New video delivery system for cable promises more HDTV

Cable operators have been fighting bandwidth limits to squeeze in more high definition content. A new system aims to assist in that fight without sacrificing quality.

Imagine debuted its new video delivery system on Monday, saying it will help cable operators deliver up to 50 percent more HDTV and SDTV channels without sacrificing video quality.

The issue of bandwidth is one issue that cable operators have been struggling with in order to keep up with the demand for more high-definition content. Satellite operators have used this to their advantage, boasting they can carry more high-quality HD content then their wired counterparts.

"With competitors announcing plans for over 100 HD channels, and video quality expectations simultaneously rising, it became an urgent cable industry issue to quickly adapt our technology for the digital broadcast market, for both HD and SD applications," Imagine's strategy chief Lorenzo Bombelli said.

Imagine's proprietary technologies including its video quality measurement system called ICE-Q will ensure that video quality does not suffer by the addition of new content. It claims this will level the playing field for cable operators against services like DirectTV, DISH, and FiOS.

Customers of Imagine have apparently been pushing for the technology to be developed for cable first, so that cable companies can meet customer demand for HD and not lose subscribers over their presently lackluster HD offerings.

It is not known who is using the service, as Imagine declined to disclose their customers. However, at least one major operator is said to be deploying the technology in the first half of this year, first focusing on HD.