CED articles from October 2002

CED archives from October 2002

Give 'em a break! (in perspective).(Cablevision Systems Corp.)
October 1, 2002... The guys at Cablevision Systems Corp. have always viewed things a little differently than their cable brethren. Perhaps it's a function of the fact that all their subscribers are closely clustered, but these Long Island renegades have never...

Cablevision thinks outside the (Sony) box. (up front).(Cablevision Systems Corp.)
October 1, 2002... Cablevision Systems Corp. has inked a deal to deploy Scientific-Atlanta Inc. digital set-tops and headend gear in support of the MSO's ambitious digital cable service, iO: Interactive Optimum. Financial terms were not disclosed. ...

SeaChange taking over where Diva left off. (Up front: latest news and insight).(Sea Change International Inc., Diva System Corp.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... SeaChange International Inc. has added two new MSOs to its list of VOD customers, thanks in part to the demise of Diva Systems Corp. In the wake of Diva's bankruptcy earlier this year, SeaChange secured deals with Insight Communications and...

U.K. firm tests electric broadband. (Up front: latest news and insight).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... A "shocking" development appears to be popping up in parts of Europe these days. Perhaps taking broadband to a more literal "lightning fast" level, Scottish Hydro-Electric is testing a powerline-based broadband service in the towns of Crieff...

Here comes the portable DVR. (Up front: latest news and insight).(digital video recorder)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... You've heard of the Pocket PC. Now get ready for the pocket DVR. SonicBlue Inc. and chip giant Intel Corp. are collaborating on the development of a new digital video recorder that people can use on the go. Available in 2003, the...

Fellows slated for CTO slot at AT&T Comcast. (Up front: latest news and insight).(David Fellows; various other appointments)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Ending weeks of speculation, Comcast Cable Communications announced in late August that David Fellows will become the CTO of AT&T Comcast, effective upon the completion of the pending merger of Comcast and AT&T Broadband. The merger is expected...

Charter bows Mag Rack. (Up front: latest news and insight).(Charter Communications)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Charter Communications has inked a multi-year deal to offer Mag Rack programming to its VOD-enabled digital subs, becoming the latest MSO to test the virtues of "free" on-demand content. Charter initially rolled out Mag Rack on Sept. 15 in four...

Microtune, Broadcom set for fall showdown. (Up front: latest news and insight).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Microtune Inc. applauded the results of a recent Markman hearing that paved the way for a patent infringement case the company has brought against silicon tuner rival Broadcom Corp. In that case, set to go to trial Oct. 7 in Sherman, Texas,...

Movielink preps for December launch. (Up front: latest news and insight).(new broadband-based video-on-demand service)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Movielink, a broadband-based video-on-demand service that could sap some VOD and pay-per-view revenues from cable operators, is set to launch this December. The service, a joint venture of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Paramount Pictures,...

DBS to disclose SVOD hard drive requirements. (Up front: latest news and insight).(subscription video-on-demand services)
October 1, 2002... EchoStar Communications Corp. and DirecTV Inc. will be upfront about how much set-top hard drive space customers will have to give up in order to enjoy subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services offered via satellite. That full...

MidStream raises $26m. (Up front: latest news and insight).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Fledgling video server company MidStream Technologies raised $26 million in a third round of funding led by Canaan Venture Partners. With the latest round, Bellevue, Wash.-based MidStream has raised a total of $48 million-enough for a...

New pacts put AOL's broadband efforts into high gear. (Up front: latest news and insight).( )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... America Online shifted its high-speed efforts into overdrive this summer after two separate pacts were signed that will give the ISP a dearer path into additional DSL and cable markets. For one, AOL Broadband will benefit from the unwinding of...

CSG snaps up IBM billing technology. (Up front: latest news and insight).(CSG Systems acquires Integrated Customer Management System)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... CSG Systems broadened its technology portfolio this summer when it picked up IBM's Integrated Customer Management System (ICMS) for customer care and billing for an undisclosed sum. The ICMS presently serves operators and other companies...

BigBand lands Cox HD deployments. (Up front: latest news and insight).(BigBand Networks Inc. to supply Broadband Multimedia Service Routers)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Cox Communications Inc. has tapped BigBand Networks Inc. to support the MSO's rollout of high definition television in several markets later this year. Initially, Cox will use BigBand's Broadband Multimedia Service Router (BMR) in Las...

UPC looks to Arris for tiering, VoIP. (Up front: latest news and insight).(UnitedGlobalCom awards three-year purchase agreement)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Pushing ahead with an advanced cable service plan that includes tiered data and a transition to IP telephony, UnitedGlobalCom has awarded Arris a three-year purchase agreement that covers "all elements" of HFC systems and multiple deployments....

OpenCable adds HD to the mix. (Up front: latest news and insight).(CableLabs issues high-definition TV specification for set-top boxes)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... CableLabs has issued a new OpenCable specification designed to funnel high-definition television programming through advanced digital set-tops and other OpenCable-based devices or "hosts." OpenCable is a CableLabs initiative that aims to...

FreeZone debuts in San Diego. (up front: latest news and insight).(Cox Communications Inc. launches its video-on-demand service)
October 1, 2002... Ready to see if "free" on-demand will drive and retain digital subscribers, Cox Communications Inc. has launched its advertising-supported video-on-demand service in San Diego. The service bowed on channel 997. Dubbed "FreeZone," the...

Gaining clarity: bandwidth management techniques and tools can aid operators in their quest to peer deeper into their networks, unclog bottlenecks and build more effective high-speed services. (Cover Story).
October 1, 2002... The old rules longer seem to apply for cable operators. Instead of being judged on EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization), Wall Street seems more inclined these days to measure MSOs based on free cash flow. That...

Nick in the armor: for more than a decade, Gemstar-TV Guide has ruthlessly protected a virtual monopoly in the market for interactive programming guide applications. But some recent events--including a couple of key court rulings and a threatened shakeup at the executive level--might crack open the door just enough to allow what has been lacking in the IPG space for years ... innovation.
October 1, 2002... There's been an elephant in cable's tent for more than a decade, and that immovable, lumbering animal has been Gemstar-TV Guide and its interactive program guide, deployed on the lion's share of Motorola-based cable television platforms across...

CWDM: giving fiber a boost: a low-cost solution for increasing return path capacity. (Fiber line: fiber optic technology).(Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing)(Industry Overview)
October 1, 2002... This article examines the characteristics of Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM) transmission components and demonstrates that the wide temperature tolerance and cost savings over existing technologies provide a solution to fiber...

Tracking the bandwidth gluttons: modem usage trends: yet another driver for DOCSIS upgrades. (Networking: advanced networking technology).(Industry Overview)
October 1, 2002... As bandwidth usage goes, in today's environment, most broadband Internet customers act reasonably. But those who don't act reasonably, really don't. Take, for instance, the gluttonous slurping of more than 300 gigabytes, through a single cable...

Reining in bandwidth hogs: uncapping and the need for bandwidth consumption monitoring. (Networking: advanced networking technology).(Illustration)(Industry Overview)
October 1, 2002... The theft of cable services is nothing new, and something the industry has been dealing with for decades. In a survey from 2000, NCTA estimated that the cable industry loses roughly $6.6 billion per year in revenue to the theft of video...

Achieving high-quality, secure residential VoIP: PacketCable specifications enable viable VoIP services over cable. (Networking: advanced networking technology).(Industry Overview)
October 1, 2002... Voice-over-IP (VoIP) is one of the major services MSOs are interested in deploying over their hybrid fiber/coaxial infrastructures. Costing less to operate than traditional circuit-switched telephony solutions, VoIP allows providers to offer...

Embracing intelligent mapping: harnessing geospacial technology to map & manage HFC networks. (Broadband: business and news perspective).(Industry Overview)
October 1, 2002... The decreasing cost of fiber optics has sparked a renewed interest in last-mile fiber solutions. With fiber reaching deeper into systems, HFC networks have become more complicated, and the need to intelligently map HFC systems has increased....

Dumb and dumber. (Ciciora's corner).(Federal Communications Commission and Consumer Electronics Association do dumb things)(Column)
October 1, 2002... There's a contest going on to see who can come up with the dumbest statements and rules regarding Digital TV (DTV). There are loads of participants, and there are very likely to be some new candidates for the title of "dumbest." In the...

Fully agile micro modulator. (Product Reviews).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... PHILADELPHIA -- North American Cable Equipment Inc. (NACE) has introduced the enhanced Cabletronix CT-AMM micro modulator, designed for commercial grade headend systems. The CT-AMM is a fully agile micro modulator providing an audio and video...

Compression system. (Product Reviews).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... ATLANTA -- Scientific-Atlanta has announced its new PowerVu modulator (modal D9390T) with 8PSK Turbo Code, which will increase bit rates, thus expanding the number of channels that can be delivered by a single satellite transponder. S-A...

802.11a wireless broadband router. (Access Platform).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... SANTA CLARA, CaLif. -- Netgear Inc. has announced the availability of its 802.11a CabLe/DSL High-Speed Wireless Router (HR314), the newest member of a line of networking products. The router combines the benefits of an 802.11a-compliant...

F-to-BNC adapter. (Product Reviews).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -- Trompeter has introduced a new adapter, the AD1300, for upgrading a low-performance F-connection to a high-frequency BNC connection, according to the company. This system is suited for HDTV set-top boxes, cable...

Ribbon-in-Central-Tube cable design. (Product Reviews).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... LEXINGTON, S.C. -- Pirelli Communications Cables and Systems North America has added to its lineup of fiber optic cables with the introduction of FusionLink Riser cable, a Riser rated RCLT (Ribbon-in-Central-Tube) cable for indoor-outdoor...

Gel-free outside plant cable. (Product Reviews).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK (RTP), N.C. -- Sumitomo Electric Light-wave has announced its DriTube Ribbon Cable-a 100 percent gel-free outside plant ribbon cable. Removing the need for gels in both the cable's core and central tube, the new design...

The digital tuner decision. (Capital currents).
October 1, 2002... The FCC decided that all new TV sets will have to have digital tuners, and the outraged consumer electronics industry is going straight to court. Which way will the court rule? It's very close-you can flip a coin. I think the FCC should lose,...

U.S. cable multiple ISP deployments and trials.(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... MSO MARKET TRIAL/DEPLOYMENT AT&T Broadband * Boston, Mass. Deployment Boulder, Colo. Trial Seattle, Wash. ...

Cable modem vendors.(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... DOCSIS 1.0 COMPANY NAME MODEL CERTIFIED? Aastra Technologies Ltd. HM200c Yes HM201c...

CMTS equipment.(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... CMTS EQUIPMENT DOCSIS 1.0 COMPANY MODEL QUALIFIED? ADC Cuda 12000 Yes www.adc.com ...

Q2 2002 DOCSIS cable modem shipments and market share.(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... Motorola and Toshiba are running neck-and-neck in North America, but Motorola has maintained a wide lead with its competitors on the global stage. NORTH AMERICA NORTH AMERICA WORLDWIDE VENDOR ...

Q2 2002 North American cable and DSL stats.(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... Cable-based high-speed data services maintained its lead over residential DSL in North America, with approximately 10.7 million subscribers. Cable held a 65.8 percent market share at the end of the second quarter, while DSL inched up its share...

Q2/02 DSL subs among top U.S. providers.(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... DSL SERVICE PROVIDER TOTAL SUBS NET 2Q ADDS SBC 1,700,000 213,000 Verizon 1,500,000 150,000 BellSouth 803,000 74,000 Qwest ...

Q2 2002 cable modem subscribers by MSO, North America.(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... CABLE MODEM SUBSCRIBERS Q2 2002 ADDITIONS AT&T Broadband 1,762,000 137,000 Time Warner Cable 2,466,000 271,000 Comcast 1,168,900...

North America VOD trials and deployments.
October 1, 2002... Coming of age: As video-on-demand grows in prevelance and gains momentum, 4.8 million North America households will be VOD-capable by the end of 2003, according to Allied Business Intelligence. The global VOD equipment market, meanwhile, will...

U.S. residential cable telephony deployments and trials.(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... U.S. RESIDENTIAL CABLE TELEPHONY DEPLOYMENTS AND TRIALS MSO MARKET CBR/VoIP AT&T Broadband Atlanta, Ga. CBR Boston, Mass. CBR ...

High definition television service rollouts.(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... Operator: AT&T Broadband Market(s): Early test launch in select areas of greater Chicago, Ill. Channels: Local FOX, NBC; HBO; Showtime Launch Date: Began May 2002 Pricing: ...

Satellite data service providers.(Hughes Network Systems Inc. and StarBand Communications Inc. are providers)
October 1, 2002... Provider: Hughes Network Systems Inc. Web site: www.hns.com Number of subscribers: 500,000+ systems ordered or shipped to businesses and consumers in 85 countries. Direcwag reported 123,000 North American subs as of June 30, 2002. ...

Proposed satellite services.
October 1, 2002... Provider:. Astrolink International Web site: www.astrolink.com Planned service: Astrolink System Technology: Ka-band spot beam architecture. Notes: One of the more memorable cash burns in the space. Last gasp was a planning and...

Major DSL service providers.
October 1, 2002... Provider: AT&T Corp. Web site: www.att.com Subs: N/A * * Much of the NorthPoint CO equipment acquired (see below) has get to be initiated for service. Services info: * AT&T DSL Service: $39.95 per month, free modem and...

DSL modem vendors.(Directory)(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... COMPANY MODEL NAME NAME PRICE ADC MM200L-P "Skyrocket" $299 www.adc.com Megabit Modem MM200L-B "Skyrocket" $299 MM200F-M...

iTV middleware report card.(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... Provider: Canal + Middleware product platforms: * MediaHighway (legacy version): based on European Pantalk; requires 1 MB DRAM, 1 MB Flash memory; minimum CPU requirements of 33 MIPS. * MediaHighway (Java-based version); lightest...

F-connector cross-reference chart.(Illustration)
October 1, 2002... F-CONNECTOR CROSS-REFERENCE CHART DIGICON CONNECTORS Series: Digicon Series: S Compression * Compression * BELDEN CABLES ...