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A range of hardware and software
solutions to deliver fully digital television, radio and video
over ethernet data networks in large buildings using Internet
Protocol (IP).
Applications include:
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Digital
TV, radio and video over IP
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Hotels: prepare
for the switching off of the UK’s analogue TV broadcasts
from 2008 by delivering digital TV and radio over the hotel’s
existing broadband network without disruption to rooms or décor.
Combine this with updating bulky, outdated room televisions to
LCD flat screens with stereo speakers to give your guests the full
benefit of digital quality audio and video. Click
here for details >
Offices: Deliver live TV to PC’s
over the building’s data network at nominal cost without
disruption to the workplace or to the décor. Keep authorised
Executives up to date with world events, Parliamentary speeches,
market and commodity prices etc. Click
here for details >
Education: Deliver live educational radio and
television broadcasts or videos to PCs or large screen TVs in the classroom
or lecture room. Click here for
details >
New Build: Eliminate the costs of multiple networks
by delivering fully convergent, future proof voice, data, TV, radio and
video services over IP. Click
here for details > |
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TelePoint from
The Wandsworth Group Ltd, is a fully convergent, IP-based multimedia
entertainment and communication system delivering:
• digital TV
•
digital radio |
• interactive video
•
high quality audio |
• computer games
•
IP telephony |
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| TelePoint in hotels |
Update
in-room entertainment systems before the analogue TV switch-off
The UK Government has announced a program to replace all analogue television
transmissions with digital starting in 2008 and progressing on a phased
basis to cover the entire country by 2012. In the home this can be accommodated
by simply using Freeview or by subscribing to satellite or cable, each
of which involves the use of a set top box. These solutions are unsuitable
for the hotel market because set top boxes are unsightly and need to be
firmly secured in the room. At the same time they need to be in the line
of sight of the infrared remote control.
TelePoint offers a unique, cost effective solution to this problem by delivering
digital television and radio over the hotel’s data network using
Internet Protocol technology. Digital TV transmissions are received from
terrestrial, satellite or cable transmissions, converted into IP data packets
using IPTV Converters and
are broadcast over the hotel’s local area network. The IP transmissions
are converted to analogue for use with normal televisions by the Media
Gateway, which is securely located in the wall in
each room like normal electrical twin power sockets. All types and sizes
of television can be used including conventional cathode ray tube (CRT)
type, flat screen LCD and plasma televisions. However, IP television and
radio is of exceptionally high quality and LCD televisions with stereo
speakers are highly recommended to enhance the guest’s experience
of the hotel.
It is not necessary to disrupt the hotel room’s décor to provide
TelePoint IPTV services using the room’s existing broadband connection.
The LDU local
distribution unit allows up to six voice and data outlets or Media Gateways
to be provided from a single CAT5 connection into the room. Like the Media
Gateway, the LDU fits flush into the wall like a normal twin power socket.
The LDU and Media Gateway can both be supplied in a range of high quality
finishes to match the electrical outlets in the room.
TelePoint IPTV is provided with a welcome screen branded for each hotel.
It is traditional for hotels to provide in-room movies, internet access,
computer games, and in-room check-out services via the room television.
Such services can be provided by the TelePoint system by the use of the Application
and Content Servers and TelePoint infrared keyboards.
Any content provider offering digital systems can either run their own
application on the Media Gateway or can use a rebranded version of the
TelePoint Application Software.
At present, Freeview channels are distributed by digital terrestrial transmissions
and coverage around the country is patchy. This is because they use only
80 transmitters compared with the 1154 used for analogue transmissions.
The Government program involves the upgrading of the remaining 1074 transmitters
by 2012. However, the BBC and ITV will be introducing unencrypted Freeview
channel transmissions from satellite in 2006. They are also planning to
simultaneously increase the number of Freeview channels to more than 100.
This, combined with TelePoint, provides hotels with the opportunity to
start their own program to switch over to digital now to gain considerable
advantage over their competitors by providing free, multiple channel, digital
quality television and radio. |
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| TelePoint in office
buildings: |
Modern professionals
need to be kept up to date with world events every minute of their
working day. This is especially true for executives in the world
of finance, insurance, stocks and shares and commodities, senior
executives in commerce and industry and for politicians. Such people
need live TV on their desks, preferably on their PCs.
Many large office buildings have traditional TV systems that can be shown
on small picture-in-picture windows on computer screens. Such systems are
expensive to install and to maintain and the installation of the separate
TV network involves considerable disruption to the workplace. Many such
TV systems are analogue and these will need to be updated as part of the
UK Government program to switch entirely to digital TV transmissions between
2008 and 2012.
TelePoint offers a unique solution to these problems that is affordable,
even in smaller office buildings, without disruption to the workplace.
This is achieved by distributing television and radio over the building’s
local area data network using Internet Protocol IP technology. Digital
TV and radio transmissions are received from terrestrial, satellite or
cable, are converted into IP packets of data using IPTV
Converters and are broadcast throughout the premises
over the local area network. Access to the services is controlled if necessary
by restricting the use of the Media
Player software that is required on each PC in order
to show IPTV.
One unique feature of the Media Player software is the ability to record
onto the PC in MPEG2 format, so that speeches or other relevant TV broadcasts
can be recorded and shared with colleagues and other interested parties.
It is also possible to use Application
and Content Servers to broadcast video throughout
the building for training, team briefings etc. |
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| TelePoint
in education |
Computers and television
are important tools in modern education at all levels, from Primary
to University. TelePoint enables schools and universities to cost
effectively broadcast digital quality live TV and radio as well
as video-on-demand throughout the premises and to show this to
students on either large televisions or on PCs.
TelePoint IPTV Converters receive
digital TV and radio transmissions from terrestrial, satellite or cable
sources and convert these into packets of data using Internet Protocol,
IP technology. These packets are distributed throughout the premises over
the local area data network. The IP packets are converted back for display
on a television using the Media
Gateway and for display on a PC using the Media
Player software.
Many schools and colleges already have analogue television systems and
these need to be aware of the Government’s program to switch the
country over entirely to digital television between 2008 and 2012. The
solution to this in the home is by the use of Freeview, satellite or cable
set top boxes. However, these are entirely unsuitable for use in schools
and colleges for security and vandalism reasons. The Media Gateway and
other TelePoint components have been specifically designed for use in busy
public buildings by securely locating them flush in the wall like twin
electrical sockets.
Video is a really useful tool in modern education. The Application
and Content Servers enable the storage of a library
of up to 100 hours of video and audio educational content. This can be
viewed on any PC or TV at any time on demand. Full video-on-demand capability
enables teachers and students to pause and rewind as required, ideal for
taking notes or for explanation. |
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| TelePoint in
new and refurbished buildings |
Large commercial and
residential buildings such as hotels, apartments, offices, schools
and universities, are crammed full of different networks, as many
as 20 in each building. These include networks for data, voice,
TV/radio, building management HVAC systems, access control, fire
alarms, CCTV, intruder alarms etc. Each network uses its own cabling,
transmission protocol and control systems. This complexity makes
large buildings extremely expensive to build and to operate because
of the high costs and inherent inefficiencies of supporting so
many different networks and technologies.
There is a strong move towards the convergence of building services onto
a common network; one that is already in use in every new large building,
that uses global industry standard network design and a global transmission
protocol, is secure and which is fully compatible with the world-wide web.
That network is the local area network and the protocol is TCP/IP (transmission
control protocol/ internet protocol).
We have already seen the convergence of voice and data over IP. Johnson
Controls has already produced an IP building management system and other
global bms manufacturers are set to follow.
TelePoint has been designed to transmit television,
radio and video over local area networks using IP technology,
thus eliminating the need for a coaxial cabling system in large
buildings. IPTV can be shown on any television set or on any
modern PC.
Analogue television over a coaxial network is problematic in large buildings
with signal degradation from long cable runs, multiple splitters and multiple
users. This makes the costs of designing and installing coaxial networks
extremely high. TV and radio over an industry standard IP network do not
suffer from signal degradation. The quality of fully digital TV and radio
is extremely high and is the same at every point in the building regardless
of the number of users. Building designers in the UK also need to be aware
of the Government’s program to switch off all analogue TV transmissions
between 2008 and 2012! In the home this will be resolved by the use of
set top boxes for Freeview, satellite or cable digital transmissions. Set
top boxes are highly unsuitable for use in large commercial buildings and
in schools and universities because of security and damage issues.
TelePoint receives digital television transmissions from
terrestrial, satellite or cable sources. The IPTV
Converters convert these transmissions into packets
of data and transmit these over the building’s local area network
using IP technology. The IP packets are converted back into TV and radio
by the use of the Media
Gateway when showing on televisions, or by the use
of the Media Player software when showing on PCs. TelePoint also allows
the storage of up to 100 hours of video and audio content through the use
of the Application and
Content servers, making it ideal for hotels and
educational establishments.
The convergence of voice, data, TV and radio onto the local area network
requires multiple RJ45 outlets to be provided in each room. Conventional
practice is to cable each outlet separately back to a port on the edge
switch. The Local Distribution Unit (LDU)
allows up to six RJ45 outlets to be supplied from a single CAT5 cable from
the edge switch, making substantial savings in building costs. The LDU
supports power over ethernet, POE, which can be used to power IP telephone
handsets or the Media Gateway.
The Media Gateway and the Local Distribution Unit are designed to fit securely
into the wall in standard twin electrical wall boxes and to match the electrical
outlets and switches in the room.
Building designers and specifiers are encouraged to visit the following
links for more details of the benefits and applications of TelePoint:
TelePoint in hotels
TelePoint in office
buildings
TelePoint in education
As throughout our 100-year history, Wandsworth is pleased to provide a
design service for architects and consulting engineers on all of its product
ranges. |
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