There are MDU systems and then there are IP Headend systems. They are different. An IP headend system is a cable company in a rack + a couple dishes.
----- Mike Hammett Intelligent Computing Solutions http://www.ics-il.com -------------------------------------------------- From: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 11:56 AM To: "WISPA General List" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [WISPA] IPTV -- Anyone doing it? > Jayson Baker wrote: >> Building the headend isn't that difficult, you're right. >> >> Ours was actually pretty simple. We used multi-channel satellite >> receivers; >> each tuned 32 channels I think. It had an ASI output. > > Thats more channels then I am even really looking to start will, unless I > can > find a 'prepackaged' setup with more. > >> >> We'd take the ASI stream, and run it into an ASI-input PCI card. Each >> card >> took 4 ASI streams, and was about $1000 each. >> >> Linux software on the server pulled each channel out of the ASI and >> converted it to MPEG 4. Cheap, easy, simple. >> >> They'd put out a multicast stream, which our network took and pushed out >> the >> fiber ring. We even had it going down some wireless links, so I could >> get >> it at my house 20 miles away. >> >> The money in the headend comes in when you by the middleware -- this you >> cannot just "roll your own" Middleware handles billing, authentication, >> licenses, guide, etc. > > I must be missing something. It seams to me that billing and > authentication are > simple and can be handled by the system that I pretty much have in place > now. I > am not sure what licenses such software would need to deal with. A guide > is > pretty easy too, unless there is some form of 'Intellectual Property' BS > going > on with rolling your own guide capabilities. > >> >> >> Making deals with companies to rebroadcast their channels is going to be >> another major hurdle. Unless you are big (i.e. have $$$) don't think >> you'll >> be carrying anything in the Disney/ESPN/ABC family. And forget about >> HBO. >> You'll need a fancy (i.e. $$$) lawyer who has been down this road before >> to >> negotiate these deals. When we set ours up, we hired a lawyer away from >> Comcast. After everything was in place, he went on to other things. > > Yea thats what I figured. >> >> >> Echostar has an IPTV solution, you may want to look into that. AFAIK, >> you >> pay them for everything, and they handle it all. Their feed, their >> headend, >> their encoders, their middleware, their STB's. One nice thing about that >> is >> it's the same DISH Network interface a lot of satellite users are already >> used to. > > What I have looked into with them is they have a "may not cross public > right of > way" clause making is useless for anything except MDU's, or is that only > with > dish network label setups? Will check it out. > > >> >> >> On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 9:16 AM, [email protected] >> <[email protected] >>> wrote: >> >>> Thats the problem, if I had 50K sitting around for gear, I would not be >>> putting >>> it into TV (well, maybe I would be, but more BW, more towers, faster >>> clients, >>> etc come to mind sooner). >>> >>> I can build a head end for far far less then that, If I stuck to the >>> free >>> channels or made my won deals with each channel. There are 1000's (well, >>> close) >>> of free to air channels out there. Some even give explicit permission to >>> rebroadcast the channel, as long as you notify them etc. I was hoping to >>> find a >>> place that would let me purchase channels X, Y, and Z, etc. The locals >>> are >>> easy >>> enough to deal with. So, Looks like I will need to do my own head end, >>> no >>> biggie >>> over all. Who do I talk to about licensing? I knwo some channels are >>> direct, >>> some are not. Is there a list? And, can a person who already has a >>> license >>> sub-license to me? Like MDU style? I know Charter does that, if you have >>> enough >>> people (IE I suspect enough money) If I could sublet off of a existing >>> licensee >>> and do my own IP transport, that would work out pretty well. Anyone have >>> a >>> license contract they can share? (most seam to have some NDA stuffs) >>> >>> [email protected] wrote: >>>> When we looked into Avail Media, it was a $500,000 investment to start >>>> if I remember correctly. (Headend, set top boxes, etc.) >>>> >>>> On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 10:06 AM, Jayson Baker <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>>>> Have a look at Avail Media. We used them in the past for an FTTH >>> project I >>>>> was involved in. >>>>> They will provide you the headend, and satellite feeds from their >>>>> super-headend (aggregator). >>>>> They work with the networks and it makes licensing and such a little >>> easier. >>>>> On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 7:44 AM, [email protected] < >>> [email protected] >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>> I have been looking at some IPTV options and basically, there does >>>>>> not >>> seam >>>>>> to >>>>>> be a whole lot of options. I can A) build my own IP headend B) nada . >>> I >>>>>> can not >>>>>> find a single IPTV provider that truly caters to the resident, soho, >>> etc. >>>>>> There >>>>>> is one that does so for huge cable op's but thats not where I am at, >>> yet =) >>>>>> I can build my own head end no problem. Licensing is the primary >>>>>> issues >>>>>> there. I >>>>>> am guessing that is what is stopping the explosion of retail IPTV and >>>>>> instead >>>>>> pushing the more a la carte IP video streamers like NetFlix, HuLu, et >>> al. >>>>>> So, what options exist for IPTV ? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>>> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >>>>>> http://signup.wispa.org/ >>>>>> >>>>>> >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>>> WISPA Wireless List: [email protected] >>>>>> >>>>>> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >>>>>> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >>>>>> >>>>>> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >>>>>> >>>>> >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>> WISPA Wants You! 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