Cablevision du Nord, the Québec-based cable TV operator, is using new digital content monitoring solutions and deep packet inspection techniques on its digital video network.
Cablevision is the largest cable operator in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Québec, providing cable television and high speed Internet to tens of thousands of subscribers in 50 municipalities throughout the province. Cablevision joins nine of the top 10 U.S. operators and three of the top five Canadian operators to deploy the solution.
Cablevision chose technology from U.S. telecom provider Mixed Signals, including that company's Sentry and Medius solutions, to help monitor its digital video network and catch any potential service-affecting issues.
Sentry is able to identify and diagnose network transmission errors or obstacles, enabling Cablevision to quickly repair errors, the companies describe, thus ensuring viewers enjoy an optimal Quality of Experience (QoE) and service uptime.
Sentry utilizes advanced deep packet inspection technologies to continually dive deep into all the video programs flowing through a network to spot problems at the IP and MPEG layers, leaving no error undetected. Sentry’s ability to detect and localize errors quickly, also enables service providers to significantly reduce their operational expenses as technicians can immediately make repairs, rather than spending time tracking down the root cause of errors.
“To deliver the best possible viewing experience for our subscribers, we knew we needed to keep a closer eye on our video network and proactively spot any errors,” John Colton, General Manager for Cablevision du Nord, said in a release. “Mixed Signals’ monitoring tools enable us to effectively catch and repair errors in our network before they affect our subscribers, allowing us to offer the best quality of experience to our customers.”
Cablevision has installed Sentry in its headend in Val-d’Or, Québec where it monitors their entire digital programming line-up, including all high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) programs. Cablevision will expand its deployments of Sentry, with the next installation planned for its headend in Rouyn-Noranda, Québec.
In combination with Sentry, Cablevision is also using Mixed Signals’ Medius remote monitoring and management system to communicate with all the Sentrys from a central location. Sentry and Medius together provide operators with the industry’s most integrated, comprehensive and network-wide solution for ensuring an optimal QoE for their subscribers.
“Cablevision du Nord has proven its dedication to ensuring the highest possible quality of experience to its customers by using Mixed Signals to monitor its video network,” added Eric Conley, CEO of Mixed Signals. “Sentry’s ability to proactively detect errors before they affect the subscriber is second to none and provides Cablevision du Nord with the tools they need to keep their subscribers loyal and happy.”
Mixed Signals provides the most comprehensive and scalable digital content monitoring solutions from the source to the edge including digital services, transport streams, ad insertion, switched digital video, video on demand and interactive content. Mixed Signals monitoring solutions enable cable and satellite television operators, broadcasters, content aggregators and IPTV providers to simplify deployments of new services and applications, and to future-proof and maximize the return on the investment in their digital networks.