CableLabs, the cable television industry standards setting organization, announced that Samsung Electronics has become the first consumer electronics manufacturer to sign a license to manufacture two-way interactive digital cable-ready products.
CableLabs said Samsung has agreed to implement CableLabs’ OpenCableApplication Platform (OCAP) compliant middleware on its interactive digital TVs and set-top boxes. The agreement, which is available to any interested consumer electronics manufacturer, “grant intellectual property rights required for building interactive devices in compliance with the CableLabs OpenCable hardware and software specifications,” CableLabs said.
“Samsung has previously certified one-way digital cable-ready DTVs, but the transition to the more advanced two-way products is really a big step forward for everybody,” said Dick Green, CableLabs’ CEO. “We’re really excited that Samsung has taken the initiative to advance their DTVs to the next level so quickly.”
The new interactive devices will include an OCAP implementation, the middleware specification created by CableLabs. OCAP allows retail devices to run any OCAP application or service being delivered by a cable operator. With OCAP middleware, CE manufacturers can build digital cable products capable of running interactive program guides delivered by cable operators, as well as premium services like video-on-demand
