The British Digital Broadcasting joint venture named Grundig AG (G.GRD), Pace Micro Technology PLC, Philips Electronics NV (N.PHI), Nokia OY (Y.NOK), Sony Corp. (SNE) and Toshiba Corp. (U.TOS) manufacturers of its so-called 'plug in and play' set top boxes.
Grundig selected Odeum.
Pace Micro uses SGS Thomson. They also build GI/LSI boxes, and boxes for Canal Plus?
Philips has "try-media" dreams.
Nokia! That's C-Cube.
Sony has used SGS, LSI and Cube in settops.
Toshiba? What's in their Pegasus box?
Here's Nokia being Open Cable compliant........................
digitaltheater.com
Nokia licences Spyglass Web technology for digital set-top boxes
M2 PRESSWIRE via NewsEdge Corporation :
Nokia, a leading supplier of digital set-top
boxes for cable and satellite, recently
announced a licensing agreement with
Internet pioneer Spyglass Inc for up-front
web technology to be integrated in Nokia's
next generation of digital cable, satellite and
terrestrial set-top boxes. The Spyglass
Device Mosaic web browser will be modified
and used by Nokia as an HTML engine; a new
open application platform for developing
advanced interactive and online television
services.
As HTML is an open language, low-cost
applications can be built by a number of
different companies ensuring a wide variety
of revenue-generating interactive television
services. The openness of HTML will ensure
that Nokia's set-top boxes function
seamlessly with all cable, satellite and
terrestrial operators' systems, and avoid the
pitfalls of limited proprietary environments.
The inclusion of an HTML engine will allow
advanced interactive television services such
as:
- Internet access and web browsing
- e-mail
- interactive advertising
- home shopping and home banking
- video on demand
- pay per view
"This is much more than a Web browser",
says Helmut Stein, Senior Vice President of
Nokia Multimedia Network Terminals. "Adding
an HTML engine to the Nokia platform will
enable cable, satellite and terrestrial
operators to reap the greatest benefit from
their digital networks".
"Nokia is already a market leader in DVB
set-top boxes", says David Harris- Evans,
Managing Director of Spyglass Europe. "By
incorporating an HTML engine, they will be
the first to market with a set-top box that is
not only DVB- compliant, but will also serve
as a revenue-generating application platform
for the entire cable, satellite and terrestrial
industry".
All Nokia's set-top boxes are DVB (Digital
Video Broadcasting) compliant. The DVB
standard was established to develop open
specifications for advanced cable, satellite
and terrestrial networks. It has previously
been announced that DVB's Multimedia Home
platform would be based on open standards
such as HTML. In the US, Open Cable, a
similar effort spearheaded by CableLabs is
underway. Nokia's set-top boxes are
expected to comply also with the Open Cable
specification.
About Nokia
Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is a leader in
digital technologies including mobile phones,
cellular and fixed telecommunications
networks, wireless data solutions, multimedia
terminals and personal and workstation
computer display products. With sales in
approximately 130 countries, net sales
totalled US$8.5billion in 1996. Nokia employs
more than 36,000 people in 45 countries.
Nokia's shares are listed in Helsinki, New York,
London, Stockholm, Frankfurt and Paris.
About Spyglass Inc.
Spyglass Inc provides software and services
to make devices work with the World Wide
Web. Particularly active in the television and
cable industries, Spyglass has provided
technology licensing and custom development
to companies such as Microsoft, Xerox,
Daimler-Benz, Apple and others. Spyglass
headquarters are located in Naperville,
Illinois.
<<M2 PRESSWIRE -- 03/06/98>>
CONTACT: Amanda Stokes, Spyglass Inc
Tel: +1 630 245 6512
e-mail: astokes@spyglass.com
WWW: spyglass.com
Silke Jung/Matthew Turmaine, Lexis Public Relations
Tel: +44 (0)171 240 9900
Fax: +44 (0)171 240 2211
e-mail: sjung@lexispr.co.uk
Frances Wood, Nokia Multimedia Network Terminals
Tel: +44 (0)1793 556 032
Fax: +44 (0)1793 490 535
e-mail: fran.wood@mnt.nokia.com
[Copyright 1998, M2 Communications] |
