Edgeware to launch distributed TV repackaging function at NAB

At NAB 2017, Edgeware will launch an enhancement to its TV CDN architecture, allowing its customers to repackage and re-encrypt TV content at the edge of their TV CDN.

Edgeware’s Edge TV Repackager product enables distribution and caching of TV content in a single common file format, then repackages it on-the-fly, into DASH, HLS or MSS formats, for example, as required by the client device. This will reduce the backhaul bandwidth and the amount of NAS and cache storage required for most VOD services by a factor of two to three. Edge TV Repackager builds on Edgeware’s existing capabilities, which can already perform on-the-fly repackaging at the origin location of a TV delivery system.

“Reducing the strain on network and storage is especially important as viewers begin to adopt 4K TV,” said Edgeware CTO Göran Appelquist.

“Edge repackaging will offset the higher requirements for network and storage capacity required by UHD services. It’s another benefit of building your own TV CDN, rather than buying a standard third party CDN service. With a CDN optimized for TV, operators and content owners can retain the savings in delivery bandwidth and storage, rather than simply paying for more and more bytes to be delivered every month.”

Distributing the repackaging function to the edge of a TV CDN also improves the viewing experience. Network capacity is less congested because only a single format of the content needs to be delivered, with the additional benefit of extra available caching memory, freed up by saving files in one format, which improves the cache hit ratio, all leading to even less chance of buffering.

Edgeware’s repackaging product supports HLS, MPEG-DASH, MSS, MP2, MP4, HEVC and progressive download formats in SD, HD and 4K. DRM support includes Verimatrix, PlayReady and Widevine and other leading DRM providers.