Cisco announced today it has been selected to provide Internet Protocol (IP) video network infrastructure and video-encoding solutions to NBC during the network's coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Aug. 8-24. Cisco's IP video infrastructure will enable NBC personnel in New York and Los Angeles to edit video as it is captured in Beijing and deliver it to three screens: TV, PC and smartphone.

Described as one of the most demanding network environments in the world, the groundbreaking trans-ocean network powered by Cisco will enable the transfer of gigabyte-sized files between Beijing, New York and Los Angeles. In previous Olympics, NBC staff had to work from videotapes to add graphics and captions to event shots. In one of the single most ambitious media projects in history, NBC will present more than 3,600 hours of broadcast coverage during the 17-day event. It would be impossible to use a tape library to replicate enough video copies for use at eight different networks as well as NBCOlympics.com. Using a file-based workflow for shot selection, the network can select shots and distribute them to affiliates even before an event is finished.

"With the Cisco network solution, we've achieved the Holy Grail of digital video, which is the ability to perform shot selections on low-resolution files and extract high-resolution material from those files even as they are being recorded. That is a huge accomplishment," said Craig Lau, vice president for Information Technology, NBC Olympics. "Cisco is a trusted partner, and in the demanding IT environment of the Olympic Games, we depend on trusted relationships. We have absolute deadlines for when Olympics coverage begins and ends. Cisco technologies help us exceed expectations and meet our timetables in an unforgiving environment."

Viewers of NBC's coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games will be able to use their PCs and laptops to access 2,200 hours of video that they can play back on demand, as well as 3,000 hours of highlights, rewinds, encores and scoring results. Individuals will also be able to watch video and view results on their smartphones.

"We are making broadcast history, executing the creation, management and distribution of digital video in a way that's never been achieved before," said Tony Bates, senior vice president and general manager, Cisco Service Provider Group. "We are entering the visual-networking era where video changes everything, especially the way people connect with the Olympic Games. The Olympics is all about the experience. The next best thing to being in Beijing is to be able to see the event coverage. This year, not only are thousands of hours of Olympic coverage being transmitted in real time, but Cisco's IP video network and encoding technologies are also giving people the ability to access hundreds of event videos on demand using their PCs, laptops and mobile devices for an unprecedented Olympic experience anywhere, anyplace, anytime."

Through the comprehensive Cisco IP video network infrastructure and video-encoding solutions, NBC was able to address the following technical challenges:

Creating a high-bandwidth, high-performance connection between Beijing and NBC studios in New York and Los Angeles to give shot selectors and editors in the United States the ability to edit video as it is being captured in Beijing.

Providing the quality of service (QoS) required to assign priority to real-time Olympic Games video footage over the trans-ocean network

Encoding and transmitting low-resolution (low-res) video from Olympic venues for broadband viewing. Low-res video uses far less bandwidth, which enables NBC to provide Internet coverage of more Olympic sports.

Using a single, converged IP infrastructure for a wide spectrum of services ranging from the video delivery to data-intensive logistics applications.