SCTE Cable-Tec Demo's Include tru2way, EBIF, 3D TV, EPG's, Addressable Dynamic VOD

A number of companies contacted [itvt] Wednesday to let us know about the products and technologies they are exhibiting at the ongoing SCTE Cable-Tec Expo in Denver (October 28th-30th):

• FourthWall Media (formerly BIAP--for the reasons behind the name change, see the article that was published on itvt.com, October 26th) is demo'ing its EBIF products and technologies in the booths of three different companies: 1) Arris (Booth 7108) has the company's ETV Platform and Ad Widgets Media Sales Presentation, which is designed to illustrate how media sales professionals and operators can enable interactive advertising inventory integrated with the Arris ConvergeMedia advertising platform; 2) Concurrent (Booth 3059) is demo'ing what is billed as a comprehensive, end-to-end advanced advertising ecosystem comprised of FourthWall Media's ETV Platform, Ad Widgets and TV Widgets, in conjunction with Concurrent's portfolio of data management solutions (aggregation of linear and interactive viewing data, enterprise data warehousing and operational reporting); and 3) Rovi (Booth 16073) is showcasing the integration of its Passport Guide EPG with such FourthWall Media EBIF apps as Personalized Information TV (PiTV), eBay on TV and Yellow Pages on TV. "We are extremely pleased to be collaborating with such a diverse group of prestigious companies, which demonstrates FourthWall Media's multiple touchpoints in the roll-out of EBIF and the advancement of interactive television," FourthWall Media CEO, Tim Peters, said in a prepared statement. "Our ability to provide effective EBIF solutions to companies ranging from set-top box and middleware providers, to data collection and audience measurement, to programmers and advertisers using EBIF applications to drive engagement, gives us a unique ability to see and understand how the industry is developing and make critical contributions at every level."
• Panasonic (Booth 14053) is highlighting its tru2way and 3D TV solutions. According to the company, it is showcasing a line-up of next-generation tru2way-based cable set-top boxes, all of which offer a smaller footprint and are more energy-efficient than earlier models. It is also demo'ing tru2way-enabled Viera Plasma TV sets; a prototype of a new tru2way "set-back box" which is designed to transform Viera HDTV's into tru2way-enabled receivers; and a new touch-based remote control, called NovaTouch, that is designed to navigate next-generation cable programming guides. Its 3D TV showcase, meanwhile, sees it demo'ing prototype Full HD 1080p 3D television sets in its booth, and also inviting showgoers to a 3D Home Theater-equipped tractor trailer. According to the company, its Full HD 3D system, which is scheduled to be available commercially next year, "utilizes 1080p Plasma display technology and a modified Blu-ray Disc player to deliver a truly immersive 1080p Full HD 3D experience."
• Rovi (Booth 16073) is showcasing, among other things, a new Remote Record capability for its Passport Guide and i-Guide EPG's. According to the company, the solution will allow consumers to set recordings on their home DVR from any device that can connect to the Internet and open a Web browser. It includes a guide set-top box application, hosted communications infrastructure and a Web-based listings application. In addition, the company says it will "demo the latest versions of the Passport Guide, i-Guide, a new design for the Passport Guide tru2way, interactive advertising and entertainment data solutions" and that it will showcase the ability of the Passport Guide to "integrate interactive applications on EBIF," using apps and TV widgets from FourthWall Media (see above).
• In Arris's booth (7108), Arris, BlackArrow and Sigma Systems are demo'ing addressable advertising in a dynamic VOD environment. According to the companies, the demo will also show how Sigma's Subscriber Information Service is "the key enabling component for audience qualification utilizing PRIZM data provided by data integration partner Nielsen Claritas. As an example," the companies continue, "in a VOD ad campaign for a fast-food restaurant targeting young adults and households with children, Sigma's Subscriber Information Service would provide audience qualification profiles based on Nielsen segmentation data that BlackArrow's ad decision system would use to make decisions about which ad would be most relevant and effective to this segmented, qualified audience. The Arris AdVOD system would then manage the insertion, delivery, and reporting of the addressable ad to the subscriber on the operator's network. This," the companies say, "provides a complete end-to-end closed loop system for the delivery of addressable dynamic VOD campaigns, all in real-time."