OpenCable receiver debuts at Western Show
By Junko Yoshida
EE Times
(12/17/99, 12:57 p.m. EDT)
LOS ANGELES — A trio of development partners — Microsoft Corp., Philips Semiconductors and SCM Microsystems Inc. — demonstrated what they called the world's first 1394-connected OpenCable receiver for the PC at the Western Cable Show on Wednesday (Dec. 15th).
Implemented with conditional access authentication and descrambling, the receiver is designed to provide a range of interactive digital cable services to a PC. While a current generation cable modem will gives a PC user high-speed Internet access, bit cannot provide a full range of digital cable services such as digital video programs.
In short, "this is a cable set-top optimized for the PC platform," said Simon Wegerif, who works with PC/TV/digital TV and consumer ICs at Philips Semiconductors.
The receiver demonstrated here this week can either be connected to the PC via a 1394 cable and used on the desktop, or slotted directly into a Device Bay-equipped PC,which would eliminate the need for wire connections. In either configuration, the receiver tunes to a channel, demodulates the delivered signals, handles all conditional access functionality, then outputs the requested copy-protected MPEG stream over 1394 to the PC.
Such an OpenCable receiver could inspire cable operators to launch data-based interactive services that use the processing power and rich Internet functionality of the PC, the developers said. A PC platform equipped with such a receiver could in fact serve as a router at home, or as a time-shifting machine using the hard-disk drive inside the PC, according to Wegerif.
The receiver comes with a Point of Deployment (POD) module which houses a smart card-based conditional access system and a 256/64 QAM demodulation chip. Although the demonstrated version of the receiver was designed for uni-directional services, the three companies are preparing a new version of the OpenCable receiver that integrates a Docsis-compliant cable modem. That receiver is scheduled for launch in mid-2000.
Philips Semiconductors' contributions to the receiver included its microcontroller, a 1394 chip and a QAM demodulation chip. The latter piece was originally designed by VLSI Technology Inc., which is now a part of Philips.
SCM Microsystems, a leading supplier of conditional access solutions, used its own chips and software drivers in its development of an interface between the POD module and the receiver.
Meanwhile, Microsoft said its Windows 2000 operating system will include support for OpenCable receivers.
The trio's receivers will be made available in mid-2000 to coincide with the rollout of OpenCable. The OpenCable project is looking to develop next-generation set-top boxes that will provide interactive services.
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