An advanced video platform for the cable industry

Abstract

Two way Hybrid Fiber/Coax (HFC) networks are being rapidly deployed by major cable TV companies. This paper proposes an open platform consisting of a home set top box plus supporting network elements that would allow cable operators to offer advanced services that other delivery media would have difficulty in matching. The platform would support both analog and digital video broadcast delivery as well as provide two way Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity to the set top box. The set top box would combine the capabilities of a digital broadcast set top box and a network computer-like platform. It is recommended that such a platform supports open API's such as HTML and Java. With such tools, integrated video and data applications can be developed. The platform would be based on open standards such as the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) Digital Video Subcommittee standards for digital broadcast and interactive standards such as MPEG Part 6 (DSM-CC) and DAVIC.