CED articles from September 2003

CED archives from September 2003

So long, Western Show!(in perspective)
September 1, 2003... At long last, someone blinked. The "someone" in this case is the Western Show, the left coast confab that not long ago rivaled the National Show in size and influence, but which over the past two years, withered to a point where it became...

Comcast, Time Warner Cable to test Microsoft TV software.(Upfront: latest news and insight)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Microsoft TV chalked up two more points for its suite of set-top software, notching its first field trial commitment from Time Warner Cable, and its second with Comcast Corp. Comcast has agreed to a "limited trial" of the Microsoft TV...

All systems go for Rainbow 1.(Upfront: latest news and insight)(Cablevision Systems Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Rainbow 1, the centerpiece of Cablevision Systems Corp.'s ambitious but relatively secret digital satellite plans, launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla. in mid-July. The bird, sent into orbit aboard an Atlas V rocket, will offer digital video...

C-cation, Comcast settle 'Lightwire' spat.(Upfront: latest news and insight)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... C-cation Inc. and Comcast Cable said they have settled a patent case that C-cation first brought against AT&T Broadband last year. C-cation alleged in the case that AT&T Broadband's LightWire and Oxiom HFC technology and underlying...

Juniper dumps CMTS line, partners with Arris.(Upfront: latest news and insight)(Juniper Networks Inc.)
September 1, 2003... The incredible shrinking pool of cable modem termination system (CMTS) vendors got even smaller last month. Juniper Networks Inc., after buying its way into the CMTS market back in late 2001 by putting up $200 million for Pacific Broadband...

iGlass: don't knock the outsourced NOC.(Upfront: latest news and insight)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... As operators sign on more digital and cable modem customers, the need to properly track outages of home-side equipment is growing in reaps and bounds. iGlass has thrown its hat into that ring with an outsourced Network Operations Center (NOC)...

Tribune media gobbles up iSurfTV assets.(Upfront: latest news and insight)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Tribune Media Services (TMS) said it has acquired "a significant patent portfolio" tied to iSurfTV's interactive program guide and interactive television technologies. TMS plans to use those assets alongside its own "passive" electronic...

CableLabs approves first PacketCable media gateway.(Upfront: latest news and insight)
September 1, 2003... CableLabs placed its first official stamp of approval on a media gateway, awarding PacketCable 1.0 qualification to Nuera Communications" Orca BTX-8. The device provides the bearer circuit interfaces to the PSTN and transcodes the media stream....

'Eve' marketed as broadband sub booster.(Upfront: latest news and insight)(Simon and Schuster Interactive)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Simon & Schuster Interactive will offer a new "massively multiplayer" game to operators at a reduced rate, claiming the move will goose cable modern sub numbers. The game, "Eve," carries a street price of $50, but cable operators who...

Datria lends voice to workforce management.(Upfront: latest news and insight)(Datria Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Datria has launched a new version of I a workforce management application that converts field tech voice commands into data that can weave its way into an operator's billing and operational system support platforms. The software, dubbed...

Mediacom picks up Mag Rack.(Upfront: latest news and insight)(Mediacom Communications Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Mediacom Communications has beefed up its library of on-demand content, thanks to a multi-year deal with Mag Rack. Mediacom initially will launch Mag Rack in three cities: Mobile, Ala.; Moline, Ill; and Des Moines, Iowa. The MSO will offer...

DBS romances the phone.(Upfront: latest news and insight)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... In a move that could hasten cable's foray into IP telephony, EchoStar and DirecTV have gained the ability to bundle video and voice services via recent telco partnerships. Essentially moving its VDSL plans off the backburner and completely...

CableLabs, CTAM team on 'Movers Hotline'.(Upfront: latest news and insight)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... CableLabs and CTAM have embarked on a new initiative designed to stem churn when existing cable subs move out of the neighborhood. CableLabs and CTAM began testing the "Cable Movers Hotline" in September 2002, followed by a phased launch early...

VOD interops progress.(Upfront: latest news and insight)(video-on-demand)(Optinel Systems)(MidStream Technologies)(Concurrent Computer Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Optinel Systems and MidStream Technologies have completed interoperability tests between their respective video-on-demand equipment. The tests proved interoperability between Optinel's PLEXiS MFX broadband transport system and MidStream's...

Lesson from a rapper: embrace your inner DVR.(memory lane)
September 1, 2003... Part of hip-hop lore is the story of a 15-year-old named Theodore, a Bronx kid with a thing for loud music. Blasting tunes from his bedroom stereo on a summer afternoon in 1975, the teen was startled by his mother's appearance at the door. He...

The road not yet traveled: options and philosophies abound as MSOs ponder how to best cut a path to the all-digital summit.
September 1, 2003... Cable's eventual migration to an all-digital environment is not a smooth, well-paved, one way road, but a tangle of different paths that could wind circuitously, yet lead to the same destination. Some corridors are easier than others, while...

Enhancing the digital experience: personalization and glitzier on-screen graphics are just two ways cable can funnel customers toward new revenue-generating services.
September 1, 2003... Spinning globes, 3-D graphics, full-motion video and a veritable wonderland of on-screen, interactive visuals are incenting MSOs, programmers and advertisers to expand their creative use of set-top software to reduce churn, generate fresh...

HD and VOD: ever the twain shall meet: HD content appears to be the next logical step in the on-demand evolution.(high-definition television)(video-on-demand)
September 1, 2003... Peanut butter and chocolate. The Captain and Tennille. Fred and Barney. These are but a few pairs that go together as naturally as high-definition television and video-on-demand. A handful of MSOs already have HDVOD plans in the works....

Movielink pumps out premium IP: Jim Ramo and Movielink aim to do for high-speed internet services what HBO did for cable video-give consumers a reason To pay more for first-rate content.
September 1, 2003... If content is king, one it's princes-in-waiting is Movielink, an Internet-based purveyor of digital movies that also happens to have the backing of five major studios: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures...

Profiting from VOD: consumer interest is rising--is your back office optimized for real-time requests and multiple content partnerships?(Video-on-demand)
September 1, 2003... After much discussion by cable operators and industry pundits over the past few years, the market for on-demand services is finally getting traction with consumers. Video-on-demand (VOD) sea, ices None present a revenue growth opportunity that...

Shedding the weight of myth: though burdened with misconceptions, RPR is poised to deliver many benefits.(Fiberline: fiber optic technology)
September 1, 2003... A large cable multiple system operator (MSO) in North America was faced with the challenge of transporting voice, data and video services between regional hubs in its cable system. Since the MSO already had fiber deployed in certain segments of...

Harnessing MPEG and IP: how to develop digital on-demand services via flexible technologies.(Networking: advanced networking technology)
September 1, 2003... In the early 1990s, the Internet proved the total value of on-demand information for mass-market consumers Also in the '90s, cable's video on-demand service captured the total value which consumers had come to expect from their entertainment...

2003-2004 fiber topologies comparison: a special pull-out wallchart from CED.
September 1, 2003... Aurora Networks' Passive HFC architecture Aurora's implementation of its next-generation optical networking equipment is an evolutionary progression of the traditional HFC architecture to meet the demands for bandwidth by new...

Moving toward Shannon's Limit: sub-band division multiplexing could help MSOs pump up existing cable.(Networking: advanced networking technology)
September 1, 2003... Innovation in the mathematics of digital signal transmission technology has created an opportunity for cable operators to increase the digital capacity of their networks. This innovation is called sub-band division multiplexing (SDM), which is...

Patents: industry parasite or savior? The granting of patents creates clinging leeches, as well as innovators.(Broadband: business and news perspective)
September 1, 2003... The recent avalanche of patent-related lawsuits has thrust the debate over the validity of patents from the cloistered realm of academia into the public spotlight. Patent detractors claim that patents have paralyzed the industry's ability to...

Going underground.(In the loop)
September 1, 2003... Undergrounding of communications and utility cabling has been a part of the landscape (or should I say, below the landscase) for well over 100 years, Cities like Philadelphia, for instance, have had cable undergrounding requirements since the...

Broadband wireless subscriber units.(New products: product reviews)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Trango Broad band Wireless has introduced the first product in a line of Subscriber Units (SUs) for the Access5830 multipoint wireless connectivity platform. The new series of Fox5800 and Fox5300 subscriber unit enable...

Integrated power monitors.(New products: product reviews)(from Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Alliance Fiber Optic Products Inc. has released a series of miniature integrated power monitors, which are designed for channel monitoring in DWDM systems and add/drop modules. The company's power monitors can also be used...

Return path management.(New products: product reviews)(Trilithic Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Trilithic has announced Viewer II, NOC-level return path management software optimized for real-time diagnosis and problem resolution. Viewer II organizes and selectively presents from performance data and SNMP traps from...

Battery testing software.(Powering)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... RICHARDSON, Texas -- Valere Power has announced new battery testing software for its AC/DC telecom power distribution systems that gives carriers new visibility into the health and reliability of their battery back-up systems. The life of...

DSL's dirty little secret--revisited.(capital currents)(digital subscriber lines)
September 1, 2003... About five years ago, I wrote a column about the possibility that digital emissions from digital subscriber lines (DSL) could cause interference to AM radio reception. But maybe I got it backwards, because lately I've been reading about...