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By: Richard Del Cazzo
Web site: http://www.hdtv-hdtv.com
B2C2, Inc., a major supplier of digital broadband receiving
solutions, introduced the Cable4PC(TM) HDTV tuner card, a
cost-effective and highly integrated PCI-based solution for
receiving digital television and high-speed Internet content
on PCs via existing cable systems. The Cable4PC card enables
cable operators and other service providers to leverage the
capabilities of legacy cable systems for advanced broadband
services without costly upgrades to the existing cable infrastructure.
Designed for ease-of-deployment as a client-end solution,
the Cable4PC HDTV tuner card also offers fast installation
and a cost-effective option for cable subscribers.
The Cable4PC HDTV tuner card will be introduced at the Mediacast
2001 Show at London's new ExCel Exhibition Center on May 21-23,
during Europe's largest conference for the broadband market.
The HDTV tuner card will also be demonstrated June 10-13 at
McCormick Place (Microtune Booth 4934) in Chicago, IL at Cable
2001, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association's
50th Annual Convention and International Exposition.
The Cable4PC HDTV tuner card solution consists of a single
PCI board, configuration software and drivers. As a unique
feature, the Cable4PC card offers a multi-lingual, customizable
graphical user interface (GUI) that can be pre-configured
for specific markets, allowing end-users to install the card
in a PC and be operational within minutes. The Cable4PC HDTV
tuner card also conforms to DVB standards to operate with
all head-end Internet Protocol (IP) encapsulators for a complete
end-to-end solution for data broadcasting.
Based on Microtune's innovative MicroTuner(TM) MT2030 single-chip
broadband tuner and B2C2's Flexcop(TM) controller, the Cable4PC
solution combines state-of-the-art radio frequency (RF) and
digital technology in a compact, highly integrated single
PCI card. The Microtune(TM) patented MicroTuner single-chip
tuner, a device the size of a dime, serves as the radio frequency
(RF) gateway that receives and tunes digital video and data.
B2C2's technology, including the FlexCop ASIC controller,
the FlexParser(TM) demux and the SafeBus(TM) content protection
system, provides optimized demultiplexing, encryption and
filtering of packetized data -- features critical for effectively
managing broadband content within the PC environment. The
patented FlexCop ASIC controller and associated software offer
an optimum partition of functionality to reduce CPU overhead
within the host PC while achieving maximum performance.
"The Cable4PC HDTV tuner card brings our customers and
end users the benefits of broadband cable services on the
popular PC platform," commented B2C2 CEO Edward Bach.
"In implementing our solution, the challenge was to develop
a highly-integrated card that offers performance, low cost,
ease-of-use and reliability advantages. Our solution deploys
Microtune's MicroTuner tuner, which enables multifunctional
digital applications delivered with superior performance.
Our FlexCop ASIC controller combines multiple chips into one.
Integrating both the FlexCop controller and MicroTuner tuner
in our PCI digital receiver card enables an advanced solution
that brings price/performance and application advantages to
customers and consumers."
Added James Fontaine, president of Microtune, "We are
very pleased that B2C2 HDTV tuner card has selected our MicroTuner
single-chip tuner to enable the best features of the Internet
and video for its customers."
The Cable4PC HDTV tuner card is one member of a family of
B2C2 digital receiver cards for PCs. Other cards support satellite
(the Sky2PC(TM) card) and terrestrial (the Air2PC(TM)-DVB
and -ATSC card) digital reception. All B2C2 receivers are
available in both PCI and USB versions.
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