November 28, 2018 — Hartwell, GA – According to Mark Stone VP of Operations for HTC in Hartwell Georgia, the decision to upgrade their cable system to IPTV became a marathon instead of a sprint, covering a period of several years. Stone says their investment in fiber matched up better with IPTV video than bringing their Cable system up to a level that would provide customers with a quality experience.
A long-term relationship with Innovative Systems motivated the decision to choose their solution for IPTV. Stone says that having existing equipment in place from Innovative that can now be used with video, as well as working with the same support staff is a big plus for HTC.
IPTV Benefits Over Cable
According to Stone, limitations in DVR capacity and limited number of simultaneous recordings were two big reasons for moving into IPTV. He also adds that integrated support tools and data collection from the Innovative Systems solution are very important to their network efficiency. Regarding the cost of converting to an IPTV system, HTC’s Network Manager Bobby Williams says the costs were quite a bit less than was projected by many vendors. Williams says the InnoStream™ video platform and engineering support from a trusted integrator who has worked with Innovative Systems on many conversions saved the staff at HTC time and money.
HTC’s Position on Live Streaming
Both Williams and Stone agree that live streaming services are not yet up to par with what people expect from their video experience. Stone added that HTC’s older customers just want to push a button on their remote controls and watch their programs. Having the InnoStream™ platform allows a quick solution to live streaming when his customers are ready to make the leap.
