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Monday, August 26, 2002 |
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• Charter, Harmonic team on GigE-based VOD • Microsoft's IPG
gets the green light to run • TVN taps into children's market • BigBand lands Cox HD deployments • Hotel broadband sector poised for growth • MSO selects Terayon as a preferred vendor Charter, Harmonic team on GigE-based VOD Charter Communications said it is deploying
Harmonic Inc.’s Gigabit Ethernet-based video-on-demand gear in 12 markets with “additional markets planned for later this year.”
Related stories:
Microsoft's IPG gets the green light to run on more Motorola set-tops Microsoft Corp. believes its Microsoft TV IPG can help reduce churn for operators, and the company has been working with Motorola Inc.'s Motorola Broadband Communications Sector to expand its use. The latest: The IPG has received ACADIA validation for use in Motorola's DCT-1000 and DCT-1200 set-top boxes. Microsoft considers the Microsoft TV IPG, which was introduced in May, as an alternative to TV Guide Interactive because Gemstar will receive a portion of Microsoft's IPG licensing revenue, Microsoft told CED Broadband Direct in May. The IPG has already been validated to run on Microsoft's DCT-2000 set-tops, Motorola's most widely deployed box. ACADIA validation is designed to act as a benchmark for operators choosing software, content and applications. The Application Integration Center is a Motorola subsidiary and is the facility for the Horizon Developer Program. The center is intended to supply the expertise and resources to take a prototype to deployment. Related story:
TVN taps into children's market Whoever believes children should be seen and not heard obviously isn't tapping into the multi-billion dollar market. TVN Entertainment sees the revenue potential of this market in the video-on-demand space and has put together a programming package for its VOD affiliates. The company has put together a package that includes 18 hours of Sesame Street programming from Sesame Workshop, 13 episodes of Backyard Safari from RCN Entertainment and various programs, including Mattel's Barbie in the Nutcracker and The Great Bear Scare from Artisan's Family Home Entertainment label. The package also will include MGM content, including Pink Panther cartoons and Hello Kitty. The MGM deal is a trial agreement. Blue Ridge, Charter Communications Inc., Insight Communications, Mediacom Communications Corp., RCN Corp., Spark Interactive and Seren Innovations Inc. are among the affiliates that have signed up for the children's VOD package, TVN said. In July, Intertainer inked a licensing deal giving it the right to distribute 21 half-hour Sesame Street episodes, including The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street, Cookie Monster's Best Bites and Getting Ready for School. Related story:
BigBand lands Cox HD deployments, Cox Communications
Inc. said it has tapped BigBand Networks Inc. to support the MSO’s rollout of high definition television in several markets later this year.
Hotel broadband sector poised for growth The hospitality market was hit hard after the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. But now almost a year later, the market is beginning to rebound, which is good news for the broadband industry, one analysis says. Lower occupancy following Sept. 11 and a unsustainable business model nearly devastated in hotel broadband market in its infancy, says a new report, dubbed "Pay-Per-View or Free Shampoo: Where is Hotel Broadband Headed," from InStat/MDR, which is owned by the same parent as Broadband Week. The wounds, however, are beginning to heal, and hotels are embracing broadband with renewed enthusiasm, according to Amy Cravens, an InStat/MDR analyst. The market is positioned for strong growth in the second half of this year. After 2003, roughly 250,000 ports will be shipped per year, and by 2006 more than 1 million ports will have shipped, according to the report. InStat/MDR also found that the trend of using ADSL networks to deploy services is fading, and is being replaced by the deployment of higher bandwidth VDSL networks. The hotel broadband market will largely be driven by new builds, which will most likely be wired with CAT 5, shifting the market toward Ethernet. Looking at the equipment side of the market is expected to generate $286 million in revenue by 2006, with the majority of the revenue coming from business in the United States, says the report. Specifically, the hotel broadband report takes a
look at the trends driving the hotel broadband market and the
projected revenues in various sectors, including equipment and
services. It also projects take rates and penetration.
MSO selects Terayon as a preferred vendor Terayon Communications Systems Inc. joins Motorola Broadband and Toshiba America Information Systems as a preferred next-generation cable modem vendor for Cox Communications. Cox has approved Terayon's TJ 715 DOCSIS 2.0-based cable modem for use in its networks. The modem is DOCSIS 1.1 certified. CableLabs has not yet begun testing for DOCSIS 2.0 certification. The MSO plans to deploy the modem in its Phoenix system shortly. Phoenix, viewed as a highly competitive market for residential broadband service, is Cox's largest facility. The news of the deal with Cox gave investors something to smile about, and gave Terayon's stock a much-need shot in the arm. At one point in morning trading, Terayon shares were up 52 cents, or 24 percent, to $2.68. Earlier this month, Comcast Corp. certified Terayon's TJ 615 cable modem for deployment in its high-speed network. The cabler plans to deploy the DOCSIS 2.0-based modem in select service areas. Related stories:
CableLabs has released a request for proposal (RFP) for implementations of OCAP (OpenCable Application Platform), a middleware specification for digital set-tops, televisions and other consumer devices based on the cable industry’s OpenCable platform.
Related stories:
• Sweden to get VOD network Infraconcepts plans to roll out a video-on-demand network, dubbed SmarTV, in Sweden, with the help of SGI and Thirdspace. SGI and Thirdspace are supplying their turnkey VOD system, which is based on SGI's Origin 300 survey platform and Thirdspace's OVS video server software and OVA, which handles the business logic in the system. Infraconcepts initially will offer SmarTV to 1,500 households outside Stockholm, in Sollentuna. • Indictments delayed in Adelphia case Five former Adelphia Communications Corp. executives will have to wait a bit longer for their case to go to court. A federal court postponed the hearing for 30 days. The U.S. Attorney's Office has said it needs more time to review information it has received from the defendants. Last month, John Rigas, his two sons Timothy and Michael, and two other former Adelphia executives James Brown and Michael Mulcahey were arrested and charged with securities fraud. On Friday, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved Adelphia for its $1.5 billion debtor in possession credit facility.
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