MoreCom, Inc. Demonstrates New Level of Integration for Television and
Internet Content
newsalert.com
Digital Television and Broadband Internet Content are Combined as Never Before; Cable Operators, Cable Subscribers,
Content Providers, and Advertisers to Benefit from New Applications
ANAHEIM, Calif., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at the Western Cable Show, MoreCom, Inc., unveiled a powerful new
product and service package leveraging digital TV and the Internet to deliver a whole new class of entertainment- centered
broadband Internet services. Working from the strengths of both platforms, MoreCom has developed the first end-to-end
software and service solution to enable seamless integration of Internet content with digital television programming over existing
broadband digital TV networks. Using currently available products, including a low-cost digital set-top box and HFC cable
network, MoreCom demonstrated simultaneous delivery of broadband Internet content and digital television in services that
fuse the Web and TV experience and expand the information and entertainment possibilities of both platforms beyond anything
previously available in either domain.
The system and services that MoreCom demonstrated enable an enriched interactive experience for digital network
subscribers, increased revenue opportunities for cable operators, and entirely new possibilities for content providers and
advertisers. By using MoreCom's technology, operators will be able to deliver a new class of services that are more tightly
integrated with the Web than anything previously available through TV, and more viewer- centered, entertainment-oriented, and
video-rich than anything previously available through the Web. These subscription based services will make a digital set-top
box a "must have" for subscribers, helping operators to both drive digital penetration and derive the most return on their
investment in broadband digital infrastructure.
"Our services and products will enable cable operators to realize the full promise of digital networks by offering a truly rich
selection of interactive services to their subscribers," explained Ami Miron, CEO and president of MoreCom, Inc. as he
unveiled the service at the Western Cable Show. "MoreCom extends the power of digital television and Internet by providing
cable operators an innovative solution that serves their subscribers and their bottom line."
MoreCom Services
The MoreCom system enables basic broadband Internet services like TV-based Web browsing and e-mail, and improves
them by incorporating strengths of the TV platform. For example, MoreCom's Internet access service, MoreWeb(TM),
supports simultaneous viewing of Web and TV contents, either through picture- in-graphics or through full-screen overlay with
subscriber controlled levels of transparency. MoreCom's e-mail service, MoreMail(TM), incorporates the "always on" aspects
of TV with on-screen message alerts to enable instant notification of new e-mail.
What is more compelling about MoreCom's solution is that it goes beyond simple improvements to basic services. By marrying
the Web with digital TV, MoreCom has enabled a powerful new class of video-rich, entertainment-centered services that will
change the way we view TV and the Web. One example of the breakthrough services MoreCom technology makes possible is
the ability to view Web-based video clips on demand. At the Western Show demonstration, video clips were selected from
Web sites containing MoreCom enabled clips and displayed full-screen, at entertainment quality, as if they were regular
television programming or a home video. The "clip-on-demand" application alone offers unprecedented convenience and
flexibility to subscribers and vastly expanded opportunities for content suppliers, advertisers, and operators.
"Delivering high-quality broadband Internet to customers' televisions is like adding as many new channels as there are Web
sites. It is virtually unlimited," Miron explained. "The cable industry has just begun to imagine the business opportunity this offers
both now and as applications and uses for Internet TV continue to be developed by advertisers, programmers, and industry."
MoreCom's end-to-end system includes client and server products that enable delivery of the following Web-based services to
consumers through the digital set-top box:
-- The MoreCast(SM) Webcasting service provides broadcast and simulcast of
Web-based content like news, sports, local weather, and stock quotes
pushed from the Web to digital set-top boxes through broadband digital
TV networks. The simulcast feature enables synchronization of Web
content to specific video programming, enabling, for example,
simultaneous display of a commercial and particular Web-based content
related to that commercial. Because content is pushed, the MoreCast
service does not require a two-way connection; it can be deployed in
one-way cable systems as well as broadcast, MMDS and DBS networks.
-- The MoreVideo(SM) clip-on-demand (COD) service provides Web-based
entertainment-quality video to digital set-top boxes through two-way
broadband digital TV networks. The MoreVideo service supports picture-
in-graphics and full-screen display of video content with HTML-based
navigation. MoreVideo content can be authored easily using standard
HTML and MPEG tools. The content can be short clips like top news,
movie trailers, music, sports, or video archives. The system is
architected to accommodate the transition to a full Internet based
Video On Demand (VOD) service, as storage becomes affordable. In the
future MoreVideo will be extended to include episodes of favorite TV
series or even full-length movies.
-- The MoreWeb(SM) Internet access service provides an "always on" high-
speed Internet access for digital TV set-top boxes through two-way
broadband digital TV networks. The MoreWeb service supports all the
basic features of Web browsing with a unique simultaneous display of
Web content and video programming, through either picture-in-graphics
or layered display with subscriber control of layer transparency level.
TV programming is always displayed, with Internet content displayed as
an enhancement rather than a replacement.
-- The MoreMail(SM) e-mail service provides one-way messaging or two-way
Internet mail to digital set-top boxes over broadband digital TV
networks. The MoreMail service supports all basic features of e-mail,
including instant notification of receipt of new messages.
MoreCom Products
MoreCom products include a well-balanced suite of server products as well as client software. The servers are installed at the
cable head-end, and the client software is downloaded directly to the digital set-top box located in the cable subscriber's home
to enable reception of MoreCom services. MoreCom's suite of client and server products includes:
-- The MoreCaster(TM) Webcasting server delivers broadcast and program- synchronized content over broadband digital TV
networks.
-- The MoreAccess(TM) Internet access server enables Web access and Email over broadband digital TV networks.
-- The MoreVideo(TM) video-streaming server delivers broadcast-quality Web-based video over broadband digital TV
networks.
-- The MoreManage(TM) service and network management server controls quality of service and resource usage for
broadband Internet services.
-- The MoreClient(TM) set-top client software provides an HTML engine and data access application to support receipt,
navigation, and display of broadband Internet services.
These client and server products enable delivery of Web-based services through the broadband digital TV network. Because
the services are accessed through a standard digital TV set-top, they are always on with no dial up and are seamlessly
integrated with TV. Web-based services and TV can be viewed simultaneously, and no PC, modem, or other special
connection device is required to access them. Additionally, as an open standard-based system, Web content is delivered in a
format that precludes the need for costly reformatting or content regeneration.
About MoreCom, Inc.
MoreCom, Inc., is a privately held company based in Horsham, Pennsylvania. MoreCom was founded in 1997 by television
pioneers from General Instrument and Philips Electronics. Led by Ami Miron, MoreCom offers cable operators a complete
end-to-end software and service solution to merge digital video with Internet content for television applications using existing
broadband networks and digital set-top boxes. MoreCom's head-end servers and client software enable compelling new
set-top applications that navigate seamlessly between digital video and Internet content, providing on-demand access to
Internet- based services. The company's standards-based technology is the first integration of client and server software into an
end-to-end OpenCable and DVB-compliant digital TV platform that enables seamless delivery of enhanced TV, Internet
access, and Internet-based video-on-demand.
For more information, please contact Debbie Noll 215-773-9400 or visit MoreCom's Web site at: morecom.com.
MoreCom, MoreCaster, MoreAccess, MoreMedia, and MoreManage are trademarks of MoreCom, Inc. MoreCast,
MoreWeb, MoreVideo, and MoreMail are service marks of MoreCom, Inc. All other trademarks and copyrights are
registered and protected by their respective manufacturers.
SOURCE MoreCom, Inc.
/CONTACT: Debbie Noll of MoreCom, Inc., 215-773-9400, or
dnoll@morecom.com; or Gretchen Roede, ext. 12, or Beth Hespe, ext. 35, both of
The Garfield Group, 609-396-0946, or bhespe@garfieldgroup.com, for MoreCom,
Inc./
/Web site: garfieldgroup.com
/Web site: morecom.com |
