cox

Just a few days after announcing a similar deal with the US's third-largest cable operator, Cox Communications (see the article published on itvt.com, January 11th), Epix--a multiplatform premium programming service which is a joint venture between Viacom, its Paramount Pictures arm, MGM and Lionsgate and which has exclusive access to Paramount, Paramount Vantage MTV and Nickelodeon movies released theatrically on or after January 1st, 2008, and to MGM, United Artists and Lionsgate titles released theatrically on or after January 1st, 2009--has a

The US's third-largest cable MSO, Cox Communications, announced Wednesday that it has upgraded the on-screen interface of its VOD service, Cox On DEMAND. According to the company, the new interface provides faster and simpler navigation and is available immediately across its digital cable footprint. "Our goal with this upgrade is to provide customers with an even more attractive, fast and intuitive On DEMAND experience," Chris Pantoya, Cox's VP of marketing, said in a prepared statement. "The features make navigation easy, particularly since there is much more programming to see."

According to Cox, the upgrade includes:

Comcast announced Monday that it will today (Tuesday) launch an HD VOD collection showcasing music videos, biographical footage and live performances from Shakira, thanks to an exclusive partnership with the Colombian singer (note: the MSO also recently launched a similar exclusive HD VOD collection featuring singer, Taylor Swift--see the article published on itvt.com, December 3rd).

Cox Communications, the US's third-largest cable MSO, and Time Warner-owned programming giant, Turner Broadcasting System, announced Wednesday that they had successfully measured advertising exposure in VOD content located within Cox's MyPrimetime On Demand service. In a trial effort, the companies say, Turner confirmed that timeshifted VOD viewing of its programs could be counted toward Nielsen C+3 ratings, a key industry measure that is designed to indicate how many viewers are exposed to commercials within three days of the original airing of the program with which those commercials are associated.

Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have conceded that they will not--as they had promised in a supposedly binding MOU with various consumer electronics/hardware manufacturers that was announced last spring--have tru2way technology deployed across their entire service footprints by July 1st, according to a report Tuesday by Todd Spangler in the US cable-industry trade publication, Multichannel News.

Cable MSO, Cox Communications, says that it will launch caller-ID on the TV in Rhode Island on May 18th. The service--which debuted in Oklahoma City late last year (see [itvt] Issue 8.23 Part 2A)--will be offered at no additional charge to Cox customers who subscribe to both Cox Digital Telephone with Caller ID and Cox Digital Cable.

Earlier this month, [itvt] reported that Atlanta-based interactive TV technologies and services company, itaas, 1) has been tapped by Cox Communications to provide support for developers creating, testing and launching ITV applications for the cable MSO's tru2way and ETV-EBIF implementation, via its flagship itaas istart Developer Program; and 2) has licensed an EBIF engine developed by Comcast-owned TVWorks and is now offering cable operators an EBIF deployment package that includes a license, deployment support, and maintenance services. Here are two other pieces of news from itaas that might be of interest to our readers:

--Company Opens New Indian Office, Prevails in DISH Litigation

--Integrates Jungo Middleware with TI's Puma 5 Chipsets

News Corp.-owned conditional access and interactive TV technology
provider, NDS, has been tapped by the US's third-largest cable MSO,
Cox Communications, to design a new interactive user-interface for its
legacy and next-generation set-top boxes. According to NDS, the new
UI, which will replace the operator's existing Aptiv guide, is
compatible with "many of" Cox's existing set-tops, is designed to be
forward-compatible with tru2way-enabled boxes, and can also run on
other devices, such as PC's. It is billed as integrating Cox's various

-Details of MOU Revealed in FCC Filing by Comcast

US cable-industry research, development and standards organization,
CableLabs, announced earlier this month that six companies have
signed a binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) on
tru2way/OCAP technology with the top-six cable operators in the US,

Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Cablevision, Charter and Bright House
Networks (which together account for over 80% of US cable
subscribers and 105 million homes passed). The signatory companies
are consumer electronics manufacturers, Sony Electronics (which was

US cable-industry research, development and standards organization,
CableLabs, recently issued a press release trumpeting the "broad
exposure" enjoyed by tru2way- and ETV/EBIF-based interactive TV
applications at this year's NCTA Cable Show. Among the Cable Show
tru2way and ETV demos highlighted by CableLabs in the release: