Cable Show 2010 trends: Whole home networks and advanced guides

Whole-home networks and advanced guides

You have to give a best-of-show nod to Cox Communications, along with its partner NDS for unveiling an electronic program guide that runs on new tru2way Cisco set-tops with built-in MoCA for whole-home networks.

The collaboration marks "the first time a North American cable operator is putting out a high definition guide; the first time a cable operator in the U.S. is putting out a MoCa-enabled multi-room DVR solution; and we've worked with our guide data provider, Tribune Media Services, to create new richer metadata to improve the content discovery process," said Lisa Pickelsimer, executive director of video product development at Cox.

Rovi--which is also the guide of choice for the majority of Cox subscribers who won't get new MoCA-enabled Cisco models--was trending up as well with the introduction of a plethora of advancements designed to drag interactive programming into the hands of the subscribers.

Cisco, while not really having anything to do with the guide other than providing a host, got a thumbs up because it was the box of choice for a major cable operator unveiling a major initiative as was Samsung, whose new MoCA box was endorsed by Liberty Global as part of an impressive multimedia home gateway system aimed at European customers.

The big box news made it tough not to point downward when discussing Cisco's set-top duopoly twin Motorola, which didn't do anything to take the spotlight off its competitors across the hall or Pace, which continues to keep a quiet pace in the U.S market.

While it was fun to watch, the iPad remote control/guide/whatever demonstration by Comcast CEO Brian Roberts was more about flash than reality, so it's a toss-up whether that's an upward or downward trend.

"I don't know whether it's best or worst but Brian's $500 remote control is sort of fun, although the remote control can siphon viewers away from the set itself," said a long-time show attendee.

Added a vendor who sat in on the same demonstration ... "I thought Comcast iPad set-top box controller--I'm not sure what they're branding it--got a lot of buzz. The cable operators have been taking some knocks for not having remote programming of the set-top box (and) I sense that the iPad can become, for lack of a better term, that god box that can control and manage a lot of the network devices."

Roberts gave the iPad a high five, saying it "looks to be a fabulous bridge between the TV and computer."

(Photo: Brian Roberts, Chairman and CEO of Comcast. SOURCE: The Cable Show 2010)