Microsoft, CableLabs Team Up
CableLabs has struck a deal with Microsoft that opens the door to personal computer manufacturers to market PCs with CableCARDS.
These Media Center PCs, capable of supporting a CableCARD module, will allow consumers to have one-way cable programming, including premium high-definition cable content, on PCs and throughout the home on compliant network-connected devices, such as Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Microsoft is also working closely with CableLabs to document final approval of Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) as a content protection technology for OpenCable products that receive one-way cable content under the terms of this agreement. "The cable industry is very interested in having the PC serve as another means to allow consumers to enjoy cable programming," said Richard R. Green, president and CEO of CableLabs, in a press release. "By working with Microsoft and the IT industry, we have come up with a solution to enable consumers to enjoy the wide range of entertainment options they want." The agreement is the result of more than two years of evaluation and technical reviews performed by the two entities under the CableLabs OpenCable process to develop specifications and test suites for the new solution. CableLabs will host interoperability events to enable vendors working on products based on these specifications to test products in CableLabs facilities and conduct more formalized certification testing. GlobeCast Launches Operation of IPTV Headend GlobeCast-a content management and delivery company and subsidiary of France Telecom-has completed the buildout of its new technical operations center (TOC) in Miami. The center is designed to support the company’s newly inaugurated IPTV Super Headend, which it says is capable of aggregating hundreds of TV signals from around the globe in MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 and providing IP encapsulation and retransmission of content via satellite for distribution to "local" IPTV headends across North America. GlobeCast’s plan and design considerations allow it to deliver and manage a range of IP-based content management services, including IPTV. Technical capabilities at the TOC enable the use of multiple compression technologies and allow compatibility with multiple middleware providers. According to a press release, the TOC’s throughput capacity of the uplink infrastructure exceeds data rates used in most C-band, Ku-band and Ka-band satellite services. The uplink multiplexing system provides an advanced Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) conditional access system (CAS) scrambling in addition to the broadcast industry’s standard CA systems. This technology, Advanced Encryption System (AES), enables secure and reliable distribution of data and/or video services to be downlinked and multicast to commercial and residential subscribers from one or more digital headends. Ready for Some Fantasy Football? This week’s announcement by Time Warner Cable was a dream come true for fantasy football fans.
Time Warner Cable and BIAP Systems launched Time Warner Cable Fantasy Football Tracker in Green Bay, Wisc., which is home to many football fanatics. The interactive TV application gives fantasy football players the ability to track their entire team’s roster with the touch of a button on their digital cable remote, which saves fantasy football aficionados from gathering the information off of their computers. Powered by BIAP’s interactive TV software, fantasy football fans will be able to use an on-screen setup process to input their fantasy football teams to get up-to-date stats on just those players. The Time Warner Cable Fantasy Football Tracker provides continually updated player stats from around the league as well as game scores, passing, rushing, receiving and kicking leader boards, injury updates, player headlines and other information of interest to fantasy football players. Customers can view this information as a scrolling ticker, full screen or 3/4 formats that provide more detailed information.