General Instrument's DCT-5000+
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General Instrument Announced Its Plans for
Third-Quarter Launch of Its DCT-5000+ Digital
Interactive Terminal at the OS/Applications
Environment Conference
Conference Also Allowed GI to Demonstrate the DCT-5000+'s Advanced Networking Capabilities for IP Telephony, High-Speed Services and Network Games and Unveil its New High-Tech Product Design
HORSHAM, Pa., May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- General Instrument Corporation (NYSE: GIC - news) announced its plans to begin
field deployment of its DCT-5000+ advanced interactive digital set-top terminal beginning in the third quarter of 1999, at its
OS/Applications Environment Conference April 28th and 29th. GI also demonstrated the DCT-5000+'s advanced networking
capabilities, using pilot production models, to the 40 representatives from leading North American MSOs and key software
suppliers in attendance. These capabilities include: Internet Protocol (IP) telephony, high-speed data services, and network games.
The DCT-5000+'s rich application environment provides flexibility in selecting an operating system for deployment in an interactive
network. The operating systems and applications environments demonstrated at the conference included products from leading
software vendors such as Microsoft, NCI, Sony, and Sun Microsystems, along with various Electronic Interactive Program Guide
vendors.
''The OS Conference helped our customers evaluate the available choices on GI's open platform and prepare for DCT-5000+
deployment in the coming months,'' said Denton Kanouff, Vice President of Digital Network Systems for GI. ''We recently
completed the second pilot production run of the DCT-5000+ interactive digital terminal and are now working as the key strategic
partner with these and other leading MSOs to deploy new services, network capabilities, and new software solutions to deliver
value-added services on this platform.''
The DCT-5000+ builds upon GI's industry-leading interactive digital platform to provide a new level of broadband networking
services while maintaining support for the traditional analog and digital video services. The DCT-5000+ delivers PC-like
functionality to the home video environment with such features as built-in DOCSIS based cable modems, 167 MHz clock speed,
347 MIPS processing, advanced 32-bit 3D graphics, and optional internal IDE hard drives. Its unique triple tuner architecture
enables consumers to simultaneously watch television, access the Internet, and talk on the telephone using the system's IP
telephony functionality.
At the conference, GI also unveiled the new design for the DCT-5000+ production unit, which was designed for simplicity and
ease of use. The new design was preferred over existing analog models and DBS set-tops by a two-to- one margin during recent
consumer testing and was described as ''high-tech'' and ''sleek.''
Chris Bowick, Vice President of Technology Development for Cox Communications, said, ''We are excited about the tremendous
capability of the DCT-5000+ to deliver the vast array of interactive services that Cox is planning in the near future. The number of
software options available on this powerful platform is truly impressive.''
Randy Eliott, Senior Vice President at Shaw Communications, added, ''The new DCT-5000+ terminal is very high-tech looking,
but the incredible power inside the box is what excites us. Our customers will like the new capabilities. Cable TV will never be the
same again.''
General Instrument is a leading worldwide provider of integrated and interactive broadband access solutions, teaming with its
business partners to lead the convergence of the Internet, telecommunications, and video entertainment industries.
Visit General Instrument at its Web Site -- gi.com
SOURCE: General Instrument Corporation |
