San Diego-based Imagine Communications has announced plans to integrate Tandberg Television's OpenStream switched digital video platform with their own variable bit-rate and statistical multiplexing technology to provide enhanced video streaming capability.

"We believe this agreement represents the beginning of a fruitful relationship between Tandberg Television and Imagine," said Marc Tayer, Imagine Communications' vice president of marketing and business development. "Tandberg Television has successfully led the industry in opening up the VOD infrastructure, and now they're pursuing the same course with SDV."

By combining technologies, Imagine says that three high-definition VOD variable bit-rate streams can occupy a single 256 QAM channel, as opposed to the present maximum of two. This 50 percent increase in capacity also means that 15 standard-definition streams can occupy a single 256 QAM channel.

"Imagine has developed a sophisticated technology that, combined with our OpenStream system, moves the needle forward significantly in the cable market," said Braxton Jarratt, senior vice president of marketing and business development at Tandberg Television. "Interoperability of our respective solutions will be beneficial to cable operators by increasing VOD and SDV streaming capacity without sacrificing video quality."