Cable ONE, TiVo to Blend TV & OTT
Welcome to today's broadband and cable news roundup.
TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO) announced Cable One Inc. , a top ten incumbent cable operator that serves more than 740,000 customers, as its latest new customer on Tuesday. Cable ONE, which once tested Sling-loaded boxes from EchoStar Corp. LLC (Nasdaq: SATS), will use TiVo as its exclusive software provider for all new DVRs and expects to start deploying the platform in the first half of 2013. (See CableOne Unplugs EchoStar .)
Cable ONE will also use TiVo to integrate over-the-top content with the operator's own VoD service, and extend access to tablets, IP-only set-tops and other connected devices. Cable ONE didn't identify who will make the primary DVR/media hub, but it'll have a few choices, as TiVo has already licensed its Hardware Porting Kit (HPK) to Pace plc , Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO), Samsung Corp. and Technicolor (Euronext Paris: TCH; NYSE: TCH). TiVo has inked similar deals with other small and mid-sized U.S. MSOs of late, including Midcontinent Communications (Midco) and Mediacom Communications Corp. (See TiVo Stays On a Tier 2 Tear and Mediacom Goes With TiVo .)
OneAccess has introduced a Docsis 3.0 interface for its family of One Series multi-service routers, starting with its One700 PRI platform. The vendor says the D3 integration, which is based on a CableLabs -certified embedded cable modem module (eCMM), trims operating and capital expenditures for cable operators by reducing the number of appliances required to deploy managed cloud services to business customers. The new configuration will be ready for lab tests by the first quarter of 2013, with general availability slated for the second quarter, the company said.
Mediacom has launched a customer care app for iOS- and Android-powered smartphones and tablets. The resulting MediacomConnect app, powered by Synchronoss Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: SNCR)'s cloud-based SmartCare platform, supports a general service troubleshooter, and lets customers schedule appointments and view or pay bills. The app also has the ability to reset Mediacom cable modem routers and set-top boxes.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) has inked a new carriage and retransmission deal with NBCUniversal LLC that covers local NBC and Telemundo-owned TV stations, and grants TV Everywhere rights to NBCU's stable of cable networks, including Bravo, USA, E!, CNBC, MSNBC, NBC Sports Network, Oxygen, SyFy and Golf Channel.
— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Light Reading Cable
Cable ONE will also use TiVo to integrate over-the-top content with the operator's own VoD service, and extend access to tablets, IP-only set-tops and other connected devices. Cable ONE didn't identify who will make the primary DVR/media hub, but it'll have a few choices, as TiVo has already licensed its Hardware Porting Kit (HPK) to Pace plc , Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO), Samsung Corp. and Technicolor (Euronext Paris: TCH; NYSE: TCH). TiVo has inked similar deals with other small and mid-sized U.S. MSOs of late, including Midcontinent Communications (Midco) and Mediacom Communications Corp. (See TiVo Stays On a Tier 2 Tear and Mediacom Goes With TiVo .)
— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Light Reading Cable
While Comcast continues to rally support among major operators for the RDK when it comes to operators-supplied devices with IP capabilities, it seems like TiVo is having much success with adoption among the tier2 operators, almost making it a defacto standard for that group when it comes to next-gen video projects. But I suppose Arris, which has a few Moxi wins among that group, might have something to say about that, though. JB