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| The Cable Show 2012: New Technologies Take Centre Stage |
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Technological breakthroughs are the main focus at The Cable Show in Boston, US. The internet, the cloud and TV everywhere are the industry's biggest trends.
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Over 13,000 people attended the event.
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From Monday, May 21 through Wednesday, May 23, Boston is definitely the place to be for cable industry executives in the US. The city is hosting the 2012 edition of The Cable Show, organized by the National Cable Communications Association (NCTA).
In addition to presenting the latest technological innovations and trends, the main pay TV market in the US is also a referent for the international industry, as thousands of key players all over the world wait to hear the latest announcements.
This year, Michael Powell, president of the NCTA gave the opening speech, and surprisingly highlighted a well-known phenomenon the industry tries to avoid mentioning: cord-cutters.
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"We have embarked upon an exciting period of intense innovation. Cable is experimenting with more portable services, fairer pricing models and more web integration. It is a work in progress. There will be adjustments along the way. We face competition and that is healthy. Wireless broadband is enjoying astronomical growth. Telcos remain in the thick of the fight. And, satellite companies continue to battle, convinced that you will end up in a ditch, sell your hair to a wig shop, or have a grandkid with a nose ring if you don't "get rid of cable." There is also a place for Internet video providers to compete and complement the cable model and some consumers may even cut the cord," said Powell.
Having recognized the problem, the convention is now searching for solutions. Starting with a new tagline with a new message: "Cable: It's More Than TV. It's How We Connect." The motto clearly intends to show how wide cable is, and the fact that the internet is its main partner.
And it's precisely the internet where one can find the latest innovations and solutions to promote subscribers' loyalty.
One of the most important announcement was made by five of the main cable companies in the US (Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable), who presented the Cable WiFi service, which will enable their high-speed internet clients to access WiFi networks outside their home market through 50,000 hotspots where they can access their Internet service.
In addition, Comcast announced Project Dayview, an advanced user interface across TVs, laptops, tablets and smartphones that allows users to manage data and information at work or at home across all of the company's platforms, including Xfinity TV, Voice, Internet and Home services.
"The X1 platform provides a smarter, richer, customized TV, and that's just the beginning. Our goal is to redefine our clients' entertainment experience," said Marcien Jenckes, SVP and GM, video services, Comcast.
"X1 delivers the world's largest collection of video and transforms the TV into an entirely new integrated entertainment experience," he said.
There's no doubt about it, new technologies are spreading like wildfire across the cable industry in the US, and operators are already embracing them.
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