Ceton's Quad-Tuner provides support for four digital cable tuners on a PC
Ceton's Quad-Tuner provides support for four digital cable tuners on a PC
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is announcing a new product from Ceton at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas that has the ability to allow a PC to simultaneously tune in to four separate cable channels. Ceton's PCI Express “Quad-Tuner” card accepts a single multistream CableCARD. Installing the tuner in a desktop computer PCI bay gives a user the capacity to tune into four live channels of digital cable.
According to Light Reading's Jeff Baumgartner, Microsoft's Windows 7 OS has increased the number of tuners that a PC can recognize from two to four, hence the Ballmer introduction of Ceton's Quad-Tuner.
Convergence devices are popping up all over CES. While most involve moving IP-based video to the television screen, Ceton's Quad-Tuner indicates that there's still a demand for digital cable via a computer.
FCC approves five additional DTA models
Good news for cable customers looking for more HD channels and faster broadband from their cable provider. The FCC has given the green light to five additional digital transport adapters (DTAs) for cable companies that are upgrading customers to digital cable. Because digital cable channels require less bandwidth on a cable system, bandwidth that is reclaimed during a digital conversion can be used to increase the number of HD channels or improve broadband speeds using the DOCSIS 3.0 specification. DTAs provide a low cost option to connect a television to digital cable short of a full featured digital set-top.
Many cable providers, including Insight, are in the process moving to an expanded digital delivery system. Part of that process will include providing DTAs to customers to enable them to connect their older televisions with analog tuners to the new digital network. The digital set-top waivers provided for these five DTA models by the FCC as well the other models the Commission has already approved will allow cable providers to complete digital conversions to free up bandwidth for more advanced services.
Motorola's set-top business going on the auction block
As a dominant player in the television set-top business, millions of Americans watch their television shows via Motorola's equipment. That business looks to be going on the auction block over the next few months. Reuters reports that several firms have expressed an interest in purchasing Motorola's set-top division. Those reportedly include several private equity firms along with equipment manufacturer Arris.
One source quoted in this article as calling the set-top business "yesterday's technology," but that statement doesn't capture the possibility of the business becoming the technology of tomorrow. Recently the FCC announced its interest in set-top manufacturers creating a cross-platform set-top capable of broadband access as part of the Commission's national broadband initiative. With their widespread deployment, the FCC believes that set-tops could be a vehicle for expanding broadband adoption.
It's unclear who will end up with the winning bid, though this article has a list of the likely bidders. Regardless of the outcome, its looking possible that many cable customers will be seeing a new company logo on their digital set-tops in the near future.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is announcing a new product from Ceton at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas that has the ability to allow a PC to simultaneously tune in to four separate cable channels. Ceton's PCI Express “Quad-Tuner” card accepts a single multistream CableCARD. Installing the tuner in a desktop computer PCI bay gives a user the capacity to tune into four live channels of digital cable.
According to Light Reading's Jeff Baumgartner, Microsoft's Windows 7 OS has increased the number of tuners that a PC can recognize from two to four, hence the Ballmer introduction of Ceton's Quad-Tuner.
Convergence devices are popping up all over CES. While most involve moving IP-based video to the television screen, Ceton's Quad-Tuner indicates that there's still a demand for digital cable via a computer.
FCC approves five additional DTA models
Good news for cable customers looking for more HD channels and faster broadband from their cable provider. The FCC has given the green light to five additional digital transport adapters (DTAs) for cable companies that are upgrading customers to digital cable. Because digital cable channels require less bandwidth on a cable system, bandwidth that is reclaimed during a digital conversion can be used to increase the number of HD channels or improve broadband speeds using the DOCSIS 3.0 specification. DTAs provide a low cost option to connect a television to digital cable short of a full featured digital set-top.
Many cable providers, including Insight, are in the process moving to an expanded digital delivery system. Part of that process will include providing DTAs to customers to enable them to connect their older televisions with analog tuners to the new digital network. The digital set-top waivers provided for these five DTA models by the FCC as well the other models the Commission has already approved will allow cable providers to complete digital conversions to free up bandwidth for more advanced services.
Motorola's set-top business going on the auction block
As a dominant player in the television set-top business, millions of Americans watch their television shows via Motorola's equipment. That business looks to be going on the auction block over the next few months. Reuters reports that several firms have expressed an interest in purchasing Motorola's set-top division. Those reportedly include several private equity firms along with equipment manufacturer Arris.
One source quoted in this article as calling the set-top business "yesterday's technology," but that statement doesn't capture the possibility of the business becoming the technology of tomorrow. Recently the FCC announced its interest in set-top manufacturers creating a cross-platform set-top capable of broadband access as part of the Commission's national broadband initiative. With their widespread deployment, the FCC believes that set-tops could be a vehicle for expanding broadband adoption.
It's unclear who will end up with the winning bid, though this article has a list of the likely bidders. Regardless of the outcome, its looking possible that many cable customers will be seeing a new company logo on their digital set-tops in the near future.
