Cisco said that SES Americom is using its MPEG-4 HD encoders to launch 40 more HD channels on SES Americom’s IP-Prime IPTV service.

The Cisco MPEG AVC HD encoders, which are model D9054, are being added to the 300 Cisco SD and HD encoders already in service at IP-Prime’s Broadcast Center in Vernon Valley, New Jersey. IP-Prime.

IP-Prime is an end-to-end, turnkey entertainment distribution service that helps rural local exchange carriers (RLECs) in North America to offer SD and HD television channels to their subscribers.

Cisco's MPEG AVC encoding provides bandwidth maximization technology to support advanced services, and to aid in the launch of new or expanded customer-driven services, such as HD and VOD.

"It's clear that consumers are almost insatiable when it comes to HD, once they've seen IP-Prime’s HD channels, they want and expect more, so we are doubling our HD program offerings making our RLEC customers even more competitive in their communities," said Robert Phelan, senior vice president of product development, IP-Prime.

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