Audio Video News

There may be more than one way to skin the HDTV cat. Last week, ViaGate Technologies announced what the company is terming "a major breakthrough" with what it says is the successful delivery of High Definition Television (HDTV) over an existing fiber network through its ViaGate 4160 Access Switch utilizing standard copper telephone wires. ViaGate, in conjunction with CompleteTV and Artel Video Systems, says that it has introduced this potential service to complement a host of broadband entertainment and connectivity services that are being field tested in Tennessee.

According to ViaGate, the trial is being conducted with DTC Communications in Alexandria, TN over the IRIS network, an OC-48 SONET ring that connects 11 independent telephone companies in Tennessee. Network television content is being offered via CompleteTV and through Artel Video Systems' CopperTV video access Multiplexer. The three companies say they have partnered to debut this HDTV solution to consumers utilizing their existing phone lines and that the delivery of broadcast HDTV over Very high-speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) to subscribers in the service provider's area will prove to be another competitive advantage over existing cable operators and satellite.

Currently, ViaGate designs, develops, and distributes VDSL access products that use the existing copper telephone infrastructure to deliver full-service broadband solutions such as DTV, video-on-demand (VOD), high-speed Internet, and telephony. ViaGate adds that its VDSL products also open the door to a variety of additional interactive multimedia digital services such as "T-commerce," interactive gaming, and targeted video advertising.

ViaGate's Brian Chen says that "subscribers will now be able to enjoy HDTV programming, which has twice the vertical and horizontal resolution of current analog broadcasting, with sound quality approaching that of a CD (compact disc). With the growing popularity of HDTV programming by the networks, HDTV is becoming the killer application for digital services. ViaGate's VDSL platform not only delivers HDTV over a single copper phone line, it still provides enough bandwidth for additional channels of video and high-speed Internet access, as well as voice telephony and other services."