We’re not sure what the hot new technology from CES will be, but we expect cable set-tops will get a fair amount of ink from Vegas this week. For example, Motorola and S-A will demo their HD DVR set-tops. (Verizon’s using Motorola’s set-top for its FiOS rollout.) Then there’s the set-top combo from OpenTV, Nagravision and S3 that the companies say will allow MSOs to deploy HD set-tops quicker. All of this underlines cable’s message this week: that it is uniquely positioned to handle whatever gadgets CES can throw at it. That includes on-demand and ITV applications. It also includes wireless services that MSOs plan to launch. But the main point MSOs are going to push in Vegas is that their digital subscriber base is more tech savvy than that of any of the competitors. A CTAM survey to be released this week shows a higher percentage of digital cable subs plan to buy HDTVs (16%), video-game systems (22%) and portable video players (11%) than satellite customers (8%, 13% and 5%, respectively). Meanwhile, analog subscribers are going away faster than expected. Nearly 50% of all cable subs are digital, according to an Ipsos poll.

The Daily

Subscribe
Wednesday–October 22

AT&T Sees Growth in Fiber, Internet Air

It’s once again time for companies to report their quarterly earnings, and AT&T had the honor of being the first among the Big 3 carriers to give an update on how 3Q25 went.

Read the Full Issue
The Skinny is delivered on Tuesday and focuses on the cable profession. You'll stay in the know on the headlines, topics and special issues you value most. Sign Up

Jobs

Seeking an INDUSTRY JOB or hiring for one?
VIEW JOBS

In conjunction with our sister brand, Cynopsis, we are offering hiring managers a deep pool of media-savvy, skilled candidates at a range of experience levels and sectors. The result will be an even more robust industry job board, to help both employers and job seekers.

Contact us at marketing@cynopsis.com, for more information about posting a job on the website and our Jobs newsletter, sent twice weekly to 85,000 media professionals.