Earlier this year, Cablevision began providing high definition channels to its iO customers that had high-definition television (HDTV) sets at no extra cost to their subscription. The customer just had to add on a HD-capable converter which was provided at no extra cost. The channels include HDTV versions of HBO, Showtime and so on.
Now, customers with HD Converter boxes can a slate of popular theatrical films, including unique titles originally seen in IMAX theatres that have never before been licensed for television. High Definitions films have a rental fee of $ 6.95 per film and have a 24-hour viewing period. At least two titles originally seen in IMAX theatres will be added to the iO high-definition slate each month.
Over 90% of home in cablevision's service area have access to digital cable and this is expected to reach 100% by end of this year. Cablevision's iO customer base has reached 600,000 on June 30; up 42,000 from a year ago. Over 20% of their customer base is iO digital customers.
Cablevision Systems Corporation is the nation's first cable or satellite provider to make high-definition programming available to its customers on demand. Now available to iO: Interactive Optimum® digital cable customers, the high- definition video on demand offering features a slate of popular theatrical films, including unique titles originally seen in IMAX theaters that have never before been licensed for television. "The centerpiece of iO is the industry's most comprehensive collection of on demand programming, available anytime with full control over the viewing experience, so the addition of high-definition films fits perfectly with our strategy for the service," said Kristin Dolan, senior vice president of digital product management. "High-definition on demand programming is just one example of iO's ability to change the way our customers view television." High-definition films are available for 24-hour viewing for a rental fee of $ 6.95 per film. The initial slate of titles includes*:
[*Partial list] |
It is nice to see high-definition channels and services starting up. Until recently, the closest someone could get to HDTV on their HDTV sets were DVD and digital TV, but the only advantage over the analogue picture was a picture free of noise. HDTV has roughly 4 times the resolution of NTSC and double the frame rate to give near photographic quality and smoother motion.
Currently, there are problems trying to standardise HDTV discs. Microsoft are trying to propose Windows Media 9 as the standard using existing DVD format, Blu-ray with high resolution MPEG2 on high capacity blue laser-read discs and some others with MPEG4 also on existing DVD format.
As expected, each manufacturer is trying to implement strong encryption and DRM technology in their standards. Microsoft is trying to take the old DIVX approach of requiring the player to dial-up a server to authenticate the HDTV disc before playback.
Source: Yahoo Financial News
