Products » Application Server

RetroVue® Application Server, MyRV Portal, and Element Management System

The GoBackTV RetroVue Application Server is the heart of the RetroVue System. It coordinates the entire RetroVue System, including service creation, middleware functionality, subscriber management, video flow management, data collection, and GUI-based element management and configuration.

The RetroVue Application Server directs RetroVue System components to deliver a complete spectrum of stream-based video services, including Video on Demand (VoD), network PVR (nPVR), time-shifted television, Start Over and Look Back, switched broadcast (for cable environments), historical EPG, user-based profiles, and personalTV services.

The platform also provides host support for MyRV Portal HTML-based middleware. MyRV Portal enables television service providers to deliver customized navigation and information services to subscribers’ set-top boxes using a standard HTML browser interface. By leveraging industry standards, client GUI layout and appearance are simple to customize or update, and can even be done in-house using standard design tools. Similarly, new screens can be added very easily. MyRV Portal delivers flexibility, control, and simplicity in a versatile service management platform.

RetroVue Delivers

Program Time-Shifting:

The RetroVue system provides the following Time shifting functions:

RESTART PROGRAM. The viewer can restart an airing program just by clicking a button on his remote control.
PAUSE. This halts the playout of the video stream. The displayed image on the television during a pause is dependent on the set-top box (STB) implementation. The majority of the STB implementations will display a freeze frame. You can even pause on one TV and resume on another one in the same household.
PLAY. This resumes the playback of the video stream after a PAUSE.
SKIP BACK. This command enables the viewer to SKIP back in the video stream by a specified number of seconds. .
SKIP FORWARD. This command allows the viewer to SKIP forward in the video stream by a specified number of seconds.
RETURN TO LIVE. This command returns the viewer to the normal broadcast.

Movies on demand:

With this service, the consumer can select a movie from a list of available ones. He just has to choose and click on a button to select the movie he wants to watch. Once begun, he can pause, skip back or forward and restart the movie.

The RetroVue Application Server maintains a menu of titles available to the viewer's subscription package. Movies are stored on one or more StreamCaches. Once chosen by the viewer, the selected movie is played as a dedicated stream.

Personal play list:

If the service provider has obtained rights to time-shift content, TV viewers can create their personal play lists of programs. Each user can select a combination of broadcast TV programs and available movies to make his own custom program lineup. Imagine you would like to watch your favorite’s team match that ends at 8:20 pm and international news that begins at 8:00 pm. With GoBackTV RetroVue System you can watch both, without zapping back and forth!

You can create daily or even weekly personal play lists. You can even edit and save several play lists: “Mom’s favorites”, “Tommy’s cartoons” for instance...

Personal channel bundles:

With this service, users can create their own personal channel lineup from the list of available channels. This preference can be tied to a particular set top box, or can be associated with a specific user. If a-la-carte pricing is an option, the user can enable only the channels he wishes to purchase. Even without a-la-carte pricing, imagine the convenience of being able to block certain channels while the children are awake, and then reverting to your own favorite channels when you're ready to watch TV.

Network Personal Video Recorder (nPVR):

The nPVR service enabled by the RetroVue system provides the TV viewer with all the features of an in-home Personal Video Recorder, and some additional features that a PVR cannot. To the user/subscriber, the nPVR provides the following features and benefits:

Flexible recording modes, including:
- Recording of one or more TV programs while the viewer is watching another program
- Pre-scheduling program recording once, on a regular schedule, or by name
- Recording a program from the start, after the broadcast has already begun

Time-shift live TV– pause, skip forward, and skip back on all channels, even while channel surfing. It's like having a two-hundred-tuner PVR.
Flexible storage space – increase storage allotment immediately, without having to replace a hard drive in the customer's home.

Users create and maintain their nPVR recording schedule and manage their own recorded program space using the MyRetroVue Set Top Box portal implemented on the Application Server. A program to be recorded may be selected by clicking on its Electronic Program Guide (EPG) entry. The user may also select a program by entering the channel and broadcast time.

This service enables new revenue opportunities for operators, which are not possible with in-home DVR. Also, for service operators who are delivering content via multicast or unicast, nPVR keeps video traffic off the last-mile network until it's watched, reducing peak demands for bandwidth-to-the-home.

Custom channels:

With the RetroVue System, service providers can create custom lineups for broadcast, such as distance-learning from universities, direct-to-video content (e.g. kids programming), community events, local sports, and so on.

The custom channels service allows distribution of content not normally affordable for broadcast, that creates benefits for creators, provides special interest on-demand programming to the consumer and creates added revenue for the service provider.

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