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Mixed Signals, the leading provider of digital content monitoring solutions, today announced that its Sentry® and Medius™ digital content monitoring solutions are being used by Cablevision du Nord, a Canadian cable television operator based in Québec, to ensure that subscribers enjoy the best possible viewing experience. 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 is the latest cable operator to deploy Sentry, joining nine of the top 10 U.S. operators and three of the top five Canadian operators.

Cablevision chose Mixed Signals Sentry for its ability to comprehensively monitor their digital video network and catch any potential service-affecting issues. Sentry’s unique ability to identify and diagnose errors enables Cablevision to quickly repair errors, 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,” said Mr. John Colton, General Manager for Cablevision du Nord.  “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,” said Mr. 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.”

About Mixed Signals
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’ innovative products offer unparalleled visibility into video streams and digital services in real time. The Company’s products are known for their ease of use and deliver critical intelligence about overall network transport stream behavior, trending analyses, and actionable alerts when anomalies are detected. More than any other product on the market today, 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.

For more information visit www.mixedsignals.com or call 310.227.8620.

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Mixed Signals, the leading provider of digital content monitoring solutions, today announced that it has added significant new reporting and analysis features to its award-winning Sentry® digital content monitoring solution that enable video service providers to track, isolate and repair even the most complex video and audio errors in their programming. Mixed Signals is demonstrating Sentry’s new Reason Codes capability in its booth (714) at this week’s Canadian Summit of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) in Toronto.

Reason Codes are an enhancement to Mixed Signals’ state-of-the-art Audio and Video QoE Scoring System – which accurately gauges the severity of errors – and provide added detail to show the causes of impairment behind a particular quality of experience (QoE) score. The combination of Reason Codes together with Sentry’s unprecedented ability to detect video and audio quality errors gives service providers a more complete picture of particularly complex and recurring QoE issues, which enables more accurate and quicker diagnoses and repairs.

“We continue to listen to our customers to provide the capabilities and tools they need to zero-in on even the most complex video and audio quality errors,” said Eric Conley, CEO of Mixed Signals. “Sentry’s new Reason Codes are the latest example of our commitment to adding new features and functionality to Sentry to keep it the most advanced and comprehensive solution for ensuring that service providers deliver their programming with best possible quality while keeping operational costs low.”

Sentry’s Reason Codes will be available in an upcoming software update that will support already deployed Sentrys and will come standard with new models.

About Sentry

Mixed Signals’ award-winning Sentry is a comprehensive and scalable monitoring solution that uniquely enables video service providers to better manage their networks to deliver services with optimum quality and to reduce their operational expenses. Sentry identifies anomalies in the network at the IP and MPEG layers, as well as in QoE, identifying hundreds of issues, including video freeze, video black and the loss of audio, which represent the bulk of trouble calls from subscribers.  Sentry’s single rack unit (RU) appliance ensures easy deployment in even the smallest hubs and its ability to be remotely managed eliminates the need for technicians to service Sentrys installed in remote locations.

Sentry is in widespread use with top tier video service providers, including the top nine U.S cable operators, three of the top five Canadian cable operators and other providers all over the globe.

Complementing its sales success, Sentry’s advanced capabilities and market-leading performance have been recognized with seven industry awards.

About Mixed Signals
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’ innovative products offer unparalleled visibility into video streams and digital services in real time. The Company’s products are known for their ease of use and deliver critical intelligence about overall network transport stream behavior, trending analyses, and actionable alerts when anomalies are detected. More than any other product on the market today, 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.

For more information visit www.mixedsignals.com or call 310.227.8620.

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Mixed Signals, the leading provider of digital content monitoring solutions, announced today that Network Products Guide, the industry’s leading information technology research and advisory guide has named Mixed Signals’ Sentry® a winner of the 2010 Product Innovation Awards for the second year in a row.  This annually venerated award recognizes and honors vendors, large and small, from all over the world with innovative and groundbreaking products that are bringing essential and incremental changes and are setting the bar higher for others in all areas of information technology.

For the second year running Sentry won the ‘Test, Measurement and Monitoring’ category.  This win continues Sentry’s 2009 winning streak in which it received five awards recognizing its advanced capabilities that enable video service providers to detect and diagnose video and audio errors that can ruin viewers’ quality of experience (QoE).

“Innovation is not just about new products alone,” says Rake Narang, editor-in-chief at Network Products Guide. “To succeed companies need to see innovation not as a onetime errand but as something that has to be continuously evolved and improved upon over and over again. This requires putting greater focus on customer needs and making innovation the center of the company’s way of developing better solutions. Innovative products such as Sentry are bringing crucial improvements in the field of digital content monitoring.”

Complementing its awards successes, Mixed Signals achieved a stellar 2009 with a year-over-year revenue increase of 115 percent in a difficult economy.  Mixed Signals’ customer base has grown to include the top 9 U.S cable operators, 3 of the top 5 Canadian operators in addition to key customers all over the globe.

“Our ongoing commitment to product innovation and introducing cutting edge features and capabilities to our products is why they continually receive industry accolades like the Network Products Guide Innovation Award in back-to-back years,” said Eric Conley, CEO of Mixed Signals.  “We continue to build the best products in the space, which adds tremendous value to our customers every day.  Our success is ultimately reflective of our ability to improve the success of our customers.”

Mixed Signals’ products make up the industry’s most comprehensive content monitoring solution, giving video service providers unparalleled visibility into network anomalies at the IP and MPEG layers to quickly identify and repair even the most complex video and audio errors.  Mixed Signals released several new products in 2009, which enable service providers to achieve significant cost reductions and ensure their viewers enjoy an optimal QoE.

About Network Products Guide Awards

As industry’s leading technology research and advisory guide, Network Products Guide from Silicon Valley plays a vital role in keeping decision makers and end-users informed of the choices they can make in all areas of information technology. You will discover a wealth of information and tools in this guide including the best products and services, roadmaps, industry directions, technology advancements and independent product evaluations that facilitate in making the most pertinent technology decisions impacting business and personal goals. The guide follows conscientious research methodologies developed and enhanced by industry experts. To learn more, visit www.networkproductsguide.com

About Mixed Signals
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’ innovative products offer unparalleled visibility into video streams and digital services in real time. The Company’s products are known for their ease of use and deliver critical intelligence about overall network transport stream behavior, trending analyses, and actionable alerts when anomalies are detected. More than any other product on the market today, 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.

For more information visit www.mixedsignals.com or call 310.227.8620.

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Mixed Signals, the leading provider of digital content monitoring solutions, will demonstrate the advanced audio monitoring capabilities of its award-winning Sentry® digital content monitoring solution at next week’s annual Winter Conference of CableLabs®, the research and development consortium for the cable television industry. Mixed Signals worked closely with major television industry leaders to create its audio monitoring solution, which enables service providers and broadcasters to identify loudness issues in programming and commercials, giving them the critical information necessary to quickly fix dramatic volume changes that occur during channel changes and when commercials run.

Sentry’s new audio monitoring capabilities are particularly timely as legislation before Congress will require video service providers to ensure that ads be no louder than the programs they accompany. The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act has already been approved by the House of Representatives and is now with the Senate, where passage is expected. Unless the industry can implement a viable solution for addressing loud commercials, it is feared that Congress will task the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with specifying a solution that operators must adopt regardless of cost or complexity.

Mixed Signals has upgraded Sentry specifically for monitoring audio level issues in the multi-channel cable environment. Complementing its existing ability to continually monitor hundreds of channels simultaneously, Sentry now supports the ITU-R BS.1770 audio specification for monitoring program loudness. Developed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the BS.1770 specification is shortly expected to be adopted by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) here in the U.S., which in turn will lead to its use by broadcasters and then cable and other multi-channel video service providers. Operators already using Sentrys can easily add support for BS.1770 via a software upgrade.

“The first step in ensuring that commercials air at the same volume as the programs they accompany is to actually identify overly loud commercials, which can be a daunting task for service providers who deliver hundreds if not thousands of channels of programming,” said Eric Conley, CEO of Mixed Signals. “Sentry gives operators the capabilities they need to find the loud commercials in all of their programming and to do so in a cost-effective and scalable fashion.”

About Sentry
Sentry is a comprehensive content monitoring solution for cable, telecom, IPTV and other video service providers. Sentry enables the early detection, diagnosis and repair of video and audio errors (i.e., video freeze, macro-blocking, loss of audio, etc.) whenever or wherever they occur in the network, so service providers can deliver services with excellent quality, thus ensuring an optimal quality of experience (QoE) for subscribers. Sentry accomplishes this through its unique combination of unprecedented visibility into network anomalies at the IP and MPEG layers, scalability to monitor every program in the network and its real-time, 24/7 operation. Sentry is proven in deployments with service providers worldwide, including nine of the top 10 U.S. cable operators.

About Mixed Signals
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’ innovative products offer unparalleled visibility into video streams and digital services in real time. The Company’s products are known for their ease of use and deliver critical intelligence about overall network transport stream behavior, trending analyses, and actionable alerts when anomalies are detected. More than any other product on the market today, 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.

For more information visit www.mixedsignals.com or call 310.227.8620.

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Mixed Signals, the leading provider of digital content monitoring solutions, today announced that its flagship product Sentry® has been selected as a finalist in Test & Measurement World magazine’s 2010 “Best in Test” awards which recognize the most important and innovative new products and services in the electronics test and measurement industry. Each year, the magazine’s editors choose finalists in a variety of categories and enlist readers to vote for their favorites in order to determine the winners. Sentry is one of six finalists in the “Audio/Video and Multimedia” category.

Mixed Signals’ Sentry is a complete content monitoring solution that enables cable operators, satellite providers and telecom carriers to catch and eliminate video and audio errors in the TV services they deliver. Sentry’s ability to quickly detect, identify and localize errors anywhere in the network enables video service providers to ‘zero in’ on the underlying issues quickly, thus dramatically reducing diagnosis and repair times. The result is a superior Quality of Experience (QoE) for subscribers, which helps video service providers to both attract and retain customers.

“Sentry continues to be recognized as the industry’s most advanced content monitoring solution, having this past year alone been honored with six best in class awards and currently being deployed with nine of the top 10 U.S. cable operators,” said Eric Conley, CEO of Mixed Signals. “While this is a testament to Sentry’s prowess in the industry, it’s also proof of our commitment as a company to innovating and advancing Sentry and our other world class video monitoring products. We are dedicated to adding new features and capabilities to Sentry that enable video service providers to deliver the most advanced television services with the best possible quality while simultaneously reducing their operating expenses.”

Sentry keeps ahead of the competition by continually adding new features and capabilities, including its latest audio monitoring upgrade that enables operators to measure the loudness of TV commercials and programs in real time. This upgrade has proven particularly important this year as Sentry is the only scalable and cost-effective monitoring solution that addresses the requirements of the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act. The CALM Act would require video service providers to ensure that commercials be no louder than the programs they accompany. The CALM Act has been passed by the House of Representatives and is currently with the Senate.

Voting is underway for this year’s Test and Measurement “Best in Test” awards and the winners will be announced in the magazine’s April 2010 issue.

About Sentry

Sentry is a comprehensive content monitoring solution for cable, telecom, IPTV and other video service providers. Sentry enables the early detection, diagnosis and repair of video and audio errors (i.e., video freeze, macro-blocking, loss of audio, etc.) whenever or wherever they occur in the network, so service providers can deliver services with excellent quality, thus ensuring an optimal quality of experience (QoE) for subscribers. Sentry accomplishes this through its unique combination of unprecedented visibility into network anomalies at the IP and MPEG layers, scalability to monitor every program in the network and its real-time, 24/7 operation. Sentry is proven in deployments with service providers worldwide, including nine of the top 10 U.S. cable operators.

About Mixed Signals

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’ innovative products offer unparalleled visibility into video streams and digital services in real time. The Company’s products are known for their ease of use and deliver critical intelligence about overall network transport stream behavior, trending analyses, and actionable alerts when anomalies are detected. More than any other product on the market today, 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.

For more information visit www.mixedsignals.com or call 310.227.8620.

Just in time for the holiday season, Talkster is offering the first 10,000 people who sign up at Talkster.com $5 in free calling credit. To participate, visit www.Talkster.com, and sign up before it’s too late. Callers should use the promo code “TALKSTER” to get their $5 in free calling credit.

With $5 in free calling credits, people can speak more than 2 hours to India, more than 4 hours to China and 5 hours to Mexico (time based on calling rates from the United States).

Under this promotion, callers get access to 50 countries with the lowest calling rates in the industry. Current Free World Dialing customers will enjoy access to new calling areas through this partnership, including Brazil, Japan, South Africa, and Pakistan.

“Talkster understands the holidays are the time of year when connecting with friends and family, especially those away from home, is important to all of us,” said James Wanless, COO of Talkster. “This special holiday offer gives our customers even more to celebrate. With international calling rates as little as .08 cents a minute to call places like Thailand, we are making the whole world that much closer. People can talk for as long as they want without worrying about being hit with a huge phone bill.”

For more information visit Talkster at www.Talkster.com.

About Rebtel
Rebtel makes it possible to call any phone, anywhere in the world, for just cents per minute. Rebtel services can be used with any phone – landline or mobile. There is no charge to set up an account. No contract. No monthly fees. No connection fees. No hidden costs. Anyone may make a free five minute call to test the service. Thereafter, customers only pay for the minutes they use. Free Calls between more than 50 counties served by Rebtel are always free and only one of the two people on a call have to be a Rebtel customer.

About Talkster
Talkster is revolutionizing communications with award-winning ad-supported and software-based technologies. Through its Free World Dialing™ service and talki™ mobile application Talkster is giving consumers highly affordable alternatives to long distance and international calling, plus text and picture messaging. Talkster’s talki white label application allows companies to create new opportunities for revenue and marketing by offering customers compelling services delivered through a branded mobile interface. From your mobile phone visit http://m.talki.me to download talki. For more information visit Talkster at www.Talki.me.

Aicent Inc. (www.aicent.com) announced today that its mBridge MMS virtual delivery service has been chosen as the Best Operator Software for application or service delivery in the eighth annual Mobile Star Awards™ program, hosted by mobile technology news portal MobileVillage.com.

As in past years, the Mobile Star Awards program showcases “best of” entries in dozens of categories including mobile apps, enterprise mobile software, wireless network products, enterprise success stories, and mobile industry visionaries.

mBridge MMS Virtual Delivery enables mobile operators worldwide to offer subscribers a seamless method to easily send multimedia messages to any non-MMS enabled phone anywhere. mBridge works by allowing the recipient to download and reply to incoming MMS messages directly from the mobile phone, allowing subscribers the ability to reach anyone in the mobile world regardless of networks or technology.

mBridge version 2.0, released in January this year, has been deployed by over 30 tier one mobile operators around the world including the largest GSM operators in China, North America and India. In its first year of operation the virtual delivery service has increased message volume by more than 80 percent from Q2 to Q3 2009.

“Winning a Mobile Star award is further proof that mBridge is an important service, and further validates our innovation and overall success at offering the most advanced products for MMS and SMS delivery on the market,” said MK Chang, vice president of product marketing at Aicent. “Unlike similar products, mBridge enables mobile operators to instantly offer worldwide reach for successful MMS delivery, a service their subscribers are increasingly using. By allowing subscribers to deliver messages globally, mobile operators can increase user satisfaction while they expand revenue through MMS service growth.”

Winners were chosen by subscribers of MobileVillage’s Go Mobile™ – a free e-newsletter that delivers headlines and links from top mobile technology stories on popular websites such as CNET, Engadget, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Computerworld, AppScout, and others. “Go Mobile” was launched nearly 10 years ago and is now published every three weeks for thousands of readers.

“Aicent’s mBridge meets a very real and growing demand for seamless MMS delivery,” said Jon Covington, MobileVillage founder and president. “Our ‘Go Mobile’ readers clearly saw the importance of offering successful MMS delivery and because our readers are savvy mobile business users and vote based on results, not hype, it’s clear that Aicent is a market leader and company to watch in 2010.”

In addition to MobileVillage, the Sponsors for the 2009 Mobile Star Awards were Clickatell, Funambol, MobileFrame, Nadel Phelan, OnPoint Digital, and Syclo.

All categories and winners are listed on MobileVillage.com at www.mobilevillage.com/awards.htm. For more information about the annual Mobile Star Awards, visit MobileVillage.com.

About MobileVillage / PDA Inc.
Founded in 1993, MobileVillage is a market and solution development company dedicated to advancing mobile and wireless technology in a wide range of industries. MobileVillage accomplishes this by fostering education and alliances through “Best of Breed” solution identification, event partnerships, an online industry directory, industry job postings, daily online news, its widely respected Go Mobile™ newsletter, a Mobile Mentors™ program, and popular annual Mobile Star Awards™ program. Visit MobileVillage online at www.MobileVillage.com.

MobileVillage^®, the Mobile Star Awards™, and Go Mobile™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of MobileVillage / PDA Inc.

About Aicent Inc.
Serving almost 2 billion mobile users around the world, Aicent Inc. is a leading provider of network infrastructure, interworking and roaming services for mobile operators globally. Aicent currently operates one of the world’s largest 3G/GPRS roaming network and messaging exchanges, counting over 150 mobile operators on a single network, including four of the world’s five largest. Through extensive peering and interconnect arrangements, the Aicent network reaches over 700 mobile operators globally, providing its customers with integrated mobile messaging services, including one of the world’s first and largest multimedia messaging exchanges, and offers other value-added services to help carriers maximize revenue opportunities. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in San Jose, Calif., Aicent has regional offices in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. For more information, please visit: www.aicent.com.

Mixed Signals, Inc., the leading provider of digital content monitoring solutions, is demonstrating the upgraded audio monitoring capabilities of its award-winning Sentry® digital content monitoring solution here at Cable-Tec Expo 2009 in the company’s booth #16043.  Mixed Signals worked closely with major cable television industry leaders to create a solution that enables cable operators to identify audio volume issues in programming and commercials, giving them the critical information necessary to quickly fix dramatic volume changes that occur during channel changes and when commercials run.

At the heart of the advanced solution is Mixed Signals’ award-winning Sentry which now supports the ITU-R BS.1770 audio specification for measuring the loudness of video programs. As overly loud commercials have become particularly problematic, proposed legislation is now before Congress that would require video service providers to address this pressing issue. The Commercial Advertising Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act would require video service providers to ensure that commercials not be any louder than the average volume of the programs they accompany.

“We understand the irritation from both cable operators as well as subscribers when it comes to loud commercials interrupting an otherwise enjoyable television experience – which is why we have upgraded Sentry to help solve this frustration, especially as new legislation regarding this issue is progressing quickly, ” said Eric Conley, CEO of Mixed Signals. “Our number one priority is to make sure cable operators have the tools they need to catch these service affecting issues, which is why Sentry’s upgrade enables operators to cost-effectively monitor their entire programming line-up in a scalable way that identifies loudness issues immediately when they occur.”

Developed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the BS.1770 specification is shortly expected to be adopted by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) here in the U.S., which in turn will lead to its use by broadcasters and then cable and other multi-channel video service providers.  Service providers with Sentrys already deployed in their networks can easily add support for BS.1770 via a software upgrade.

About Sentry
Sentry is a comprehensive content monitoring solution for cable, telecom, IPTV and other video service providers. Sentry enables the early detection, diagnosis and repair of video and audio errors (i.e., video freeze, macro-blocking, loss of audio, etc.) whenever or wherever they occur in the network, so service providers can deliver services with excellent quality, thus ensuring an optimal quality of experience (QoE) for subscribers.  Sentry accomplishes this through its unique combination of unprecedented visibility into network anomalies at the IP and MPEG layers, scalability to monitor every program in the network and its real-time, 24/7 operation.  Sentry is proven in deployments with service providers worldwide, including nine of the top 10 U.S. cable operators.

About Mixed Signals
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’ innovative products offer unparalleled visibility into video streams and digital services in real time. The Company’s products are known for their ease of use and deliver critical intelligence about overall network transport stream behavior, trending analyses, and actionable alerts when anomalies are detected. More than any other product on the market today, 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.

For more information visit www.mixedsignals.com or call 310.227.8620.

Here at Cable-Tec Expo, RGB Networks, the leader in network video processing, is demonstrating the latest addition to its Video Multiprocessing Gateway (VMG) product line, the VMG-6, which it introduced today. Like the larger VMG-14, the new VMG-6 is a carrier-class, chassis-based platform that provides an array of digital video solutions for service providers as it can perform multiple advanced video processing functions on both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4/H.264 video streams, including transrating, ad insertion, statistical multiplexing and transcoding. The five rack unit VMG-6 is ideally suited for operators that require a smaller form factor chassis for deployment in hubs, whereas the 13 rack unit VMG-14 is better suited to headends.

The ability of the VMG-6 to transcode MPEG-4/H.264 programs into MPEG-2 utilizes RGB’s recently announced content repurposing technology, and is particularly timely for cable operators as programmers increasingly deliver their content in MPEG-4/H.264. Though first generation, single-channel, “pizza box” transcoders work for the few programs currently delivered in MPEG-4/H.264, they will be far too costly and operationally inefficient once most programs are in MPEG-4/H.264. Additionally, integrated transcoders in satellite receivers lack the high availability, redundancy and networking flexibility of the all-IP VMG. The VMG-6’s ability to transcode an unprecedented number of streams drastically improves workflow and reduces operational expenditures while enabling operators to cost-effectively convert an entire MPEG-4/H.264 channel line-up into the MPEG-2 format that their networks support. In addition, the VMG’s content repurposing technology prepares operators for future “three screen” delivery.

“RGB is committed to providing customers with the widest range of video processing solutions to meet their unique requirements and applications. With the addition of the VMG-6 we offer a scalable, carrier-class solution that ideally complements our already proven single rack unit products, each addressing a different set of needs,” said Ramin Farassat, RGB Networks’ Vice President of Product Marketing. “Furthermore, the VMG-6 is our latest solution for content repurposing, which enables operators to process multiple video streams from different sources and deliver them seamlessly and simultaneously to TVs, PCs and mobile devices in real time and optimized for viewing on each platform.”

Cable operators – and their competitors – are all racing to deliver their programming to TVs, PCs and mobile devices simultaneously, but implementing a multi-device service in a cost-effective and scalable manner has been elusive. The VMG-14 and VMG-6 address this challenge with their ability to transcode and process an unprecedented number of streams in real time, while simultaneously performing a number of other functions, including aggregation, grooming, replication, transrating and ad insertion, all within the same platform. This ultra-high-density, integrated approach of RGB’s content repurposing technology offers operators a scalable solution, allowing multiple video processing functions to be applied to each stream in real time, as needed, to prepare the video for its intended receiving device.

The high-density VMG-6 can accommodate up to six modules that perform a variety of advanced video processing functions. The integration of these modules within a single chassis provides a unique solution with very high reliability due to its full intra-chassis redundancy capabilities. The VMG-6 utilizes the same application modules as the VMG-14, thereby providing operational cost savings and flexibility in deploying both platforms at various network locations, based on the applications and capacity requirements.

Cable-Tec Demonstration
At its Cable-Tec Expo booth (#15059) RGB will demonstrate key functionality of the VMG, including transcoding from MPEG-4/H.264 to MPEG-2, MPEG-4/H.264 ad insertion and statistical multiplexing of MPEG-2 and MPEG-4/H.264 streams. RGB will highlight how this integrated platform approach to video processing reduces operational complexity and allows for the seamless deployment of a variety of applications with easy, license-based upgrading and scalable, pay-as-you-grow expansion of services.

About RGB Networks
RGB Networks is revolutionizing video, delivering leading-edge video processing solutions that address the complexities of the changing video delivery model. With advanced solutions for bandwidth optimization, content repurposing and addressable advertising, RGB’s products enable operators to deliver the next generation of highly personalized video services, which are relevant to individual subscribers and delivered anytime to any device. The company’s products are based on its unique Video Intelligence Architecture™ (VIA), enabling them to process an unprecedented number of video streams with the highest video quality. RGB’s scalable solutions dramatically reduce the cost to deliver both broadcast and unicast services, and help operators maximize their existing network infrastructure. More than 7,000 RGB products are deployed in the field by over 170 service providers in 25 countries worldwide. Learn more at www.rgbnetworks.com.

Mixed Signals, Inc., the leading provider of digital content monitoring solutions, today announced that its flagship product Sentry® has received a coveted Four Diamond ranking in Broadband Gear Report’s 2009 Diamond Technology Reviews, which recognize the most advanced products and solutions for the cable television industry.  This marks the third consecutive year that Sentry has received four or more Diamonds in this respected product reviews program.

Mixed Signals’ Sentry is a content monitoring solution that enables cable operators, satellite providers and telecom carriers to catch and eliminate video and audio errors in the TV services they deliver, thus ensuring that viewers enjoy an exceptional quality of experience (QoE).  This year, the Diamond Technology Reviews panel recognized Sentry for its new Audio and Video QoE Scoring System, which allows service providers to accurately determine the severity of video and audio glitches as they occur and how much these errors affect viewers’ QoE.

“Sentry’s QoE scoring system addresses an important issue for us. We comprehensively monitor our programming and act on alerts critical to the customer experience,” said Keith Hayes, Vice President, Network Operations and Engineering Services at Charter Communications, Inc. “This new audio and video scoring helps us ensure that our customers enjoy the best possible experience.”

“Receiving a stellar ranking for three years in a row clearly shows that industry experts recognize the advancements we’re making in video monitoring, in particular new groundbreaking Audio and Video QoE Scoring System,” said Eric Conley, CEO of Mixed Signals. “Video service providers are continually offering more high definition TV, video-on-demand and other advanced services, and we are committed to adding new features and capabilities to Sentry that enable video service providers to deliver these services with the best possible quality while reducing operating expenses.”

Sentry’s Audio and Video QoE Scoring System takes into account human visual and auditory responses to gauge a subscriber’s frustration level over video and audio impairments. The real-time, 24/7 system detects, tracks and reports serious video errors, such as video tiling, black and frozen screen, simultaneously in literally hundreds of compressed HD and SD programs. This unparalleled analysis allows service providers to determine the errors that require immediate attention to preserve subscriber satisfaction.

“The Diamonds judges that reviewed this solution were extremely impressed by the enhancements Mixed Signals has made to its Sentry product. They applauded the company’s work to consistently go farther than a simple evaluation of bits in error or transmission errors, and to evaluate final video quality as perceived by the subscriber — which is ultimate quality standard that the industry must meet,” Laura Hamilton, editor-in-chief at Broadband Gear Report says.

The Broadband Gear Report’s Diamond Technology Reviews, launched in 2005, seek to provide an unbiased technology review program within the broadband community- utilizing a distinguished panel of engineering executives from major MSOs to review each submission. The 2009 top Diamond Technology rankings will be announced in a special feature article during this year’s SCTE Cable-Tec Expo in Denver.

About Broadband Gear Report
Broadband Gear Report (BGR), celebrating its 5th anniversary in 2009, is the cable and telecom industry’s premier source for product and technology news and is the most successful and fastest growing online outlet for product information and deployments; reviews and rankings; technology expertise; and buyer/seller facilitation. BGR’s portfolio includes online, print and video assets, all designed to help network operators build, upgrade and maintain high-performance communications networks. BGR, backed by over 70 years of combined industry experience, delivers its email, online, print and video production services to over 20,000 subscribers. To subscribe, consult www.broadbandgear.net/sub.cfm.

BGR is owned by Hermes Media & Research, LLC, which also publishes Telecom Company TV (www.telecomcompanytv.com)

About Mixed Signals
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’ innovative products offer unparalleled visibility into video streams and digital services in real time. The Company’s products are known for their ease of use and deliver critical intelligence about overall network transport stream behavior, trending analyses, and actionable alerts when anomalies are detected. More than any other product on the market today, 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.

For more information visit www.mixedsignals.com or call 310.227.8620.