Transcoding

Telecommunications is increasingly moving to all–IP service networks. These trends are increasing the variety of audio and video codecs in the network. In addition, the volume of media streams — particularly video media streams in a modern 3G mobile or LTE network — continues to grow exponentially.

Traditional solutions for transcoding are normally hosted on Time Division Multiplex (TDM) equipment, or on Media Gateway (MGW) network elements. However, as networks increasingly move toward IP service cores, these TDM approaches become less desirable or even relevant.

Transcoding is sometimes also found in Session Border Controller (SBC) equipment, but these elements are intended for signaling interworking, and security between IP network peering points. In an IMS architecture, the SBC was never intended to provide transcoding.

Mobile, wireless, and broadband network operators increasingly need IP–IP transcoding solutions that deliver economics, scalability, and network simplicity, with superior call quality.

Radisys Media Servers support IP–IP transcoding solutions for 3G mobile, LTE and IMS networks

Radisys Media Servers, acting as the Multimedia Resource Function (MRF) in an IMS architecture, deliver an optimized architectural and economic approach to the industry's growing needs for IP–IP transcoding.

Radisys is already an established leader in IP media stream processing products and solutions for next–generation networks. Radisys media servers are deployed globally to support real–time IP audio, video, fax and speech processing for a large variety of IP–based telecommunication services such as multimedia conferencing, unified communications, ringback tones, Interactive Voice and Video Response (IVVR) or IP Contact Centers.

Transcoding has also been a fundamental underlying capability of the Radisys Media Server for many years now, with many transcoding deployments worldwide. Recent transcoding capability enhancements, including our integrated Voice Quality Enhancement (VQE) capabilities, positions Radisys to offer a unique, economical transcoding solution for discerning IP network operators.

Highlights of our transcoding solution based on Radisys Media Servers include:

• * Audio transcoding across all supported codecs: including AMR, EVRC–A/B, G.711, G.729AB, G.722, G.723.1A, and G.726.


• * Transcoding Process Card (TPC–I): A new processor blade for CMS–9000 systems offering a cost–efficient solution for high density transcoding requirements.


• * Standards–based control interfaces: All Radisys transcoding features are exposed and controlled using open, standards–based interfaces such as SIP with Media Server Markup Language (MSML — RFC 5707). Alternatively, operators may choose to use RFC 4117, a SIP–based transcoding control interface for 2–party calls.


• * Industry–leading densities and scalability: Radisys CMS–9000 media servers offer carrier–class densities for core transcoding applications. The combination of scalability, reliability, features and economics of Radisys media servers positions Radisys as a leading choice for carrier transcoding requirements.

From Transcoding to Media Conditioning

By providing an IP Media Server that performs transcoding on IP media streams in real time along with other functions such as voice quality enhancement (VQE), we offer a truly differentiated solution. This comprehensive approach to common media stream processing requirements in modern mobile and IMS networks is what we call Media Conditioning.

Whitepaper: “From Transcoding to Media Conditioning”
This whitepaper discusses the delivery of media conditioning, including transcoding integrated with voice quality enhancements, in IP communication networks with respect to service provider requirements and the impact on network architecture.

Voice Quality Enhancement
The economic benefits of VoIP services are compelling, but consumers won't migrate to VoIP unless they perceive the voice quality to be as good or better than traditional PSTN voice services. Radisys media servers, now with integrated Voice Quality Enhancement (VQE), provide a group of features specifically designed to address noise, packet loss and echo in VoIP networks, along with a robust set of quality metrics suitable for Service Level Agreement (SLA) reporting.