Keith Jack's Blog » Cable

Presenting at SmartTV Global Summit 2010 in Seoul

keith — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:18:48 +0000

I’ll be presenting “Future of TV-based Entertainment” at the SmartTV Global Summit 2010 next week.

For many years, the broadcasters determined what content was available and when on the TV. The last few years has seen an explosion of alternate sources of entertainment — IPTV that enables virtually an unlimited number of “channels” and whole-home DVR, personal content, on-line content, social networking, video calls, etc. The downside was that accessing all these capabilities required moving between the TV (with multiple set-top boxes) and the computer. Today, the industry is rapidly enabling the easy access of all the different kinds of content and features through the TV, along with new, innovative ways to find what you are looking for.

Google TV Guns for Cable Deals

keith — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:55:50 +0000

Google has a de facto exclusive deal with Dish Network as it pushes out its new TV platform, but the search giant has been knocking hard on cable doors in hopes of starting integration discussions.

Cable VOD Now Possible on Blu-Ray Players

keith — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:52:41 +0000

Clearleap, a web based TV technology platform, and Related Content Database, Inc. (RCDb) today announced a joint solution that will give pay TV operators the ability to deliver their full VOD libraries to any subscriber with an internet connected Blu-Ray player. The joint solution was unveiled for the first time at the CableLabs Summer Conference August 16th and 17th in Keystone, Colorado.

ESPN Wants Discreet Left/Right 3DTV for Affiliates

keith — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:20:27 +0000

Frame compatible 3DTV is the technology of choice for delivering 3DTV content to customer homes today, whether over satellite, cable or IPTV, because it is effectively an HDTV signal that can therefore use existing infrastructure and set-top boxes. ESPN is currently using discrete left- and right-eye HD signals from its event locations to its main broadcast facility in Bristol, Connecticut, which is converts to a frame compatible format for transport to its distribution partners.

However, ESPN wants to move another step forward and reach the point where it is delivering discrete left- and right-eye HD feeds all the way to its partners. Distribution partners can then create their own frame compatible broadcast or move towards any of the “full HD 3DTV” solutions that are currently being talked about.

Cable and Satellite Companies Planning on Using Tablets

keith — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:18:52 +0000

Most major cable and satellite providers in the U.S. (Comcast, Verizon, Time Warner, Dish Network, DirecTV, etc.) have various plans to enable their customers to enjoy their content on iPads and Android tablets.