requires uncompressed transport, which, unfortunately, consumes bandwidth at a prodigious rate. No problem. Level 3 Vyvx service is set up to meet the need. Now, level 3 is offering uncompressed high definition video transport services between Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and New York City at 1.5 and 3.0 Gigabits per second.

Live video feeds are delivered in their native, pristine form by sending them with zero compression. Think of it as one very long connection between the studio and the control room. Or, more likely, between the scene of an event and the network control center.

Level 3 has been a major player in video transport services worldwide. Their Emmy Award winning Vyvx resources include fiber connectivity to 125 cities in the United States and Europe. They have direct connectivity to most professional sports venues in the United States and Canada. They offer Managed Video Network Services (MVNS), teleports in Atlanta, Denver, L.A. and Berlin, standards conversion, encryption and HD encoding.

The heart of the system is Level 3’s IP/MPLS worldwide fiber network. MPLS or Multi-Protocol Label Switching networks offer high capacity bandwidth with quality of service controls, deterministic pre-allocated paths with rapid switching to redundant paths if needed. This makes for a highly reliable, secure and high performance core network ideal for high bandwidth data and video transmission.

This is really the leading edge of what will become a much more extensive high bandwidth video transport system. Level 3 has stated that other cities will be added to the 1.5 and 3.0 Gbps service as demand increases. Even as this happens, the demand for compressed HD and even SD video transport is increasing world wide. There is more video content, live feeds and specialized programming being produced every day. Every one of these sources needs high quality and highly reliable transport services.

Are you involved in video production, content distribution, high quality teleconferencing, video streaming or coverage of breaking news? If so, learn more about the range of options available to you for metropolitan and long haul video transport.

The Samsung Epic 4G offers Epic Performance

What would you think of a smartphone that can run rings around a netbook computer? What if you politely declined WiFi hotspot service because it would slow you down? Can you handle that kind of speed in a cell phone?

There’s a lot that makes this phone special, but the Sprint WiMAX 4G network connectivity makes you believe it’s epic. Peak download speeds can exceed 10 Mbps. That’s an order of magnitude faster than 3G. Instead of being a WiFi user, you’ll be a WiFi provider with mobile hotspot capability to support other devices as long as you are in a 3G or 4G service area. Treat your unconnected friends or colleagues while you’re on the road. Or give yourself anywhere connectivity for the times you need a laptop, notebook or tablet computer.

If the speed of this Android 2.1 smartphone has you drooling, wait till you see the display. This is no ordinary touchscreen. The Super AMOLED thin touchscreen offers a near-HD display at 100x the contrast of other leading phones. It also features pinch-to-zoom, six axis motion and proximity sensors.

This advanced display is a good match with the 5 megapixel digital camera with camcorder mode, dual LED flash, auto-focus, live video share, and geo-tagging. Record in HD and easily playback wirelessly on your HDTV or other DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) certified devices. Oh, by the way, there’s another camera. It’s mounted on the face of the display so that you can enjoy video chats. This is a VGA camera, so you’ll look good in the picture.

Back to the blazing speed of this phone. In addition to WiFI, 4G and 3G connectivity, the processor in this smartphone is a 1 GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird. In the 4G and WiFi modes, you’ll have simultaneous voice and data capability for increased multitasking. With many other phones, you have to switch back and forth.

The Samsung Epic is not only faster than a certain competing smartphone that rhymes with grapple, but it has something else eschewed in Cupertino. It’s a slide out QWERTY keyboard. That’s right, real keys for real typing. You also have an on-screen virtual keyboard and SWYPE typing options as a matter of personal choice. Text messaging, instant messaging, multimedia messaging, email and HTML Web browsing are all at your fingertips. Did I mention this thing moves like lightning?

The Samsung Epic isn’t for everyone. Just for everyone who can’t settle for lesser technology once they know the performance bar has been raised. If you are one of those who demands the latest and the best, you’ll enjoy a tremendous online discount when you order your Samsung Epic 4G with a new Sprint account.

Of course, there are many more heavily discounted and even free smartphones available for your perusal. Check out the daily specials now at Cell Phone Plans Finder.