Video Without Boundaries Signs CableLabs License for Two-Way Digital Cable Products

By NEWS RELEASE | November 29th, 2005 Comments (2)

Video Without Boundaries, Inc., a leading provider of interactive, media-convergent home entertainment devices, today announced its plans to make interactive two-way digital cable products a retail certainty by entering into agreements with CableLabs® that enable VWB to implement OpenCable™ Application Platform (OCAP™) - compliant middleware on its next generation MediaREADY™ media centers.

The agreements, available to any interested consumer electronics manufacturer, grant certain intellectual property rights required for building interactive devices in compliance with CableLabs’ OpenCable™ hardware and software specifications. The two-way agreement is called CableCARD™ Host Interface Licensing Agreement (CHILA).

“We’re pleased that VWB is taking the initiative to deploy their next generation digital media centers with two-way digital cable functionality,” said Dr. Richard R. Green, President and CEO of CableLabs.”

“This is an unprecedented first step in the consumer electronics industry,” said Terry Glatt, CTO, Video Without Boundaries, Inc. “As the only company with experience in the retail deployment of Linux-based media center technology to have signed the CHILA agreement to date, VWB is blazing new ground in combining two-way digital cable service with fully featured media center capabilities for the retail market. We plan to work closely with CableLabs and to further develop interactive applications that offer consumers a never before seen television experience.”

The new interactive devices will include an OCAP implementation, the middleware specification created by CableLabs for interactive applications. OCAP allows retail devices to run any OCAP application or service being delivered by a cable operator. With OCAP middleware, CE manufacturers can build digital cable products capable of running interactive program guides delivered by cable operators, as well as premium services like video-on-demand (VOD). VWB’s next generation media centers will also include an interface for the CableCARD™ removable security module. CableCARDs encapsulate MSO-specific conditional access technology, thus enabling nationwide portability with advanced devices.

VWB joins Panasonic, Samsung, Digeo, and LG in the group of consumer electronics companies to have signed the CHILA agreement.

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.

CableLabs®, DOCSIS®, CableHome®, PacketCable™, OpenCable™, OCAP™, CableCARD™, Go2BroadbandSM and CableNET® are marks of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.

About Video Without Boundaries
Video Without Boundaries (OTCBB: VDWB ) is a leader in digital media-on-demand, enhanced home entertainment, and interactive products that connect people simply. VWB is focused on delivering flexible Consumer Electronics-based products and services that are affordable, easy to use, and simple to understand. For more information, visit www.vwbinc.com

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// Category: Digital Media Servers

2 Responses to “Video Without Boundaries Signs CableLabs License for Two-Way Digital Cable Products”

1. Alexander Grundner Says:
   November 29th, 2005 at 2:39 pm

   I just want to say thanks to Andrew for tipping us off to this exciting news! Andrew also shared the following insight with us that you all mind find interesting:

   There seems to be a lot of confusion around cablecard and 2 way cablecards. Basically, the cable industry is developing a standard for encrypted “conditional access” called OCAP that will allow for 2-way interaction. It’s basically not dependant on a “cablecard,” but uses middleware technology to support the features.

   Here’s more info directly from CableLabs/OpenCable:

   What is the OCAP™ specification?

   The OpenCable Applications Platform specification is a middleware software layer specification. The OCAP specification is intended to enable the developers of interactive television services and applications to design such products so that they will run successfully on any cable television system in North America, independent of set-top or television receiver hardware or operating system software choices.

   The OCAP specification enables manufacturers and retail distributors of set-tops, television receivers or other devices to build and to sell attractive and capable devices to consumers that will support all services delivered by cable operators to devices currently available to consumers via lease from cable operators.

   The issued OCAP 1.0 specification was released in December 2001 and was followed by OCAP 2.0 in April 2002. Both are available under OpenCable Specifications.

   This is all interesting, but I thought CableCard 2.0 was still in the process of being finalized. Anyone in the industry have more info on this topic?

2. JasonMeudt Says:
   November 30th, 2005 at 6:31 am

   While it has nothing to do with CableCard implementation, I thought it noteworthy that SageTV has already been the provider of the MediaReady 5000’s software… the Linux version of SageTV!

   http://forums.freytechnologies.com/…mediaready+5000

   With VWB’s ties to Sage, I suspect that we will see some exciting upgrades for second tier (non-MCE) software!

   -Jason

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