CableLabs Releases OpenCable Consumer Electronics Compatibility Spec
LOUISVILLE, Colo., Mar 15, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cable Television
Laboratories, Inc. (CableLabs(R)) today released to the public a final
revision
of its OpenCable(TM) Network Interface specification (OCI-N).
The specification, originally completed in October 1999, has been
modified to
reflect the terms of a February 23, 2000, agreement between the cable
industry
and consumer electronics manufacturers on issues related to cable
compatibility
with digital television receivers.
OpenCable is a fast-track initiative sponsored by leading cable
television
companies, managed through CableLabs, with a goal of attaining
interoperable
digital set-top boxes and other advanced digital devices manufactured
by
multiple vendors.
"The integration of these final changes into the OCI-N specification
means that
manufacturers have clear direction on how to build digital television
receivers
that will work with cable's digital distribution plant," said Dr.
Richard R.
Green, CableLabs president and CEO. "It also means that manufacturers
will have
a way to test interoperability through CableLabs' open interoperability
events,"
Green added.
"We look forward to working cooperatively with the suppliers to ensure
that the
implementation of these specifications meets the needs of the consumer
electronics and cable industries and that the results benefit the
consumer,"
said Mark Coblitz, senior vice president of strategic planning for
Comcast
Corporation and a key executive in the OpenCable project.
The next interoperability event is scheduled for the week of March 20.
Fourteen
consumer electronics and digital video headend manufacturers are
scheduled to
participate, including DiviCom, LG Electronics, MARGI Systems,
Microsoft,
Mindport, Motorola, NAGRA, NDS, Philips, Samsung, Scientific Atlanta,
SCM
Microsystems, Thomson Consumer Electronics, and Zenith.
The OCI-N specification also will be submitted shortly to the Society
of Cable
Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) Digital Video Subcommittee (DVS)
with the
goal of turning the specification into a due process standard. The
prior version
of the specification had been sent to the SCTE DVS as an informative
submission.
CableLabs is a research and development consortium of cable television
system
operators representing the continents of North America and South
America.
CableLabs plans and funds research and development projects that will
help cable
companies take advantage of future opportunities and meet future
challenges in
the cable television industry.
It also transfers relevant technologies to member companies and to the
industry.
In addition, CableLabs acts as a clearinghouse to provide information
on current
and prospective technological developments that are of interest to the
cable
industry. CableLabs maintains web sites at www.cablelabs.com;
www.cablemodem.com; www.cablenet.org; www.opencable.com; and
www.packetcable.com.
Distributed via COMTEX.
Copyright (C) 2000 Business Wire. All rights reserved.
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CONTACT: CableLabs
Mike Schwartz, 303/661-9100
m.schwartz@cablelabs.com
KEYWORD: COLORADO INTERNATIONAL LATIN AMERICA CANADA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CABLE
ENTERTAINMENT
TELEVISION/RADIO
COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS
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