National Agreement Will Advance HDTV
and Digital Services for Consumers

Print This Page

Delivery of high definition television and other digital services will advance as a result of a national agreement that was announced recently in Washington by cable television companies and consumer electronics firms.

“Our industry’s ability to deploy new digital technologies has gotten a lot easier as a result of this agreement,” said CableLabs® President and CEO Dr. Richard R. Green. “Agreements that foster plug-and-play environments are key contributors to marketplace successes when it comes to technology,” he added.

Details of the agreement were announced in Washington, D.C. Included in the accord is a number of joint recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission for rulemaking. These recommendations include a set of technical standards for cable systems and “cable-ready” digital television (DTV) products (and testing procedures to assure compatibility); a proposed regulatory framework for support of DTV receivers, digital recorders with secure interfaces and other devices on cable systems; a draft security technology license to ensure that high-value content can be transferred securely in the home network by consumers; and “encoding rules” to resolve pending copyright-based concerns about home recording and viewing.

The agreement defines a number of roles for CableLabs in supporting the agreement, including interoperability testing and ongoing maintenance and enhancement of technology standards. “We have in place the expert personnel and laboratory facilities necessary to fully support these roles,” Green noted.

Besides making the proposals, the cable operators and consumer electronics companies agreed to work together to set guidelines and standards for future interactive digital cable television products.

Next story