Cisco (News - Alert) has launched its cloud-enabled, multiscreen-tailored next generation of video delivery software, Videoscape Unity. Leapfrogging off of its acquisition of NDS (News - Alert), the platform targets service providers and media companies with a set of cloud, network and client-based components, connected by open interfaces.

And for the first time, Cisco is offering Videoscape "as a service," allowing operators to have Cisco build, monitor, operate or fully host their video infrastructures.

The cloud and network components power new, personalized video services and enable multiple screens to be synchronized to create a single unified experience for the subscriber, so things look and feel the same no matter what device they use.

"When implementing next-gen video, service providers and media companies previously had to choose between custom integrated solutions that stranded them in a point solution, or standard product-based solutions that had limited opportunities to customize and bring their brands to life,” said Jesper Andersen (News - Alert), senior vice president and general manager of the Cisco Service Provider Video Technology Group. “Videoscape Unity combines the advantages of these approaches – offering a set of standard service-powering cloud and network components with the ability to design and deploy customized user experiences across many screens."

New features in Unity include the multiscreen cloud DVR, which offers video recording with capture and storage in the cloud instead of the end device. Consumers can restart shows, catch up on past programs and play back DVR-captured content from anywhere, on any screen.

It also broadens the TV Everywhere proposition with unified search, discovery and viewing functions to allow consumers to watch premium live and on-demand content on any (service provider managed or unmanaged) connected device regardless of location.

A related Connected Video Gateway (News - Alert) serves as a single entertainment hub, with back-end management of IP and QAM video, for distributing video content and metadata to any IP-connected device in the home, while providing a unified user experience. 

And finally, an IP video over cable functionality gives consumers an expanded choice of content and IP video services across a wider range of service provider managed devices – with the flexibility to add unmanaged devices.

Client components use the Cisco Snowflake interface design model and NDS Media Highway multiplatform clients. This approach enables network operators to design user experiences, engineer them into clients for connected devices and set-top boxes, and quickly deploy them across multiple screens and throughout large service footprints.

"Consumers expect more choice, freedom and flexibility in what they watch, and when, where, and how they watch it,” said Len Barlik, executive vice president and chief product officer at Cox (News - Alert) Communications. “They want to shape and socialize what is displayed on their own screens. Working with both Cisco and NDS has helped us to evolve our video services platform beyond TV Everywhere to more ‘TV your way,' personalized video experiences, giving our subscribers more of what they enjoy.”