Blonder Tongue Stock Price, News & Analysis

Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. (BDRL) is a U.S.-based designer and manufacturer of telecommunications, broadband, fiber optic and cable television video transmission technologies. The company is described in its public communications as the oldest designer and manufacturer of telecommunications and cable television video transmission technology in the United States, with the majority of its products designed and built in a New Jersey facility that has been its home for more than 50 years. Blonder Tongue trades under the symbol BDRL and operates in the manufacturing sector, within the radio and television broadcasting and wireless communications equipment manufacturing industry.

Across its news releases, Blonder Tongue highlights a focus on video, IPTV and high-speed data services, as well as RF broadband distribution over fiber, IP and coax networks for homes and businesses. The company positions itself as a provider of solutions for service operators and systems integrators that need to manage and distribute digital video and data over existing and new infrastructure. Its products are repeatedly characterized as ultra-high reliability, and its operations emphasize U.S.-based engineering and manufacturing.

Core technologies and product focus

Blonder Tongue’s communications describe several key product families and technology areas:

• NXG Video Delivery Platform and NXG Video Gateway System: A module-based IP digital video processing platform designed for delivering next generation video services over coax, ethernet, or fiber-optic wiring without replacing existing infrastructure. The platform is available in rack chassis configurations and supports highly customizable, module-based deployments.
• NXG-IP input module with IP failover: An input module for the NXG platform that can support an input path failover for up to two Gigabit Ethernet input feeds. If two inbound network routes carry identical SPTS programming, the module can automatically fail over from a primary feed to a secondary feed on a per-program basis when a loss of data is detected.
• Clearview encoder and transcoder products: Encoder and transcoder product lines that the company associates with higher technology and newer demand, used in advanced video processing applications.
• Drake PEG PLUS Advanced Video Encoder: A professional stand-alone digital video encoder that incorporates ZIXI error correction and security technology. It is used for local content contribution and backhaul to IP video operations centers, enabling reliable and secure streaming of video and audio over unmanaged networks, including the public internet.
• Aircaster AQT8 Series transmodulators: Transmodulator products that offer SRT error correction for remote IP/QAM applications, allowing use at remote receive sites and supporting secondary or redundant program ingest capability.
• DOCSIS data products and coax distribution products: Product categories referenced in the company’s financial commentary as contributors to sales, particularly in hospitality and assisted-living environments.
• Encoder/transcoder products and NXG IP video signal processing products: Described as newer technologies with growing or higher demand from customers.
• Analog modulation products and CPE products: Legacy product lines that the company notes are being deemphasized or affected by market shifts away from analog modulation solutions.

In addition, Blonder Tongue references Clearview HDMI2 QAM IP and Clearview HD2X QAM IP encoders, and describes the use of SRT across its product offerings to enable broadcasters to process programs over the public internet for point-to-point applications. These SRT-enabled devices are described as reducing the costs of dedicated fiber backhauling and allowing operators flexibility to provide redundant sources.

Applications and customer environments

According to its own announcements, Blonder Tongue’s technologies are used by service operators, systems integrators, telco, cable and fiber optic service providers, and broadcasters. The company’s products are described as supporting:

• Management and distribution of digital video, IPTV and high-speed data services.
• RF broadband distribution over fiber, IP and coax networks in homes and businesses.
• Local content contribution and backhaul to national IP video operations centers.
• Hospitality and assisted-living environments through DOCSIS data products.
• Remote receive sites and fringe station reception using SRT-enabled transmodulators.

Blonder Tongue also notes that a North American-based tier one broadband cable operator standardized on its Drake PEG PLUS encoder for local content contribution and backhaul, citing high reliability, video quality, remote management, dual encode capabilities, native ZIXI support and other features as key factors in that decision.

Manufacturing, engineering and intellectual property

In each of its “About Blonder Tongue” sections, the company emphasizes U.S.-based engineering and manufacturing excellence and an industry reputation for ultra-high reliability products. It states that the majority of its products are designed and built in its New Jersey facility, which has been its home for more than five decades.

Blonder Tongue also references US Patent US10,785,829, which describes a passive backplane approach in the NXG Video Delivery System, where active components are located in modules and the chassis and backplane contain passive components only. This patent is cited in connection with a 20 Year Service Offering for the 5RU NXG Video Delivery System, under which the company offers replacement chassis fans and filters at no cost on a preventive maintenance interval.

Service and long-term support offerings

The company has announced an Extended 20 Year Service Offering for its 5RU NXG Video Delivery System. Under this program, customers that purchase a five-year Service Level Agreement with the NXG platform qualify to receive replacement chassis fans and filters every three years at no cost, along with installation guidance. This offering is presented as a way to keep the NXG platform running smoothly over an extended period.

Partnerships and ecosystem integrations

Blonder Tongue’s public communications describe several technology partnerships and integrations:

• NAGRAVISION partnership: A partnership with NAGRAVISION, a Kudelski Group company, to provide a bulk decryption solution for hospitality venues in North America. The solution replaces end-of-life PowerKey CableCARDS and uses software-based conditional access technology for cable and IPTV/OTT set-top boxes. The implementation includes DVB-CSA2 SimulCrypt descrambling in the Blonder Tongue NXG Video Gateway System, with initial key provisioning over-the-air based on device identifiers.
• ZIXI integration: Integration of ZIXI error correction and security technology into the Drake PEG PLUS encoder, enabling reliable and secure streaming of local contribution video and audio over unmanaged networks, including the public internet.
• SRT support: Implementation of SRT transmit functionality in the Aircaster AQT8 Series transmodulators and references to SRT support across Clearview encoder products, allowing broadcasters to transport broadcast-quality video over the public internet and to deploy remote equipment without dedicated fiber.

Product innovation examples

Several news items illustrate how Blonder Tongue extends its product lines:

• CV NTSC32 IP digital-to-analog synthesizer: The company announced the CV NTSC32 as a high-density bulk IP digital-to-NTSC RF analog synthesizer that expands its NTSC product line. It synthesizes up to 32 HD or SD programs and associated audio into 32 NTSC modulated RF analog channels in a 1 RU form factor. The unit supports MPEG-2, MPEG-4/H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC) formats from an IP transport stream, with each stream decoded, NTSC synthesized and modulated to selectable RF analog channels within a defined frequency block.
• NXG-IP failover feature: The addition of automatic input path failover in the NXG-IP input module allows protection against path loss and receiver failure by switching between primary and secondary network feeds on a per-program basis.
• SRT on Aircaster AQT8 Series: By adding SRT error correction, the Aircaster AQT8 series can be deployed at remote receive sites to support redundant program ingest and clearer reception of fringe stations.

Financial and operational commentary

In a release discussing its third quarter and nine months 2022 results, Blonder Tongue reported net sales and losses for the period and commented on product-level sales trends. The company attributed increases in sales to NXG IP video signal processing products, encoder/transcoder products and DOCSIS data products, and noted decreases in CPE and analog modulation products. It associated increased demand with newer products and technologies, and highlighted that DOCSIS data products are used primarily in hospitality and assisted-living environments. The same release discussed supply chain constraints, semiconductor allocations, raw material cost increases and a sales backlog, and mentioned that these factors raised substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern as of the reporting date.

Leadership and corporate updates

Blonder Tongue’s news includes corporate governance and leadership changes. One announcement reported the departure of a Chief Executive Officer and the reappointment of Robert J. Palle as Chief Executive Officer and President, with commentary from the board and management about product development, operating efficiency and manufacturing enhancements. Another release announced the death of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Eric S. Skolnik, describing his tenure and roles within the company.

Events and industry presence

The company regularly references its participation in industry events. Examples include exhibiting at the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo, where it showcased the CV NTSC32, and at NABSHOW, where it presented the Aircaster AQT8 Series and related technologies. These appearances align with its focus on telecommunications, broadband, video processing and cable television system design.

Stock and investor communications

Blonder Tongue common stock is referenced in its releases with the symbol BDRL, and the company has announced earnings releases and conference calls to discuss financial results. In its going-concern discussion, it cites reliance on existing cash balances and borrowing facilities as primary sources of liquidity at the time of the 2022 financial report.

Summary

Overall, Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. presents itself as a long-established U.S. manufacturer and designer of telecommunications, broadband, fiber optic and cable television video transmission technologies. Its communications emphasize digital video processing, IPTV, high-speed data services and RF broadband distribution over fiber, IP and coax, with a product portfolio that includes the NXG Video Delivery Platform, Clearview encoders and transcoders, Drake PEG PLUS encoders, Aircaster AQT8 transmodulators, DOCSIS data products and related technologies. The company underscores U.S.-based engineering, New Jersey-based manufacturing, long-term service offerings and integrations with partners such as NAGRAVISION and ZIXI.