Anyway you slice it, literally, the fact remains that fiber optic video transmission is one of the safest, most cost-effective means of streaming video. The common misconception is that fiber installation is both costly and time consuming. In fact, the cost of digital fiber has decreased significantly. In most instances, fiber is the most economical choice for overcoming the problems of distance or channel count, so cost justification is a matter of selecting the right fiber system rather than making a choice of whether fiber is used at all. In the long term, because of its longevity and high bandwidth, fiber can accept newer, more sophisticated technologies and greater amounts of data into existing infrastructures as older systems become obsolete. “In some cases, the customer’s expectation of video quality justifies the use of fiber over copper,” says Mike Girton, product manager, Optelecom, Gaithersburg, Md. The cost of digital components has decreased greatly in recent years, resulting in the ability of fiber optic manufacturers to design and manufacture products that are priced similarly or even less than earlier generation analog products.
engineer, International Fiber Systems, Newtonn, Conn.