VoD Has A Heart

Video-on-demand is enabled through a combination of technologies deployed by cable operators. Once the plant is upgraded to accommodate 750 MHz or above, a VoD server can be installed at the headend. The server acts much like a computer server, both in storing content (television programs) and in serving it to customers upon request. The digital set-top box serves as the mechanism for the two-way communication between the customer and the headend's server to take place.

The system is limited by only two mechanisms: the size of the server (how much content can be held) and the number of streams of communication (what percentage of the total digital customer base can be communicating at any given time). In general, the servers currently deployed hold anywhere from 1000-1600 hours of programming and the streams allow for eight-10 percent of a digital customer base to be using VoD at any given moment. However, all of this is completely expandable as demand necessitates.