...comprehensive digital video headend based on Harmonic video processing solutions. Leveraging the high density of Harmonic's Electra™ multichannel encoding and ProStream® with ACE® real-time stream processing and transcoding platforms, ViewSat can more efficiently allocate satellite bandwidth for its direct-to-home (DTH) service, enabling the satellite provider to deliver an exceptional quality of service to subscribers located in Africa and the Middle East.

ViewSat uses Harmonic's market-leading Electra MPEG-2 encoders to deliver superior-quality video at reduced bitrates. Capable of supporting up to four SD or HD video channels from a single rack unit, the Electra encoding solutions enable ViewSat to cost-effectively deploy additional channels on its satellite transponder. Harmonic's ProStream with ACE transcoder maximizes bandwidth use for ViewSat's service while performing SD/HD, MPEG-2 video and audio transcoding of up to 20 HD or 60 SD channels, with ASI to IP multiplexing and scrambling, from a single rack unit. The ultra-dense ProStream platform decreases capital and operating expenses through reduced rack space and energy consumption. Relying on the highly scalable ProStream architecture, ViewSat can easily support new value-added services in the future as its business needs evolve.