Articles

Capital Currents - New Video Description Rules

November 3, 2011 9:58 pm | by Jeffrey Krauss, president of Telecommunications and Technology Policy | Comments

In late August, the FCC released new rules for “video description.” This is the audio track for visually impaired viewers that carries both the main program audio and a narrative description of the onscreen action of a TV program or movie.

TOPICS:

Home Networks are a Gateway to Gateways

September 30, 2011 8:55 pm | by Brian Santo | Comments

In the process of simultaneously supporting their subscribers’ use of iPads and consumption of streaming video, multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) have been forced to get deeper into home networking (HN) faster than intended.

Cable’s Play in Home Security

September 30, 2011 8:50 pm | by Craig Kuhl, Contributing Editor | Comments

Traditional security services offered by entrenched providers such as ADT have dominated the home security space, with the few leftovers going to cable and telecom companies. Not anymore.

Next Challenge: Making Broadband Affordable for Everyone

September 30, 2011 8:45 pm | by Traci Patterson | Comments

The latest data from analyst firm Point Topic revealed that the current affordability of broadband around the world highlights a stark contrast in broadband prices.

Gateways - The Road to the All-IP Home

September 30, 2011 8:40 pm | by Paul Scarff, Senior Product Manager at Sigma Systems | Comments

Service providers are moving toward the use of gateways, but the gateway model is still evolving, and there remain questions about the mix of features and functions gateways should have.

Mobile Backhaul - The Backhaul Heat is On

September 30, 2011 8:35 pm | by Andy Fuertes and Larry Swasey, Principals at Visant Strategies | Comments

Cable operators, fiber providers and microwave radio vendors are benefiting from the continuing hard push by mobile wireless operators worldwide to build out both next-gen IP-based broadband and legacy networks.

In Perspective - “Qwikster”? Really?

September 30, 2011 8:30 pm | by Brian Santo | Comments

The Apple side of the universe is abuzz with the possibility that Comcast is getting close to streaming live TV to iPads.

Ciciora’s Corner - Patents in the News

September 30, 2011 8:20 pm | by Walt S. Ciciora, Expert on Cable and Consumer Electronics Issues | Comments

Patents have been in the news lately, big time. Google made its biggest acquisition to date in the purchase of Motorola Mobility. The trade press claims the motivation is Motorola’s 17,000 patents.

Open Mic - A New Content Delivery Paradigm

September 30, 2011 8:15 pm | by Conrad Clemson, CEO and Founder of BNI Video | Comments

The business of distributing content on the Web is in transition. Standalone content distribution networks (CDNs) still predominate, but telecommunications service providers that traditionally relied upon CDNs have begun to enter this market themselves.

Engineering-Wise - Upping the Capacity Ante

September 30, 2011 8:10 pm | by Daniel Howard, Senior Vice President of Engineering and CTO of SCTE | Comments

The need to manage and add capacity to cable networks is almost as old as the networks themselves. Whether it has been regular additions of downstream RF bandwidth, digital video compression, or increases in upstream capacity via higher-order QAM and S-CDMA.

Capital Currents - 21 x 9 Challenges

September 30, 2011 8:06 pm | by Jeffrey Krauss, President of Telecommunications and Technology Policy | Comments

Do you watch a lot of Blu-ray movies? Then maybe a 21 x 9 TV display is right for you. Why? Because one of the most common aspect ratios for theater display of movies is 2.39:1, which is close to 21 x 9.

Set-Top Boxes Reach for the Cloud

August 31, 2011 8:55 pm | by Mike Robuck, Senior Editor | Comments

Set-top boxes aren’t exactly bringing sexy back, but they are evolving into much more hip devices than the blue-collar editions that have squatted next to TVs for generations.

Canoe Preps For National Dynamic Ad Insertion In 2012

August 31, 2011 8:50 pm | by Mike Robuck, Senior Editor | Comments

Ever since early last year, Canoe Ventures, which is backed by the six largest cable operators in the nation, has been laying the operational and technical foundation for dynamic ad insertion (DAI) on free VOD (FVOD).

Wireline Telephony isn’t Flat-Lining

August 31, 2011 8:45 pm | by Rick Bye, Senior Product Manager for Wireline Products at Silicon Laboratories | Comments

Fixed-line (or landline) telephony services, including VoIP, are still important to consumers and represent a major source of revenue for service providers.

IP for video backhaul. No, really.

August 31, 2011 8:40 pm | by Richard Dellacanonica, President of Artel Video Systems | Comments

For years, video service providers have had limited options for dealing with one of the more critical aspects of their video contribution workflows: how to set up reliable circuits for inter-city or remote-to-network connections.