LAS VEGAS — Broadcast-quality Internet video emerged from the National Association of Broadcasters' convention this week when a group led by 3Com Corp. showed off HDTV-over-Internet Protocol multicast demos.
3Com, TeraLogic Inc. and 2netFX.com joined forces to develop technologies for transmitting a 20-Mbit/second HDTV stream over a switched IP data network. Although competitors have tried to deliver broadcast-quality video using proprietary protocols and file formats, the 3Com-led team is the first to deliver HDTV streaming over IP networks using the same digital TV standard adopted by broadcasters and the standard Real-time Transport Protocol embraced in the Internet world.
The HDTV prototype was run over an industry-standard Ethernet LAN using 3Com networking equipment and 3Com's network interface card for a desktop computer. TeraLogic's single-chip HDTV decoder board and software extracted and decoded HDTV video streams off an IP network. 3Com and 2netFX.com co-developed an HDTV-over-IP video streaming server and client software.
