Also: Broadcom and Pace team on the Xi3, Dish unleashed second-screen app; Charter & Suddenlink rise in the Netflix ISP rankings

Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor

January 7, 2013

3 Min Read
Roku Tunes In TW Cable's Live TV Streams

Welcome to today's broadband and cable news roundup, heavily slanted toward this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

  • Time Warner Cable Inc. is the first U.S. cable operator to strike a live TV streaming deal with Roku Inc. The deal centers on the MSO's TWC TV app, which features a lineup of more than 300 TV channels (including the major broadcasters), and all Roku 2 models, the Roku HD (model 2500R), Roku LT players and the new $99.99 Roku Streaming Stick. TW Cable said the app will become available this quarter. TWC TV is an "authenticated" app, meaning it's only accessible to consumers who subscribe to the MSO's pay-TV service. TW Cable also supports the app on iOS and Android devices, as well as PCs. TW Cable also has deals to stream its TV slate to connected TVs from Sony Corp. and Samsung Corp., but has yet to launch the app. (See Samsung Puts MSOs in the Picture and TW Cable, Sony Make IPTV Connection.)

  • Pace plc and Broadcom Corp. announced Monday what Light Reading Cable reported last fall -- that the companies have co-developed the Xi3, an all-IP HD client box that uses (but isn't limited to) Comcast Corp.'s Reference Design Kit, an integrated software stack for hybrid and IP-only video devices. The box, based on Broadcom's BCM7428 chipset, features the 2.0 version of Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA), optional Wi-Fi connectivity, and DLNA support. Pace expects to deploy the box later this year. Humax Co. Ltd. is also among the known developers of the Xi3. (See Meet Comcast's IP-Only Set-Top and Comcast's IP-Only Set-Top Unveiled.)

  • Dish Network Corp. has launched an iPad app that turns the tablet into a fancy remote control and can provide recommendations and list the most popular programs. The Dish Explorer app (here's a screenshot) integrates Twitter and Facebook and works in tandem with the Hopper, a whole-home HD-DVR that includes AutoHop, a controversial ad-skipping feature that's the target of lawsuits by the nation's major broadcasters. (See Dish's Ad-Zapper Can Keep On Zapping.)

  • Netflix Inc. posted its ISP video streaming rankings for December 2012, and Google Fiber was again a top the list. Among the changes from November's rankings, Charter Communications Inc. jumped two slots to the No. 2 slot, while Verizon Communications Inc. FiOS dropped from No. 2 to No. 4. Suddenlink Communications rose to the No. 8 slot, while Bright House Networks dropped to No. 10. (See Netflix Hearts Google Fiber.)

  • A Dutch court shot down Rovi Corp.'s patent infringement claims against Ziggo B.V. and its app for tablets, ruling that the patent in question does not meet requirements of innovation and is void under Dutch patent law, reports Broadband TV News. The court ordered Rovi and Starsight Telecast Inc. to pay €200,000 (US$260,653) to Ziggo to help cover legal costs.

    — Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Light Reading Cable

About the Author(s)

Jeff Baumgartner

Senior Editor, Light Reading

Jeff Baumgartner is a Senior Editor for Light Reading and is responsible for the day-to-day news coverage and analysis of the cable and video sectors. Follow him on X and LinkedIn.

Baumgartner also served as Site Editor for Light Reading Cable from 2007-2013. In between his two stints at Light Reading, he led tech coverage for Multichannel News and was a regular contributor to Broadcasting + Cable. Baumgartner was named to the 2018 class of the Cable TV Pioneers.

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