United States 800 654 2823 United Kingdom +44 (0) 1635 878181 Germany +49 (0) 8914 98930 Japan +81 (0)45 470 0631 China +86 21 28903028 www.ncube.com back cover cover 2001 ncube. All brand or product names are trademarks of their respective holders.
ADVeRTISING INSeRTION Meeting today s needs and tomorrow s challenges. The world is changing. New media opportunities for advertising, such as the Internet, are rapidly becoming mainstream in the advertising world. Traditional broadcast services are stumbling, and digital cable has finally become a reality. The old rules no longer apply to media buying from advertising agencies and media buyers. 1101010100101101100101000101000101110101100010010101010010110101101010101011011100110001001010101110101100101010111010010010110101001010111010101110010100101001000101011101000100100 which interfaces with a Unix The headquarters software manages job is complete. Cable TV operators face important internal issues and decisions as they embrace this new frontier. As digital cable matures, you ll need a digital ad insertion system that has the technical capabilities to handle digital-toanalog, digital-to-digital streaming, and HDTV. And you ll want to make changes to your current operations prudently, making decisions to upgrade your system with careful investments in the right technology. That s where ncube, formerly known as SkyConnect, enters the picture. We blend traditional digital-analog systems with our Digital Program Insertion (DPI) solution. This gives you capabilities and power that are unmatched by any other ad insertion system in the industry. You can insert advertising into both the analog and digital streams simultaneously using a single server and a single copy of each ad. What s more, our systems are scalable to over 80 channels from one server, minimizing the amount of equipment to maintain and operate. If you already have an ncube system in place, the path to upgrading to digital is much easier than the complete rebuild required with our competitors products. And if you re not using our platform, consider ncube before making yet another expensive upgrade to your current system. We have great trade-up to ncube programs to get you out of the cycle of planned obsolescence. ncube ad insertion systems are scalable, economical, and built for longevity. We think you ll find the ncube solution has the power, functionality, and rock-solid reliability to handle your most sophisticated needs at a fair investment. ncube s customers are among the world s largest cable television, streaming media, and telephone companies. Our digital ad insertion systems were designed for immortality right from the start. Our hardware is as robust as you can get. At the core of our system is Compaq s worldclass 64-bit AlphaServer. Our software interface is a Windows NT front-end client operating platform on the AlphaServer. This gives you the absolute best of both worlds the ease of Windows NT for management and the outstanding reliability the Unix platform for the overall operation of your system. The architecture of our system makes it the easiest to use, manage, and upgrade in the industry. THe ncube DIFFeReNCe The Headquarters system. Our Headquarters system was engineered from the start for outstanding performance. This allows you to spend your time managing your ad sales operation rather than maintaining your equipment. We re here to relieve stress, not create it. Our system uses a push technology, which allows you to manage your entire operation from one central location through logical, intuitive steps and tools. your spot library and your schedules in a single Oracle database using our own SkyVision management software. SkyVision automates the importation and distribution of schedules and spot files, and verifies log retrieval to and from headends, all while retrieving pertinent real-time information on remote activity. It s simplicity itself: your database and administration are managed and located at one central location. OPeRATIONS CeNTeR Future upgrades of system software are painless. Because you re networked from a central Headquarters, with ncube you make one upgrade and the Best of all, one ncube Headquarters system can manage 75 headends from a single server. That s less rack space, fewer networked components and moving parts, less demands on power than any other system in the world. HeADeND INSeRTION UNIT MDS-420 101011010010111010111000101001100010101101000100101010101101010101000111010101101001010001010001011101011100101001010010001010111010001001010001110101010010100011101010101110111011 SkyVision HQ Server Source Deck, TBC, Waveform Monitor and Mixer Oracle Database MPEG-2 Encoder DLT or DAT Backup Compaq AS/800 ETHERNET IP Router Traffic & Billing System SkyVision Console (SVC) P U B L I C N E T W O R K T E L C O Tape for Physical Media Transfer Wegener Demod Chassis with Cards IP Router SkyVision HQ Server Compaq AS/800 MDS-410 Switch Decoder Switch Decoder MDS-480 Switch Decoder SkyVision Field Diagnostics Console (optional) Exide Prestige UPS Exide Prestige UPS Satellite Receiver (IRT) Dish Farm page one page two
DIGITAL PROGRAm INSeRTION The future of advertising is ready-to-go with our systems. Digital cable is now offered in markets around the world. As consumers adopt it, installing an advertising insertion system for your digital networks will soon offer an irresistible return on investment. An ncube system is the clear choice. New and existing ncube Headend Insertion Units, utilizing Compaq AlphaServers, can be easily upgraded to support Digital Program Insertion. By adding stream and storage capacity where needed, along with a DVB interface card and a rate multiplexer, existing hardware investments can be preserved. 1101010100101101100101000101000101110101100010010101010010110101101010101011011100110001001010101110101100101010111010010010110101001010111010101110010100101001000101011101000100100 ncube customers are able to Another rack of equipment, with ncube s standard digital-to-analog ad insertion product line installed today in hundreds of sites comes ready with a simple upgrade path to digital-to-digital insertion. We call this Digital Program Insertion (DPI). In fact, all ncube systems we ve installed for the past five years are capable of upgrading to full DPI capabilities within their channel capacity. SINGLe SeRVeR DIGITAL PROGRAm INSeRTION SOLUTION DTMF Tone Demodulator DTMF Cue Tones Analog NTSC/PAL Analog Network with Ads Inserted An upgrade vs. an entire system. maximize the capabilities of their existing hardware without duplicating hardware or content. The advantages to this simple upgrade are numerous. You have one server that handles all your ad insertion, both digital-to-analog and digital-to-digital. You have one set of content, your digitized, encoded spots. And you have one interface that controls everything. Compare this to what the other guys are offering: a new system. This won t be a replacement for your current equipment, either. With our competitors, you ll need a whole new system in addition to the hardware you re currently running. Another server. Another set of hard drives, with duplicate copies of your advertising spots. power requirements, heat generation, and potential for failure. Not to mention the floor space. ncube MDS Decoder/Switch Decision-making time has arrived. Satellite Receive Site Satellite Receiver (IRT) Satellite Receiver (IRT) DVB/ASI or DHEI A look at ncube technology combining satellite delivery, digital-to-analog insertion, digital-to-digital insertion (DPI), and remote headends. MPEG-2 Content via DVB MPTS MPEG-2 Content via SCSI Video Server Statistical Re-Multiplexer Ethernet w/ tone data RAID-5 Storage for MPEG-2 Content Digital Multiplex with Ads Inserted RF Combiner Video QAM Modulator/Upconverter Customer's Home If you re already running an ncube ad insertion system, congratulations. Your upgrade path to DPI is pain-free. If you re running a different ad insertion system, you re faced with a more difficult choice. The equipment you now own simply won t do the job. No matter which vendor you choose, you ll be purchasing an entirely new system to implement digital-into-digital ad insertion. Make the right decision. It s a solution that s built to handle all your needs from the very beginning. It s ready today, tomorrow, and for the future. 110101010010111010111000101001100010101101000100101010101101010101000111010101101001010001010001011101011100101001010010001010111010001001010001110101010010100011101010101110111011 The ncube DPI solution is, pound-for-pound, the most technically advanced and stable platform for ad insertion in the business. page three page four
SKYVISION management SYSTem SOFTWARe The management software that gives you complete control. SkyVision is a client-server application combining the user-friendly Windows NT environment with the power of Compaq s 64-bit AlphaServer, Oracle database software and a Compaq SkyVision Software can import ad insertion schedules from all popular Traffic & Billing Software Packages. You can make changes to schedules nearly instantaneously with drag and SKYVISION FEATURES USER INTERFACE System options allow users to load Microsoft Windows Point-n-Click Graphical User Interface (GUI) for easy access to system information. System View Window allows you to view the overall system via a tree structure. Toolbar instant point-n-click access to the most commonly used tools and features. Directory/ Schedule/ Operations View detailed information on Pending Schedules, Real-time statistics, and Spot Distribution. Workbook Tabs Allows you to move quickly from one view to the next without having to open and close each view individually. drop functionality. An entire ncube system s performance can be monitored through the graphical user interface (GUI) from a single console in either real-time or on a historical Topology Management System allows our system to be customized to meet almost any type of network configuration, operational/ staffing requirement, and resource availability. MEDIA MANAGEMENT Configurable Available Storage Threshold Each Headend Insertion unit can remove spots from storage based upon their last date of use. This automatically makes storage space available for new spots while minimizing user maintenance. Event Find-n-Replace Feature All occurrences of a specific spot can be easily searched for and/or replaced quickly if a customer requests that a new or different spot be played. Centrally-controlled digital tape spot distribution Controlled from the headquarters. Other than physically plugging in the tape, no user interaction is required at the headend. TRAFFIC & BILLING Compatibility with the popular Traffic and Billing Software Packages (AdVision, CCMS, CompuLink, LAN International, Eclipse). Multiple zones can be configured within single headend insertion units. Fill and Bill data is included on the Schedule View when the system is used with most T&B Software Packages. Schedule View Schedules can be viewed globally, per zone or by channel. Manual event insertion and modification Events can be manually inserted and modified within SkyVision. This eliminates the need to modify the event in the T&B Software and then reimport the schedule to SkyVision. Spots can be distributed individually instead of in total, allowing specific spots to be expedited when timing is critical (late encoding, accidental deletion, etc.). Batch Encode The SkyVision Digital Ad Insertion System supports batch encoding of content. Automated System Operations Scheduling Spot distribution and deletion can be scheduled to occur during periods of low network use or after hours with no user intervention MONITORING AND SYSTEM ALERTS Configurable Alpha-Numeric Alert Paging SkyVision can be configured to send an alpha-numeric page to specific or multiple users based upon specific alert or error types. Real-time Monitoring Spot distribution and playback can be monitored Real-time via dedicated network connections between the ncube Operations Center and each Headend Insertion Unit. SkyVision Smart Alerts SkyVision monitors and analyzes the Schedule Import, Schedule Export and Spot Distribution processes and verifies that the data being distributed falls within logical parameters. SkyVision can be configured to automatically distribute schedules and spot inventory to one or multiple headends. It gathers verification files from headends, and then Traffic & Billing System. Flawlessly. Automatically. SkyVision includes both numeric and alphanumeric Administrator Alert Paging. It is configurable and Schedule imports, exports and verifications can be scheduled to occur at a user-definable date and time on a recurring basis. SWITCH BOX MANAGER Switch Box Manager (SBM) Allows you to monitor and finetune network and switching parameters. displays specific alert levels depending on the event. The SkyVision "Smart Alerts" feature also enables the system to notify you in advance of when a parameter THERE ARE 3 MAJOR COMPONENTS OF SKYVISION. Tru64 UNIX operating system. basis. The SkyVision Flexible exports this information to your may be exceeded. All schedules, 010101001011001010011001111001100100101000101000101110101110001001010101001011010101010001100110010010101011010010111010001011101011110001010100100101011010010001001001001010101001 1. Operations Center for ad insertion management and monitoring 2. Data network for communication and content distribution to headend insertion units. 3. Insertion Unit for ad switching and playback The Windows GUI screens give you real-time status of the whole system, with an intuitive tree-view so you can quickly observe operation details. Multi-purpose capabilities offer digital ad insertion, local origination, NVOD and PPV deployment Upgrade-ready path for future expansion into DVB-ASI outputs for MPEG-2 transport delivery Headend insertion units can be configured in multiple combinations of MDS switch decoder units, DPI hardware, and the latest StorageWorks Disk Drive & RAID controller technologies. verification logs and paging information are stored in a scalable, fault-tolerant Oracle Database. Network audio and video levels are dynamically matched with the network audio and video levels. DTMF Settings The SBM allows you to select how breaks are signaled, Contact Closure or Cue Tone. Each Cue-tone can be configured with up to four possible tones. Pre-roll and Post-black Settings settings can be adjusted in # of seconds or # of frames. Audio Level Matching (ALM) Control Audio Level Matching improves upon the AGC technology. ALM delivers a more professional, higher quality presentation of advertising content. NETWORK Data transfer rate customization Data packet size can be limitations so as to not over-burden multi-use WAN connections. Flexible topology management system Can be integrated with all popular LAN or WAN network types, and can be used to integrate multiple networks types. Connection status screen All connections can be monitored on a single status screen. Automated system operations scheduling System operations can be scheduled to occur during periods of low network usage. SkyVision Headquarters Satellite Uplink Capability the SkyVision Headquarters system can be configured to handle content and schedule distribution in a satellite uplink facility SkyVision Headend Insertion Unit Satellite Receive Site Capability the SkyVision Headend Insertion Unit can be configured to receive content from a satellite interface card or satellite receiver. Dial-up access via the Internet or direct dial-up can be used for back channel communications. Virtual Private Network (VPN) options are also available when using a public 110101010010111010010110101010100011110111000101011010001001001100011101010110100101000101000101001001010010001010111010101010100101000101010010001001011101001000100101000110110001 Individual spot distribution Detailed Spot Playback Data Automated Systems Operation tailored to suit a network s specific network for back channel com- Network Tone Distribution munications. HEADEND INSERTION UNIT SOFTWARE Content Streaming controls and manages the streaming of MPEG-2 content via SCSI to an attached Matrix Decoder Switch (MDS) on 1 or more channels. Network Switching Control controls the switching of decoded content into the network stream within the Matrix Decoder Switch (MDS) unit. Switching is frame accurate. Back to Back Playback (BBP) support capable of streaming multiple segment of content back to back with no frame shift (e.g. two 30-seconds clips can be streamed and decoded into a 60 second window with no interruption between the segments). Variable Length Content DTMF Trigger / Contact Closure Trigger / Clock Based Trigger / Manual Trigger Mid Stream Restart software will recover from a mid stream decoder error, restarting the video at the point where the failure occurred. System can be configured to deliver cue tones to headend insertion units via an IP network as a backup to local cue tone demodulation hardware. Network Time Protocol (NTP) Implementation All system clocks are synchronized to within a millisecond. page five page six
FLeXIBLe, SCALABLe, economical. Our long-standing policy of best-of-breed hardware components and software along with a single source platform can help you keep costs down with exceptional scalability. Whether you re planning the purchase of a new system, or adding to your current ncube system to increase capacity, we have a solution to fit both your needs and your budget. Technology solutions for cable systems of all shapes and sizes. COMPAQ ALPHASERVER THE MDS-410 THE MDS-480 THE ncube INTEGRATED SOLUTION The Compaq 64-bit AlphaServer provides the greatest solution on the market. It s proven technology, running mission critical applications for Fortune 500 companies, major stock exchanges and Internet service providers worldwide. Our 4-Channel unit offering 4 channels of switching and design with a new front panel LCD interface for easy onsite unit configuration and monitoring. This system is ideal for dedicated core programming network insertion, or local origination channels where maximum decoder availability is critical. DTMF and contact closure inputs and outputs are included for each channel. A 4 x 8 pooled switching and decoding matrix offers per channel digital investment. The innovative engineering design lowers the potential for spot collisions compared to 2:1 shared switching configurations. The MDS-480 is for customers who want to generate additional ad revenues on niche networks or for maximum costeffectiveness as the core of their insertion platform. ncube advertising insertion systems are built to be rock 101010100101100101001100111100110010010100010100010111010111000100101010100101101010101000110011001001010101101001011101000101110101111000101010010010101101001000100100100101010100 scalability and the highest performance of any ad insertion decoding in a 1 rack unit size. It features a single board maximum inventory accessibility while lowering the cost solid. The reliability of our hardware is well-known throughout the industry. And ncube systems are easily expandable, so you get the functionality you need today, while keeping your options open for growth. Internal sensors monitor and detect system temperature, fan failure and system status Variable fan speeds Decoder pooling allows all 4 decoders to be shared across any 8 networks 101010100101110100101101010101000111101110001010110100010010011000111010101101001010001010001010010010100100010101110101010101001010001010100100010010111010010001001010001101100010 Integrates all of the switching, audio level adjustment, adjust according to system temperature ECC (error correction code) allows recovery from most cache and memory errors Optional hot-swappable RAID-5 protected disk drives allows for the replacement of failed drives while the system continues to operate Optional 3 year on-site warranty on Compaq hardware is unmatched in the industry The system s reliability has been proven in hundreds of headends worldwide. 4-channel switch decoder unit measurement and DTMF detection into one IRU rack unit, resulting in improved system functionality and reduced space required at headend New front panel design which includes a multi-line, backlighted LCD display with 4 buttons, allowing the operator to configure and monitor from the front panel Spot audio levels are matched to the network level for a higher quality, more professional presentation (Audio Level Matching ALM) New front panel design includes a multi-line, backlit LCD display with four buttons, allowing you to configure and monitor from the front panel Can be used with any combination of MDS-410 and MDS-420 Switch Decoder Units Integrated switch decoder provides frame accurate switching, requires minimal cabling and allows economical expansion in 4 channel increments 4-48 channels in a single rack using a single server with Frame accurate switching Compaq Tru64 UNIX operating system (formerly known as Digital UNIX) Audio Level Matching (ALM), automatic gain control. Hot-swappable, redundant components Remote management and monitoring page seven page eight
ncube ADVeRTISING SOLUTIONS Features & Benefits CAPABILITIES Advertising spot delivery Long form infomercial insertion Local origination programming playback ABOUT ncube ncube s involvement with digital ad insertion begins with SkyConnect. 01010100101111011010110101010100011101010110110110101101010101010111010111000100101110101010101001001INSTALLATIONS01011010101101010101010101001010110100101011101010101001010010001110 Multiple channel platform scaling 4-48 channels Upgrade channel capacity in 4 channel increments Channels can be added using any of (3) available MDS switch decoder units for maximum system versatility Digital-into-Digital streaming BETTER CUSTOMER REACH MEANS BETTER VALUE. Capture more media dollars Keep up with rapidly changing technology Gain the competitive edge Maximize available inventory TECHNICAL SUPPORT THAT LEADS THE INDUSTRY. We provide our customers with prompt, effective and friendly technical support. We measure our success by your satisfaction. Telephone support dedicated to addressing your issues, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 15 minute maximum telephone response time for calls issued through the technical support hotline during non-business hours. Over 50 years of technical support and ad insertion experience on staff. ncube technical support Web page with monthly technical tips for users. System monitoring of customer sites for early detection and remote resolution of problems following system install. Ability to remotely detect problems, troubleshoot, provide suggestions or communicate with the technical support team. Overnight shipment of spares and, if needed, a technician onsite within 24 hours. Monthly newsletter with informative tips Customers of ncube include the world s largest cable television and telephone companies, such as: Adelphia Communications Ameritech New Media AT&T Broadband and Internet Services (formerly TCI) Bell Atlantic British Telecom Charter Communications Comcast Deutsche Telekom GTE Insight Commmunications MediaOne TA Austria Telecom New Zealand Telstra Time Warner Cable SkyConnect was founded in 1992 to bring digital technology to the cable advertising business. In 1996, the company entered into an agreement with Digital Equipment Corporation to serve as the distributor of Digital s Mediaplex digital ad insertion system. In mid-1997, SkyConnect acquired the Mediaplex system application software from Digital, giving SkyConnect full control over future functionality of the software. Later that year, the company introduced SkyVision, ad insertion management software for its digital ad system. SkyConnect has extensive knowledge and experience in the integration of video server systems with cable headend operations. The company is widely recognized for providing the best technical support in the industry. In 1999, SkyConnect was acquired by ncube. Prior to the acquisition, SkyConnect functioned as a strategic partner and supplier of video server management software to ncube. Founded in 1983, ncube is the streaming infrastructure of coice for itv leaders around the globe. Broadband operators worldwide count on ncube for streaming media solutions that include broadband Video-on-Demand, IP Streaming Media, and Advertising Insertion. Together, ncube and SkyConnect have the largest installed base in the world of MPEG systems deployed in broadband environments. ncube maintains its corporate headquarters in San Francisco and engineering/ manufacturing facilities in Denver and Portland. Sales offices are located in all the major markets of Americas, Europe and Asia. 101010100101110110101101010101010101110001010011000101011010001001010101011010101010001110101011010010100010100010111010111001010010100100010101110100010010100011101010100101000111 page nine page ten