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HGI sets out business requirements for media gateway

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Sanghamitra Kar
New Update

BANGALORE, INDIA: HGI, which delivers IP services has set out new Broadband Service Provider (BSP) business requirements for a Media Gateway.

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The Media Gateway builds on the Home Gateway, adding functions. It has storage capabilities to support services like time-shifting and adds new functions such as media adaptation and media distribution, as well as eliminating the need for numerous set-top boxes, therefore reducing power consumption.

BWR040 has been released in answer to the explosion of data in the home and the assumption that as users collect more devices they will expect and demand complete flexibility in using different services on whatever device they choose.

The document aims to assist the BSP business-developer in identifying the potential benefit of such a Media Gateway and the optimum disposition of the various functional elements involved.

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If realised, the Media Gateway will enable end-users to seamlessly add different devices of different types to their system while maintaining the same user experience. It will also address the potential problem of incompatibility between content format and device capability. Interworking with cloud features is also looked at.

The document looks at five different use cases of the Media Gateway - the consumption of premium content on portable devices, particularly mobiles; a home based Personal Video Recorder that serves all devices; a ‘Follow Me' service, allowing users to suspend the content stream and pick it up again on any device, in or outside the home; extending remote control using non-dedicated devices; and a ‘home cloud'.

Philippe Calvet, head of HGI's Business Group, said: "Today's broadband consumers expect a very sophisticated media viewing experience on all their connected devices. The HGI Business Group has taken an important step forward with BWR040 in documenting the main use cases that would motivate service providers to migrate to a more central, Media Gateway-based architecture in the home. HGI will continue to focus on the architecture alternatives and help its members to chart the architecture of the future broadband home, in the media, smart home, and other service areas."

 

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