A cable plant traditionally used coaxial cable. Among CableLabs' first efforts upon its founding in the late 1980s was to lead industry discussions on fiber optic implementation and architecture. This led to a focus on fiber optics at CableLabs' first Summer Conference. A few years later the industry adopted a fiber optic architecture and implementation that was largely based on Time Warner's model. Cable operator's individual decision to deploy fiber has proven to be very important for the cable industry.
Deploying fiber was a critical element to cable's ability to become a two-way interactive network as well as to increase its capacity. Fiber also helped make cable systems more reliable by allowing operators to decrease the number of amplifiers in cable systems.
Another early effort, done in partnership with a few members such as Rogers Cable, led to using fiber ring architecture in metropolitan areas as a way of decreasing the number of active headends serving population centers. In 1996, CableLabs created an Enhanced Services Task Force and it published a deployment guide for operators rolling out digital services.
Also in the early 1990s, CableLabs was working on establishing text procedures for TV/VCR tuner performance. It conducted early compatibility testing to see how multiple services would behave when they all traversed the same cable network. CableLabs established a lab of its own, in Alexandria, Va., to work with and coordinate on high definition testing there done as part of a process initiated by the FCC.
Another early effort, done in partnership with a few members such as Rogers Cable, led to using fiber ring architecture in metropolitan areas as a way of decreasing the number of active headends serving population centers. In 1996, CableLabs created an Enhanced Services Task Force and it published a deployment guide for operators rolling out digital services.
Also in the early 1990s, CableLabs was working on establishing text procedures for TV/VCR tuner performance. It conducted early compatibility testing to see how multiple services would behave when they all traversed the same cable network. CableLabs established a lab of its own, in Alexandria, Va., to work with and coordinate on high definition testing there done as part of a process initiated by the FCC.
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December 1989: CableLabs and Scientific-Atlanta Cooperate on "Headend of the Future" project.
1989: CableLabs Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) forms subcommittee to investigate the role of fiber optics to increase capacity and improve system reliability and signal quality. Jim Chiddix, then with ATC (which became Time Warner Cable), chaired the Fiber Optics Subcommittee. 1990: CableLabs and Raychem announce plan to test F-connectors.
June 1990: CableLabs and United Artists announce plans to test cable batteries. 1991: A study conducted by Westinghouse Media for CableLabs' "optimized system operation" project finds that of 10,000 people interviewed, 65% had experienced an average of 5.6 outages during a three-month period. Outage Reduction Task Force formed.
1991-1995: Outreach, with the SCTE and the NCTA, to home builders and in-home wiring manufacturers for the use of high-quality components1994: A mobile laboratory goes coast-to-coast, gathering data from 300 sites within 20 cable systems. The data was used to anticipate how well actual cable systems would transport digital signals. Called the "Digital Transmission Characterization Project" and chaired by then-VP Richard Prodan, the project established that overall noise present in most systems wouldn't hinder the transmission of digital video signals. 1991-1995: Work commences to find ways to reduce impulse noise (in conjunction with the NCTA Engineering Committee). 1991-1995: Establishment of best practices for headends. 1992: CableLabs-funded study concludes that fiber optic ring architecture increases reliability and sharp decline in outages.
1993: CableLabs selects lab to establish test procedures for TV/VCR tuner performance.
1994: CableLabs creates forum for computer industry vendors.
1994: Decision to develop in-house expertise and to keep research and development work in-house, rather than outsourcing to other laboratories and consultants. 1994: CableLabs begins testing HDTV transmission technologies. 1995: Multiple Services Compatibility Testing program begins, supervised by David Eng/CableLabs, and TCI. In the test, signals for TV, PCS telephony, high-speed data, and wired telephony were combined and tested to see how they'd respond to distortions and powering problems. Results were shared with the vendor community.
1996: An Enhanced Services Task Force, chaired by Tony Werner (then at Tele-Communications Inc.), published a deployment guide, written by member-company engineers who had already deployed digital services. The guide covered the impact of digital on headends, network operations centers, and training.
1996: CableLabs opened its TAC Test Center in Toronto in conjunction with Rogers Cablesystems Ltd. Intent: To rigorously test the tools used by cable technicians. |