Member Companies Collaborate to Deliver Innovative Set-Top Boxes for Interactive Services
Intel Corporation and CableLabs*, the technology consortium of cable operators, announced that the two companies have signed an OpenCable* Platform Agreement and will include support for the OpenCable Platform in future Intel consumer electronic (CE) system-on-a-chip (SoC) products. Incorporating support for OpenCable allows digital televisions, set-top boxes, digital media recorders and other networked consumer electronics devices to run standard applications and services delivered by cable operators, consumer electronics companies, program networks, and other software developers.
„The cable industry has a very strong commitment to the OpenCable Platform, and to deploying interactive services through both retail and leased digital devices,“ said Dr. Richard R. Green, President and CEO of CableLabs. „Having Intel support the technology really brings the OpenCable Platform to a new level of maturity and will further enable innovation from consumer electronics manufacturers, advertisers, content providers and cable operators for the benefit of our mutual customers,“ he added.
„The collaboration between the major cable TV operators and Intel exemplifies and fuels the ongoing transition to digitally delivered entertainment whether through a computer, high-definition TV, smart set-top box or other networked CE device,“ said Eric Kim, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the company’s Digital Home Group. „We expect this move and our innovative SoC products to further accelerate the development of new applications and services for myriad cable operators, CE manufacturers, developers and retailers, and to further bolster our own CE product plans based on Intel Architecture.“
„The OpenCable Platform is Comcast’s software base for the future,“ said Tony Werner, Comcast* executive vice president and CTO. „Comcast is looking forward to Intel’s support of the OpenCable Platform through upcoming products and the inherent advantage that the design technique brings to quickly integrate cable and Internet content into a single device. Comcast is committed to working with Intel to bring one or more Intel SoC-based Digital Set Top Boxes (DSTBs) to market in the next two years.“ he added.
Future Intel platforms will include OpenCable Platform technologies certified by CableLabs for interactive applications. Interactive digital cable-ready products can access interactive program guides delivered by cable operators, as well as premium services ordered on-screen, such as video-on-demand (VOD). The devices will also include support for the CableCARD* removable security module. The CableCARD encapsulates the local cable system-specific conditional access technology, thus enabling nationwide portability of these two-way devices.
In April, Intel said it planned to deliver Intel Architecture (IA) SoC products for a new generation of Internet compatible consumer electronics devices. By incorporating many features and standards into Intel’s silicon products, these SoCs will help manufacturers accelerate product delivery and deliver more cost-effective designs that provide strong processing performance and flexibility. Intel’s first CE-optimized IA-based SoC is scheduled for 2008, pairing a powerful IA processor with leading-edge A/V processing, graphics and more to help deliver greater performing, Internet-compatible devices.
About Intel
Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.
About CableLabs
Founded in 1988 by members of the cable television industry, Cable Television Laboratories is a non-profit research and development consortium that is dedicated to pursuing new cable telecommunications technologies and to helping its cable operator members integrate those advancements into their business objectives. Cable operators from around the world are members. CableLabs maintains web sites at www.cablelabs.com; www.packetcable.com; www.cablemodem.com; www.cablenet.org; and www.opencable.com.
Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
CableLabs*, DOCSIS*, CableHome*, PacketCable*, OpenCable*, OCAP*, CableCARD*, CablePC*, M-Card*, PCMM*, DCAS*, Go2BroadbandSM and CableNET* are marks of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
* Other brands may be claimed as the property of others.
Some of the statements contained in this press release, including statements by the management in relation to future expectations, represent „forward-looking statements“ in the sense of the „Safe Harbor Statement“ by the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These types of forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions on the part of the management and are subject to a range of factors and uncertainties which may lead to a considerable deviation of the results actually achieved from the expectations outlined either explicitly or implicitly in the forward-looking statements. This may be due to changes in global economic conditions, industry developments, a shift in the competitive situation or the passing of new legislation. More detailed information on the factors which may influence Intel’s financial results can be found in the documentation submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
