Summary

Cablevision and Sony announced a $1 billion partnership to deploy a digital cable system delivering HDTV, video-on-demand, and interactive services over a hybrid coaxial-fiber network in the New York metro area. The deal covers 3 million OpenCable-compliant Sony set-top boxes running the Aperios operating system, with initial units featuring HDTV passthrough via IEEE-1394.

Source document circa 1999 preserved as-is
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Sunday, October 3, 1999

Digital cable system that delivers HDTV and
video-on-demand (VOD) as

COMMUNICATIONS DAILY reports that Cablevision in a partnership with Sony will deploy a digital cable system that delivers HDTV and video-on-demand (VOD) as well as Web-enhanced TV programming, interactive videogaming, e-mail and other services over hybrid coaxial-fiber network in N.Y. metro area beginning next summer.

The companies will develop hardware and programming for the system based on 3 million OpenCable-compliant set- top boxes that Cablevision will acquire exclusively from Sony in contract executives valued at $1 billion. The majority of set-tops will use Sony's Aperios real-time operating
system.

According to the report, the first boxes will have HDTV passthrough only, not built-in decoders, using an IEEE-1394 digital link to connect with DTV sets. The IEEE connection will implement the Digital Transmission Content Protection sought by the entertainment industry to control consumer recording and use of copyrighted material.
Sun, Oct 3, 1999

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