cables

Cisco Systems has signed a $5 billion deal to buy set-top box software developer NDS, the companies said today.

NDS, based in the U.K., sells its software platform along with a combined service platform to video service providers. The products allow video providers to deliver a service that easily lets people view, search, and navigate video content at anytime from anywhere.

Cisco plans to use NDS software and services to enhance development of Videoscape, its own video platform for paid TV providers. The company said the NDS acquisition should help it expand into emerging markets, such as China and … Read more

Intel is reportedly approaching media companies with plans to create a virtual cable network that would bundle television programs and deliver them via an Internet-connected set-top box.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Intel's plan and said it represents a shift in the chip giant's strategy. Intel via acquisitions like that of McAfee clearly wants to be more than just a processor company. Indeed, Intel is already the biggest baddest ingredient brand on the planet.

Surely, Intel's virtual cable TV idea boils down to the usual line: sell more chips. Cloud computing, data centers, ultrabooks, and any … Read more

Rumors are zinging around tech blogs and media companies about why Netflix might be pursuing partnerships with cable companies.

Some of the theories are that Netflix needs help adding subscribers; or that Netflix wants to become the Internet service for the cable providers that don't have any online presence; or that it wants to become a cable station; or maybe it wants to join forces in the hopes of obtaining lower streaming rates from cable companies.

A Netflix spokesman declined to comment.

What we do know is that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is talking to cable companies about a … Read more

Apple announced the new iPad yesterday in San Francisco, and with the reactions ranging from disappointment up to stores already running out of stock, Ty Pendlebury joins us today to give his take on the amped-up display, the updated nomenclature, and a rundown of the new iOS 5.1 features.

We'll also talk about Netflix coming out of your cable box, a new Sim City announcement, and a quick review of The Simpsons: Tapped Out.… Read more

This is an update of a deal I wrote about last year.

Regular readers know of my deep fondness for Windows Media Center, which served as the hub of my entertainment center for many years. It's vastly underrated as a DVR; indeed, in many respects it's better than TiVo.

For a long while, the only available CableCard adapter (the vital component for watching and recording cable TV) was Ceton's InfiniTV 4--a great product, but expensive and compatible only with desktop PCs that had an available PCI slot.

Now there's an affordable, external solution. The Hauppauge WinTV-DCR-2650 … Read more

T-Mobile USA and Sprint Nextel have asked the Federal Communications Commission to suspend its review of Verizon Wireless's purchase of wireless spectrum from cable operators.

The wireless operators want Verizon to disclose more information about the marketing deals it struck with cable operators as part of its $3.6 billion deal with these companies hashed out late last year. The companies say the FCC should suspend its 180-day review of the deal until that information is made public.

In an FCC filing, T-Mobile and Sprint were joined by DirecTV and several consumer groups in asking that Verizon Wireless provide … Read more

Netflix might be looking to step up its game as competition with HBO and other service providers heats up.

The video streaming giant is looking to partner with a cable company that would bundle online movie streaming with its other offerings, according to Reuters.

The news service reports that sources familiar with the matter say that Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings has been stealthily meeting with a few of the largest U.S. cable companies the past few weeks to discuss how a deal might work. This partnership could come as soon as the end of the year, according to … Read more

Remember Cable Card? It's still around, quietly allowing owners of TiVos and Home Theater PCs, via devices like the HDHomeRun Prime, to get the full complement of cable TV programming without having to use the company-issued DVR or cable box.

At CNET we've tested a few Cable Card products, including TiVos and the now-defunct Moxi DVR. The latter product was still hanging around the CNET offices so I decided to test it out for myself at home.

I called up Verizon (I'm a Fios TV subscriber) last week, told the rep I had a third-party DVR and … Read more

Time Warner Cable is at it again.

The company this week announced the launch of a usage-based pricing plan in Southern Texas. The service is available to customers in San Antonio, Laredo, Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Value, and the Border Corridor, the company said in a blog post.

Dubbed the Essentials Plan, the offering limits subscribers to 5GB of data usage a month in exchange for a $5 discount to their monthly bill. Time Warner Cable says customers can opt-in or opt-out of the deal at any time, and subscribers will get a "meter" to let them … Read more