Table of Contents

Product Overview
Key Features and Benefits
Specifications

Hardware
Software

Ordering Information

Product and Part Numbers

Cisco IP/TV 3400 Series Servers

Product Overview

IP/TV, a comprehensive network video solution, delivers TV-quality video programming over enterprise data networks to desktop PCs by leveraging IP/TV software running on the Cisco IP/TV 3400 Series Servers. It"s a full solution that offers organizations a fast and effective way to deliver business communications to their employees.

With IP/TV, every networked user can watch management broadcasts, training programs, university classes, business TV and other programs from the convenience of their own desktop.

IP/TV distinguishes itself by offering high-quality video broadcasting and video on demand services, industry-leading management capabilities, built-in scalability, network-friendly technologies such as IP Multicast, and an easy-to-use viewer interface.

IP/TV software is comprised of three components-IP/TV Content Manager, IP/TV Server, and IP/TV Viewer. These components work together to provide easy management, transmission and desktop viewing of video programs.

IP/TV hardware is comprised of three additional components: IP/TV 3410 Control Server, IP/TV 3420 Broadcast Server, and IP/TV 3430 Archive Server. These hardware platforms are pre-configured with the IP/TV software, creating a complete network video solution. Together, IP/TV software and pre-configured hardware provide superior live, scheduled, and video-on-demand solutions for businesses everywhere.

An affordable network-video system, IP/TV uses standard protocols, runs on existing IP networks and is backed by Cisco"s superior service and support.

Cisco"s IP/TV 3410 Control Server runs IP/TV"s robust Content Manager software. The Control Server manages clusters of Archive and Broadcast Servers, both locally and remotely, and communicates program information directly to client desktops. Through the easy-to-use, browser-based interface of the IP/TV Content Manager, administrators manage both scheduled and on-demand offerings across the corporate intranet. The Content Manager provides management services including program scheduling, bandwidth-management, server and content management, viewer and program tracking, Web integration, and security. Depending upon the needs of the business, the needs of the users, network topology, and access policies, an enterprise can choose to have a single, central Control Server to manage all of its video servers, or it can elect to have Control Servers in each department or network segment.

The Cisco IP/TV 3420 Broadcast Server is ideal for multicasting live events, allowing both real-time delivery and broad reach while protecting network bandwidth resources and using them efficiently. It can concurrently broadcast a live program, plus a small number of prerecorded programs. By using the integrated Cisco IP Multicast technology, the Broadcast Server can deliver an event as it happens, such as a CEO"s address to hundreds of people while only using one stream of network bandwidth. The Broadcast Server works in conjunction with the multicast capability of Cisco routers and other internetworking equipment.

The Cisco IP/TV 3430 Archive Server is the premium choice for customers who plan to extensively use prerecorded video on a VOD basis. With this server, busy professionals can watch training programs or management broadcasts that have been stored in a video archive whenever they want and be assured of quality transmissions. Each Cisco IP/TV 3430 Archive Server comes preconfigured with the IP/TV Server software, and comes bundled with 50 IP/TVViewer licenses for client-desktops.

The IP/TV 3430 Archive Server offers both exceptional processing performance and storage capacity for VOD applications.

Key Features and Benefits

• High-quality video balanced with optimal network needs: Depending upon bandwidth availability and network traffic, Cisco IP/TV can support a variety of video qualities, from full-motion, full-screen MPEG through 56-kbps connections. Audio and video are tightly synchronized, no matter what kinds of connections are available. VOD video quality is optimized by IP/TV"s load-balancing and video-distribution capabilities. These capabilities support concurrent on-demand access for many viewers by providing the highest quality, based on bandwidth availability.

• Turnkey solutions: Cisco IP/TV 3400 Series Servers are complete, turnkey, networked video solutions, with faster and easier time to use than any competitive system in the market today. With preconfigured software, preinstalled capture cards, network interface cards, and device drivers, installation is simple, safe, and quick.

• Powerful management capabilities: The Control Server, with the IP/TV Content Manager installed, acts as a central administration and management tool, enabling network managers to send live, scheduled, and on-demand programs. It also enables network managers to optimize network bandwidth usage.

• Scalable architecture: Cisco IP/TV servers and software offer a distributed video server architecture that manages and localizes network bandwidth consumption. Commonly requested content can be replicated and sent to local Archive Servers. The Control Server then balances the load between the servers, minimizing the amount of video traffic that travels over the corporate WAN and providing multiple redundant points of access. This architecture promotes scalability by allowing network administrators to seamlessly add video servers as needs grow throughout the organization. Because the IP/TV 3400 Series Servers are rack-mounted, as needs grow, the space required to support those needs remains minimal.

• Efficient IP Multicast: Cisco IP/TV uses IP Multicast to optimize bandwidth for live and scheduled video, broadcasting a single, real-time stream per program over the network, regardless of how many people tune in. Cisco routers and internetworking equipment work hand-in-hand with IP/TV to provide an efficient, end-to-end multicast solution.

• Standards-based: A key advantage of IP/TV is its use of industry-standard technologies for its networking protocols, platform application programming interfaces (APIs), file formats, and CODECs. This scenario allows IP/TV to run across any IP-based network, interoperate with the Internet"s multicast backbone (MBONE), integrate easily with the Web, and work with standard, off-the-shelf authoring tools.

• Cisco service and support: IP/TV servers and software are fully backed by Cisco"s industry-leading SMARTnet maintenance service and support program. SMARTnet support provides quick response to hardware replacement, 24 x 7 telephone support, and software upgrades. Optional onsite services are also available. As the internetworking leader, Cisco provides full network support, from routers to switches, hubs, firewalls, Cisco IOS (R) software, and systems integration consulting.

Specifications

Hardware