LAS VEGAS, Jan 08, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via Comtex/ --Panasonic is once againshowing its leadership in technological innovation, demonstrating the world'sfirst end-to-end system for OCAP (Open Cable Application Platform), thenation's next-generation, interactive digital cable television standard.Panasonic undertook the development of this new standard in collaboration withComcast Cable, Time Warner Cable, Motorola, and Concurrent Computer Corp., andis exhibiting prototypes at the 2004 International CES, now through January11.
By working with two of the leading cable companies and two of the leadingsuppliers to the cable industry, Panasonic is aggressively pursuing newopportunities in technology and services. "We're on the fast track to developOCAP compliant systems, which will allow us to produce TVs that will supportall of cable's interactive services without the use of a set-top box," saidDr. Paul Liao, President of Panasonic Technologies Company. "Consumers will beable to buy digital cable-ready TVs -- and with the use of a CableCARD(TM),they will be able to receive digital services no matter which cable system inthe country they subscribe to."
Regardless of who the cable operator is or the service area, with an OCAP-compliant receiver, a user can receive a variety of interactive services, likeadvanced two-way programming such as VOD (Video on Demand), EPG (ElectronicProgram Guide), home banking, and interactive games, along with othere-commerce applications. OCAP is a standard that will be common to all cablesystems that utilize it: an application that works with one cable provider inone area can also work with another cable operator in another area. All theconsumer will have to do is take the CableCARD(TM) provided by their cableoperator and plug it into his or her OCAP-compliant DTV set or set-top box.
"As a first step toward cooperation in the two-way world, I am pleasedthat Panasonic is joining Comcast to display and promote two-way interactivedigital TVs at CES," said Mark Coblitz, senior vice president, strategicplanning, Comcast. "Panasonic will be the first to support a new standard --Open Cable Application Platform or 'OCAP' -- and will be demonstrating aworking sample of a two-way end-to-end OCAP system-set-top box on the showfloor. I hope this is just the first of many such cooperative relationshipsbetween CE manufacturers and cable operators, and I encourage the CE industryto seize these opportunities."
"Time Warner Cable is committed to OCAP and the benefits that it willbring to our subscribers and the cable industry," said Mike LaJoie, executivevice president of advanced technology for Time Warner Cable. "The workingrelationship we've developed with Panasonic to bring this new technology tothe marketplace is a positive step in expediting the adoption of CableCARDs byconsumers."
The demonstrations on display during CES, with interactive applications onactual end-to-end systems from Comcast Cable and Time Warner Cable, illustratethe behavior and portability of the OCAP system, with a MediaCipher(R)CableCARD(TM) from Motorola, Time Warner's Electronic Program Guide, andComcast's video on demand service, which was developed by Concurrent. The OCAPset-top box used in both demonstrations was developed by Panasonic.
Panasonic plans to start field trials of OCAP-compliant devices in 2004.The goal is to launch OCAP-ready digital set-top boxes as a first step inorder to promote the rollout of the OCAP technology. |
