It should be no surprise that 2011 will have events throughout the country that review the challenges and opportunities of offering OTT video. The upcoming IP Possibilities Conference and Expo (April 12-14 in Kansas City, MO), produced by the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA) and the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO), will have a panel discussion on “the changing face of video options.” This session says: “It’s not just about subscription video packages any more. New offerings from Google and Apple could transform the Over-The-Top video market, while rural carriers have new ways to provide local content. This panel will examine these dynamic changes, and the benefits and risks these new choices bring.”

The Telecommunications Industry Associations (TIA) is unveiling its new annual industry event: TIA 2011 – Inside the Network (May 17-20 in Dallas). This event will have an entire track dedicated to “applications and services on the converged network” which will cover a number of video topics including bundling OTT service with traditional carrier services for differentiation. TIA will also have a track of educational content dedicated to the mobile backhaul, data & video network.

There’s also the Video And Broadband Telecommunications Symposium (April 13-15 in New York) whose theme this year will be the Future of Television. Don’t forget the Content Delivery Summit (May 9 in New York) which “is a 1-day conference developed and chaired by Dan Rayburn with the purpose of bringing together content owners, infrastructure providers, and Wall Street to discuss the business and technology of delivering video online.”

From the rural perspective (OPASTCO and NTCA) to the nation’s information and communications technology (ICT) association – TIA – video is a hot topic in 2011.

Tanya Sullivan is president of Plus One Strategic Communications, a communications firm specializing in the rural communications industry.

Complete Skitter.TV Platform to be Implemented as an Alternative TV Services Offering in February 2011

Skitter, Inc. today announced that Venus Telephone Corporation of Venus, PA will implement Skitter.TV as an alternative TV services offering to the company’s current Digital TV services.  In addition, Venus Telephone has selected Skitter’s Acclaim Video Encoders as the encoding platform for a pending transition from ATM-based video services to IPTV in a separate offering. 

After selecting a competing IPTV middleware solution for a planned conversion from an RF-based video head-end, the company began evaluating encoding solutions in an effort to overcome performance and maintenance concerns with other encoders, according to Tim Keister, head-end manager for Venus Telephone. A combination of an increase in cord-cutting and the need to upgrade their TV service to HD both prompted the commitment to Skitter.TV.

“We decided that we needed a hybrid OTT/IPTV solution in addition the traditional IPTV platform we were in the process of implementing.  We looked at a few other encoding vendors, but we weren’t happy with hardware performance and reliability.  And we were also concerned about maintenance costs,” Keister said.  “Once we saw the video quality from the Acclaim encoders, and evaluated the maintenance costs, we realized we could offer very high quality service without exorbitant maintenance and operations expense.”

“We had previously selected a traditional IPTV service, but over-the-top video is a compelling solution that wasn’t available from the vendor we selected,” Keister.  “In our rural service area, we have enjoyed very loyal TV service customers, but over the last several months, we too have begun to see cord-cutting. With Skitter’s hybrid OTT/IPTV solution, we can offer an alternative TV package at a very competitive price, with more features, while at the same time upgrading our existing TV service to HD.”

In addition to reducing customer cord-cutting, Venus Telephone expects their Skitter.TV offering to help monetize their broadband service.  According to Keister, 30 to 40 percent of their Internet traffic comes from streaming video today.  The company plans to market Skitter.TV as a hybrid Web Video/IPTV option in addition to their traditional IPTV service, both powered by Skitter’s Acclaim Duo SD/HD Video Encoders.

Venus Telephone Corporation has been serving their Pennsylvania community for 100 years.  The company currently has 1, 276 access lines and 700 video subscribers.

For the first time, Skitter is participating in the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week.  SecureMedia, a Motorola Mobility Inc. company, is conducting live demos of Skitter.TV and the Skitter Box in the company’s Innovation Suite to highlight multiscreen hybrid OTT/IPTV environments. The Skitter Box is also on view as a part of Sigma Designs’ array of set-top box products built on the Sigma Designs chipsets.

The SecureMedia Innovation Suite is at the Vdara Hotel and Spa at CityCenter, 2600 W. Harmon Avenue in Las Vegas.  The Sigma Designs’ private suite is in the Las Vegas Hilton, located at 3000 Paradise Road.

Telecom service providers, cable companies, entertainment content distributors, and related industry press and analysts can make an appointment to see a demo by contacting Skitter by e-mail or by calling (678) 894-8808, ext. 3100.

The RICA/RTG Fall Forum, hosted by the Rural Independent Competitive Alliance and the Rural Telecommunications Group, had a panel that analyzed OTT opportunities. “As pressures on traditional revenue sources increase, companies are actively looking for new customer growth and revenue opportunities.” Skitter.TV was a solution discussed by the panel which included Hill Country Telephone and Mosaic Telecom. There is reason for this focus by the rural telecom industry. “The global growth of over the top video services will exceed $1 billion in 2010 and $20 billion in 2014, based on over 40 OTT service operators and device vendors profiled, according to research by MRG.” A recent survey also found that over 65% of respondents believe Internet video will have a moderate to significant impact Next-Gen IPTV distribution models. While there has always been a group of rural carriers that operate on the cutting and sometimes bleeding edge of technological innovation, the rest are concluding that they must provide novel solutions to meet their customers’ information, communications and entertainment needs. This also explains why electronics providers such as Sony, LG, Samsung and Vizio as well as retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart are all increasing their OTT offerings.

Tanya Sullivan is president of Plus One Strategic Communications, a communications firm specializing in the rural communications industry.

Skitter is pleased to have been honored with a TelcoTV 2010 Vision Award in a ceremony held earlier today.  Skitter’s Acclaim Video Encoders won the Vision Award for Innovation in Encoding.  The Acclaim encoder family features an invention that brings variable bitrate (VBR) video streaming to multicast IPTV and Internet TV environments.  A provisional patent application has been filed for the invention, called Prioritized VBR™ (PVBR™).

PVBR is a new method of streaming video that maintains the compression benefits of variable bitrate video while still being able to transport streams as if they were compressed at a constant bitrate. Skitter’s Prioritized VBR invention adds rate shaping features to the Acclaim video encoder that allow the operator to choose the average bitrate of individual VBR streams and to cap the peak bit rate at a hard limit that will not exceed the capacity of ADSL network switches. PVBR also greatly reduces buffering requirements, virtually eliminating interruptions in video stream delivery.  In addition, PVBR offers a side benefit for managing network security, preventing bursts in VBR bitrates that can be misidentified as a broadcast storm, causing the network to invoke security measures.

The Acclaim encoders offer live MPEG-4 H.264 AVC video encoding at any resolution, from 480i standard definition to 1080i high definition.  The Acclaim’s standards-compliant video streams are highly efficient, with HD video compressed at an average 3.5 Mbps with peaks to 5 Mbps, and SD video compressed at 1.4 Mbps with peaks to 1.8 Mbps.  Multiple video input sources are supported, including satellite content, off-air RF broadcasts, and other live or pre-recorded content. ATSC and NTSC receivers are built in, reducing costs and complexity, streamlining signal routing, and simplifying head-end redundancy planning. The encoders are a part of the end-to-end Skitter.TV hybrid IPTV/OTT video platform, and can also be used as a stand-alone solution for live streaming of Web video and in other IPTV installations.

The TelcoTV Vision Awards are juried by leading industry executives with NTCA, analysts with Heaving Reading and editors with telecommunications media outlet Light Reading.

Alex Emmermann

Skitter, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of G. Alex Emmermann to the company’s executive team as Vice President of Engineering Systems. Emmermann will lead the company’s hardware and software development teams. In this new role, Emmermann will be responsible for executing Skitter’s research and development efforts, directing the organization’s software development and electronics engineering staff, and overseeing software and hardware release schedules. Emmermann will also play a key leadership role in setting the company’s strategic direction, working with the executive team to maintain the company’s competitive position in the marketplace and enhance profitability.

Emmermann brings more than 15 years of management and product development experience in electronics, Internet services, telecommunications, and e-commerce to Skitter. Most recently, he served as General Manager at Cormine Intelligent Data, LLC, Suffolk, Va., where he was responsible for overseeing the company’s strategic direction, planning and implementation. Prior to joining Cormine, Emmermann spent 13 years at Motorola developing radio technology and later managing software development teams. During his last three years at Motorola, he took an expatriate assignment in Malaysia to help develop the company’s engineering strategy in the region. While in Malaysia, Emmermann built a team of more than 220 engineers to develop software and provide testing services for Motorola’s global two-way radio business.

Emmermann has been awarded two U.S. patents related to telephony/radio integration and connected home appliance technology, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering from the University of Florida.

New Skitter Box Offers Live TV, Web Video and Apps Delivered to the TV Screen in HD and SD

Skitter, Inc. today announced the availability of a new hybrid IPTV/OTT set-top box that delivers live television, over-the-top (OTT) Web video, digital audio and apps in both high definition and standard definition from a single device.  The Skitter Box™ is the latest edition to the multiscreen deployment capabilities of the Skitter.TV converged OTT/IPTV entertainment services platform.  The set-top box will be initially distributed exclusively through Skitter.TV service providers as a part of Skitter.TV entertainment services offerings.

The Skitter Box supports both standard definition and high definition video at every resolution currently in use, from 480i to 1080p.  Skitter.TV’s Media Player software is preloaded and self-updates as enhancements are released. Consumers attach the device to a home entertainment system using a number of different connection options, with support for HDMI, component and composite video, and optional optical audio. A powered USB port on the front of the Skitter Box allows access to content from a digital camera.  Its secure processor supports a variety of conditional access (CA) and digital rights management (DRM) options, and an encryption key decoder is built in. The Skitter Box connects to a home network via wired Ethernet or wireless 802.11 b/g/n and is designed for easy self-service installation.

“One of biggest barriers to IPTV profitability and customer satisfaction is the extended and complicated in-home installation requirements that drives up expenses for the service provider and can frustrate consumers.  In contrast, Skitter.TV is a converged entertainment delivery platform that reduces both CapEx and OpEx costs for service providers while giving consumers the converged entertainment experience they want now,” said Robert Saunders, president and co-founder of Skitter, Inc.  “With the Skitter Box, service providers are no longer saddled with the traditional expenses inherent in traditional set-top box marketing, installation and support.”

Skitter, Inc. will continue its commitment to support a wide variety of media access and display devices as a part of Skitter.TV’s multiscreen delivery strategy, including support for set-top box hardware from other manufacturers, as well as support for media access via gaming consoles, IP-enabled TVs and smart phones. The Skitter Box ships with both composite and component mini-jack cables, a remote control and batteries, and an ethernet cable.

We are pleased to report that Skitter, Inc. has been named a finalist in this year’s TelcoTV Vision Awards, which honor the most innovative and “visionary” new products, services and applications announced in the telecommunications industry in the past year. Skitter.TV is honored as a finalist this year for innovation in video encoding.

New Skitter.TV Acclaim Video Encoder models released this year include a patent-pending invention that brings variable bitrate (VBR) video streaming to multicast IPTV and Internet TV environments. The invention, called Prioritized VBR™ (PVBR™), allows service providers and entertainment content distributors to take advantage of the reduced bandwidth requirements of VBR video streaming while achieving significant improvements in video quality, more reliable IP delivery and greater control over quality of service.

The finalists were determined by a distinguished panel of industry executives and analysts: Joe Braue, SVP, Light Reading; Steve Fravel, Video Services Manager, NTCA; Adi Kishore, Senior Analyst, Heavy Reading; David Lowe, Manager of Business and Technology, NTCA; and Carol Wilson, Chief Editor of Events, Light Reading.

TelcoTV 2010 is the largest video conference and expo focused on the U.S. service provider market.  Winners of the TelcoTV Vision Awards will be announced before an audience of ecosystem partners, service providers, analysts, and technology and business press at TelcoTV 2010 on Wednesday, November 10, 2010, at 12:30 p.m. in room Titian 2304 at the Venetian in Las Vegas.  If you’re planning to attend TelcoTV 2010, please be sure to visit Skitter in booth 563.  For more information on the Vision Awards and the nominees, see Light Reading’s official announcement.

Skitter, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Scott Remillard to the company’s executive team as Vice President of Sales. Remillard will lead the company’s sales team in the highly visible and fast-growing hybrid OTT/IPTV market. Remillard and his team will continue to develop and serve a customer base of telecom service providers and entertainment companies for Skitter.TV, an entertainment services delivery platform that converges live TV with over-the top (OTT) video, local programming, apps and user-generated content.

Scott Remillard, Skitter, Inc. VP of Sales

Remillard brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in a variety of telecommunications and telecom technology organizations. Prior to joining Skitter, Inc., he was responsible for sales in the western U.S. for Zeugma Systems. Remillard has also served as regional vice president of sales with Occam Networks, where he was instrumental in building and leading a sales team supporting a large customer base in the western U.S. Before that, he held several sales roles with Advanced Fibre Communications (Petaluma, CA), including northwest sales manager.  In addition to his sales experience, Remillard worked in several engineering and management roles for Contel Telephone in California.

Remillard holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Redlands (California), and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (California).

New Acclaim™ Video Encoder Models Now Offer Prioritized VBR for Multicast Live Streaming in IPTV and Internet TV Environments

Skitter, Inc. today announced that a provisional patent application has been filed for an invention that brings variable bitrate (VBR) video streaming to multicast IPTV and Internet TV environments.  The invention, called Prioritized VBR™ (PVBR™), allows service providers and entertainment content distributors to take advantage of the reduced bandwidth requirements of VBR video streaming while achieving significant improvements in video quality, more reliable IP delivery and greater control over quality of service.  Skitter’s Prioritized VBR technology is now available in the second generation of company’s Acclaim™ family of live MPEG-4 video encoders.  Acclaim video encoders are a part of the end-to-end Skitter.TV™ hybrid IPTV/OTT video platform, and can also be used as a stand-alone solution for live streaming of Web video and in other IPTV installations.

In IP video streaming, variable bitrate transmission is primarily used for on-demand viewing of pre-recorded content in unicast scenarios, where interruptions in the video playback and some degradation in video rendering are more tolerable for viewers than with live broadcast programming.  Service providers rely on VBR streaming to manage network capacity for the thousands or even millions of individual video streams delivered on-demand. In multicast delivery, where large audiences are watching live programming simultaneously, IPTV operators and content delivery networks rely on constant bitrate (CBR) streaming to control the demands on network capacity.  However, CBR delivery can result in degradation of video quality and higher demands on network capacity overall.  Skitter’s patent-pending Prioritized VBR approach allows service providers to control the flow of video packets from a VBR stream, resulting in a consistent video stream that greatly reduces the demands on network capacity, provides greater control over quality of service, and improves network reliability.

“Prioritized VBR is a new method of streaming video that maintains the compression benefits of variable bitrate video while still being able to transport the streams as if they were compressed in a constant bitrate,” said Mark Sauer, Skitter, Inc. managing director and senior fellow, and one of the inventors of PVBR. “In essence, Prioritized VBR gives operators the tools they need to manage quality of service on a stream-by-stream basis, and to continually monitor and adjust the bitrate to network conditions.”

Skitter’s Prioritized VBR invention adds rate shaping features to the Acclaim video encoder that allow the operator to choose the average bitrate of individual VBR streams and to cap the peak bit rate at a hard limit that will not exceed the capacity of ADSL network switches. PVBR also greatly reduces buffering requirements, virtually eliminating interruptions in video stream delivery.  In addition, PVBR offers a side benefit for managing network security, preventing bursts in VBR bitrates that can be misidentified as a broadcast storm, causing the network to invoke security measures.

“ADSL networks have an absolute upper limit for bitrate transmission, no matter what kind of data is traveling across the network,” said Robert Saunders, Skitter, Inc. president and co-founder, and co-inventor of PVBR.  “Our new Prioritized VBR capabilities ensure that video’s impact on network capacity is minimized, video quality is consistent, and network performance is more manageable.”

“Prioritized VBR is a breakthrough that can benefit anyone in the business of streaming media, including telecom service providers, Web video publishers  and other entertainment content distributors. Consumers generally have more patience with video that pixelates or freezes when they are watching on a computer screen, but the expectations of quality of service are much higher when it comes to the television set,” said Laura Tanner, vice president of marketing for Skitter.  “As more and more viewers enjoy over-the-top Web video on their TV screens with Skitter.TV and others, quality of service must compete with the uninterrupted live broadcasts we’re accustomed to watching.  Prioritized VBR streaming can better meet those expectations while helping the service provider succeed with a media streaming solution that is more efficient and consistent.”

Skitter.TV’s Acclaim video encoders will continue to support CBR video streams for service providers whose infrastructure requires it.  The encoders offer live MPEG-4 H.264 AVC video encoding from 480i standard definition to 1080p high definition.  ATSC and NTSC receivers are built in, reducing costs and complexity, streamlining signal routing, and simplifying head-end redundancy planning. The standards-based encoders are designed to achieve an extended return on investment through continuous upgrades and enhancements as advances in audio and video compression are achieved. The Acclaim Duo™ is a dual-stream HD/SD live video encoder in a single 2RU box.  The Acclaim SD provides standard definition video encoding.