WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) has unveiled a new exhibit at its Capitol Hill headquarters to showcase the wide array of interactive video, high-speed Internet and digital voice products and services that cable operators are now, or soon will be, providing to millions of consumers.  Called cableINNOVATES, the hands-on display – set up to resemble the elements of a fully integrated “broadband home” – was officially declared open during a meeting today of NCTA’s Board of Directors at the association’s new headquarters building.

NCTA also debuted a new 105-seat state-of-the-art high-definition theater that will serve as one of Washington, D.C.’s most technically advanced locations for premieres and screenings of cable’s exciting new programming, and other events.  The theater is adjacent to cableINNOVATES, on the first floor of NCTA’s new headquarters at 25 Massachusetts Ave N.W., in Washington, D.C.

“cableINNOVATES shows cable’s great strides in delivering advanced communications and entertainment services that make a positive difference in the lives of American consumers,” said Kyle McSlarrow, President & CEO, NCTA.  “The cable industry has invested over $100 billion to bring these exciting services to American households, and our goal is to demonstrate for visitors how cable delivers tremendous innovation and value every day.”

Cable Innovates – A Broadband Home

cableINNOVATES is a 1,000 square-foot exhibit that shows off many of the advanced technology and programming services that cable offers, and which includes displays highlighting cable’s commitment to education and parental control technology.  Designed and decorated in partnership with Scripps Networks as rooms within a typical home, the exhibit includes several of LG Electronics’ digital televisions, as well as content distributed throughout the display via wireless and wired networks.

Products and services featured in cableINNOVATES include:

Video: Rooms throughout the exhibit showcase cable services that offer a variety of entertainment experiences including: a 60-inch HDTV with a Dolby 5.1 surround sound home theater system; high-definition Digital Video Recorder (DVR); multi-room high-definition DVR; DVR to DVD set-top box; On Demand programming and features; online video games that allow real-time interaction between players across the room or around the world; refrigerator with built in television screen; and, an on-screen parental controls demonstration.

Cable Modem/Home Networking: Home networking components extend broadband services throughout the display, including wireless music and photo sharing among computers and televisions, video conferencing, a broadband music portal and a broadband-accessible oven that is able to receive cooking instructions and other messages.

Digital Phone: Cable’s new digital voice services are employed throughout the display via systems that link cell calls to the home phone, callerID displayed on the television, personal video phones and emergency battery backup power.

A variety of new services and industry technology initiatives will be featured and rotated into cableINNOVATES to reflect the most current technology that cable offers.  Currently on display is a wideband cable modem termination system (CMTS) providing very high-speed data transmission and interactive video services using the Open Cable Applications Platform (OCAP).  An education learning center is currently being developed.

High-Definition Theater

NCTA’s new two-story theater will showcase the wide range of cable’s new and original programming through its multi-format high-definition video and 35mm and 70mm film capability. All 105 seats are equipped with “ButtKickers” that accurately reproduce the "feeling" range of many natural and man-made sounds.  The theater’s cinema audio system provided by Dolby Laboratory is built to THX specifications.

The theater also includes a small video studio with basic editing capabilities.  Public Service Announcements and other short videos can be filmed with HD cameras and edited on-site with the Final Cut Pro editing suite.  In addition, the theater is affixed with several mounted cameras, providing the ability for web streaming, video and audio simulcasting and general filming capabilities.

NCTA moved into its new location at 25 Massachusetts Avenue NW in early October.  The association occupies a portion of the first floor and the entire second floor in this new facility, just off the “Senate side” of Capitol Hill.

NCTA salutes the following partners for their support of the cableINNOVATES display and theater:

Arris
Cisco
Comcast
Definitive Technology
Denon
Dolby Labs
Guitammer Company Inc.
Scientific Atlanta – A Cisco Company
Motorola
LG Electronics
Vidiom Systems
Worldgate Communications, Inc.