HDBridge Lowers Cost of Deploying HD Channels in MDUs

LITTLETON, MA – The new HDBridge product line introduced today by ZeeVee promises to make on-premises HD broadcasting of multiple channel lineups far more affordable and easier to deploy. Based on ZeeVee's Generation-3 video processing and broadcast technology, the HDbridge line is designed for environments such as hotels, health clubs, casinos, sports bars and any other application where a large number of HD channels need to be deployed. ZeeVee says the cost of building an HD headend is now approaching the cost of prior-generation analog modulation.

“Although our industry-changing ZvBox product line shattered the cost of building an HD cable channel, our partners have told us that we need to make deployment of large channel counts like those used in hotels more affordable and easier to install and manage,” says ZeeVee’s cofounder and CEO, Vic Odryna.

“Our new HDbridge line was developed by closely working with our partners to make sure that every opportunity for improvement was captured. “

“Until now, private cable operators serving hotels, hospitals, corporate centers, MDUs and other high-channel and [high-] screen-count environments were unable to deploy HD primarily because of the cost and complexity,” says Rob Narzisi, sales manager at Advanced Media Technologies, a master distributor of ZeeVee products. “The HDbridge line changes all of that, delivering affordability [and] ease of deployment while allowing for the use of standard, off-the-shelf HDTVs"

The HDbridge line is based on a modular architecture. The rack chassis can contain up to eight modules, each of which creates an HD cable channel. These channels are combined and amplified in the chassis, providing a single point of connection for the installer as well as a single AC connection. Each module accepts an HD component video input, digital audio - optical and coax, and a closed-caption input. It is designed to connect directly to satellite and cable receivers and requires no complex configuration. The broadcast channel can be set via a simple front-button interface or remotely managed via a Web interface.

Modules come in three different maximum resolutions – 1080, 720 and 480 – allowing the selection of appropriate price/performance. The lowest resolution allows broadcast of premium content in full-digital DVD quality while still respecting the rebroadcast requirements of content owners. It can be field-upgraded to 720p resolution via a simple-to-execute firmware update for a modest fee.

The entire HDbridge line is available immediately from ZeeVee’s distribution partners.