Washington, DC - Exhibitors at Cable 2002, the 51st Annual Convention & International Exposition of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), will demonstrate a variety of technologies, products, and services comprising the latest advancements in the consumer's broadband experience.
Cable 2002 opens May 5, 2002, at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA.
"Consumers today are enjoying increasing choices in broadband services, including advanced video, high-speed Internet, and digital telephone service," said Barbara York, Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs and Chief Administrative Officer, NCTA. "Our exhibit floor at Cable 2002 will feature a glimpse into the state of the art in all of these services."
The following represents a sample of the technologies that will be on display.
Home Networking
Motorola is exhibiting consumer devices with integrated home networking that keep consumers informed, entertained and connected throughout their homes. The Motorola broadband media center platform (BMC8000 and BMC9000 gateways), being introduced with partners Digeo and Charter, combines the intelligence of a PC, entertainment power of an advanced digital set-top, convenience of a high-speed Internet connection, and efficiency of a wireless home network. Motorola's SURFboard® SBG1000 is the industry's first wireless cable-modem gateway. It combines Motorola's SURFboard high-speed modem with an 802.11b wireless home gateway and 5-port Ethernet router/switch to give home/SOHO/SME users more options for Internet access, PC networking, and integrating add-on devices like printers, fax machines, and telephony MTAs. The SBG1000 also features advanced firewall protection and virtual private networking for security and broadband enterprise network access.
Pace Micro Technology's home networking offering uses the digital set-top box as the portal for interactive communications in and around the home - enabling electronic devices to link with each other through the use of existing wiring within the home or wirelessly, and to communicate with the outside world via any digital two-way platform. At Cable 2002, Pace will showcase a suite of sensible solutions for home networking technology. By working with best of breed partners, Pace has been able to produce home networking products that will enable new services to reach all corners of the home - multiple TVs, the PC, games consoles, kitchen appliances, security systems, etc.
Interactive Program Guides
iSurfTV will be demonstrating SurfGuide, a revolutionary rich media interactive program guide that is being developed for both the DCT1200 and the DCT2000 set-top boxes from Motorola. SurfGuide offers digital cable subscribers an easy-to-navigate interface, with superior graphics and powerful search capabilities. The product's modular architecture will facilitate easy integration with VOD and other interactive applications. With SurfGuide, cable operators can offer advanced IPG functionality without needing to deploy more advanced set-top boxes. Catch the newest wave in IPG technology at iSurfTV's booth, #1047.
Interactive Television
OpenTV provides a full range of iTV solutions including content, technology and professional services for the cable, satellite and terrestrial broadband industries. The company's technology is deployed in more than 23.5 million set-top boxes worldwide and has been selected by 50 network operators, including 19 cable operators. On display at Cable 2002 will be OpenTV's iTV solutions that enable consumer access to interactive features such as video-on-demand (VOD), games, enhanced TV, t-commerce, email and chat. OpenTV provides operators, broadcasters and content providers the ability to build stronger brand loyalty, increase viewer satisfaction and generate additional revenues through interactive television.
WorldGate supplies a variety of technology, applications, content, and services designed to enable a robust set of interactive TV features. Operators around the globe have already deployed WorldGate's real-time, two-way interactive solution, which includes e-mail, chat, games, and Web access. New applications, such as dynamically updated content packages, will be featured at Cable 2002. WorldGate subscribers can now access on-demand information, including horoscopes, recipes, weather forecasts, news headlines, sports scores, stock quotes, and local information. The dynamic content is updated every hour throughout the day and managed via WorldGate's worldwide operations center. WorldGate offers a complete product continuum of interactive TV solutions designed for one-way and two-way cable systems.
Video on Demand
Concurrent Computer Corporation's MediaHawk (TM) Broadband VOD service is bringing video on demand to nearly 9 million cable subscribers in 30 markets throughout the country. Video on demand (VOD) allows consumers to select hit movies and other services with the touch of a button on their remote control. Concurrent will be demonstrating this service - as well as Subscription VOD (SVOD), programming on demand from subscription services like HBO, Showtime, and Starz Encore - at Cable 2002. With both VOD and SVOD, consumers are on the first step to the world of Personal Television; what they want (TV, movies, and other programming) when they want it, all with the convenience to pause, fast forward, rewind.
nCUBE provides complete business and technology solutions for the video-on-demand (VOD) and subscription VOD (SVOD) market today while providing a platform from which to launch future on-demand offerings including Network Personal Video Recording (nPVR). nCUBE's customers include Time Warner Cable, Charter, Comcast and Adelphia. At Cable 2002, nCUBE will demonstrate its full-range of on-demand media and digital advertising solutions. The company's nPVR system is "server-based" with encoders and programming storage at the operator's headend, unlike set-top PVR systems where the PVR functionality is stored in a set-top device. nCUBE's nPVR system allows operators to store a full month of programming for 200 networks on one server, providing consumers greater viewing options and anytime access to all programming with VCR-like control.
SeaChange International, Inc. puts the NCTA spotlight on XOD or everything-on-demand. Subscription VOD, sports-on-demand, news-on-demand, even ads-on-demand are showcased in an age in which "personal television" services are rapidly emerging as cable's unique advantage for winning subscriber loyalty and fending off DTH satellite competitors. Based on SeaChange's VOD System, the company demonstrates the exciting new applications that today have captured hundreds of thousands of subscribers for Adelphia, Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner and others. With studios and television networks lining-up to fill the VOD pipeline, television is rapidly approaching its 'everything-on-demand' future, and SeaChange shows how its digital video systems empower cable operators, quite simply and economically.
For further information on the above mentioned companies and products, please contact:
- Motorola, Jeanne Russo 215.323-1873: [email protected]
- Pace Micro Technology, Tammy Snook 407.667.9355: [email protected]
- iSurfTV, Eric Stanion 408.744.2905: [email protected]
- OpenTV, Helen Chung 206-381-3600: [email protected]
- WorldGate, Donielle McGrail 215-354-5191: [email protected]
- Concurrent Computer Corporation, Tammy Snook 407.667.9355: [email protected]
- nCube, Mike Krilich 206.381.3600: [email protected]
- SeaChange, International, Inc., John Coulbourn 978.897.0100 x3098: [email protected]
Additional, up-to-the-minute Cable 2002 information, including convention schedule and registration materials, is available via the official web site (www.cable2002.com); from the Cable 2002 Fax on Demand Hotline (732/544-2514); or from the NCTA's Department of Industry Affairs (202/775-3669).