Canoga Perkins Provides Replacement for the Discontinued Grass Valley Group J-Series DS-3 Codec Video System

Business Wire, Jan 12, 2004

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

CHATSWORTH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 12, 2004

Canoga Perkins, a leading supplier of Carrier Class fiber optic extension equipment, Transparent LAN Service equipment and cost effective DWDM/CWDM systems, announced that it is offering a replacement product for the discontinued Grass Valley Group J-Series DS-3 Video Codec.

The Canoga Perkins 3260 DS-3 Video Multiplexer, used in combination with the Canoga Perkins 3340 MPEG-2 Video Encoder/Decoder, is being offered as a functional replacement for the Grass Valley/Thomson discontinued J-Series DS-3 Codec video product. Grass Valley/Thomson no longer manufactures, provides repair service, technical support or product replacement options for the J-Series DS-3 Video Codec. Networks using the J-Series video equipment must develop alternative plans for their video networks since the present options for maintenance and repair of existing J-Series DS-3 products are likely to be limited and expensive.

The 3340 MPEG-2 Video Encoder/Decoder converts Baseband Composite NTSC and PAL or SDI Digital Video to Compressed Digital Video using MPEG-2. Compressed video data rates from 1.5 Mbps to 15 Mbps are supported. Available as an Encoder or Decoder module for use in the Universal Chassis System (UCS) 1000 and UCS 1001 Multi-Technology Platforms, or as an Encoder/Decoder (Codec) module for the UCS 1000 Multi-Technology Platform. The 3260 DS-3 Video Multiplexer is a four channel RS-530 to DS-3 multiplexer used to transport the output of up to four 3340 MPEG-2 Video Encoder/Decoder modules to remote locations over 44.736 Mbps T-3 lines.

The function of J-Series DS-3 Video Codec product was to transport video and audio over 44.736 Mbps DS-3 circuits. DS-3 circuits are also known as T-3 circuits. The advantage of DS-3 technology is that its high speed permits true broadcast quality video. The J-Series product encodes the video and audio from a sending site and transmits it over a DS-3 network to one or more remote sites and then decodes incoming DS-3 signals back to video and audio signals for display in Videoconferencing or Distance Learning applications.

The Canoga Perkins 3260 DS-3 Video Mux, used in combination with the Canoga Perkins 3340 MPEG-2 Video Encoder/Decoder, is an ideal replacement for the Grass Valley J-Series DS-3 Video Codec/Mux. In addition to being a replacement for the Grass Valley Group's discontinued J-Series DS-3 product, the Canoga Perkins 3260 DS-3 Video Mux, used in combination with the Canoga Perkins 3340 MPEG-2 Video Encoder/Decoder, can be used to network the new Grass Valley Group M-Series iVDR line of intelligent Video Digital Recorders (DVRs) and most other DVRs on the market.

The Grass Valley J-Series Codecs use the Motion-JPEG video standard for encoding and decoding video signals. JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), a standard for storing and compressing digital images. Motion-JPEG extends this standard by adding support for videos. In motion-JPEG, each frame in the video is stored using the JPEG format.

The Canoga Perkins video equipment offers the advantage of using the more advanced MPEG-2 (Motion Picture Expert Group) video standard. MPEG-2 is the most widely used technology today. The standard has been operating in the field for over seven years so it is mature and very stable. The MPEG-2 standard defines the absolute limits of motion compensation as 1/2 pixel accuracy on 16x8 blocks. In addition, the MPEG-2 standard provides for the synchronization of video and data throughout the system.

Most video Codecs of this type are designed to display the remote sites in a "quad" display on one monitor. The J-Series product allowed the use of four individual monitors in a multipoint call to provide Four Monitor Support. This was a big feature for Grass Valley and the reason many users purchased the system. Canoga Perkins can do the same with the 3260/3340 video package. This allows your network to have the same look and feel you have grown accustomed to.

Canoga Perkins is ready to assist you in the critical decision to migrate to a modern video system and to help you make a smooth transition. Please call us for more information or to go over your options.

About Canoga Perkins

Canoga Perkins is a leading provider of fiber optic extension equipment, fiber optic video transport and cost effective DWDM/CWDM systems with web browser enabled management tools. We offer 24x7 technical support and have offices and partnerships worldwide to support you. Canoga Perkins offers its customers the most technologically and functionally advanced optical networking systems available for long distance fiber optic extension equipment. Using Canoga Perkins equipment, customers can increase their reliability, efficiency and new application development and deployment.

For more information about Canoga Perkins, contact the company at 818-678-3804 or visit us on the World Wide Web at http://www.canoga.com.