Top Tech
Gold
HITSMAKER:Comcast Media Center
Small and mid-sized operators have come a long way over the years in terms of the content choices they make available to their customers. Aiding them through it all has been the Headend in the Sky concept, which began as a brainchild of the old TCI and now operates under the oversight of Comcast. But these days, the Comcast Media Center is about far more than bouncing a few dozen channels off a satellite. HITS has evolved into HITS Quantum, an expanded version boasting more than 200 channels, including HD, as well as VOD support. In fact, the VOD In a Box joint offering with C-COR makes it easier than ever to remain competitive. With Verizon and AT&T on the prowl, that's more important than ever.
Silver
MOBILE JOBS:Apple's iPhone
OK, so it hasn't really come out yet. We've all only seen those nifty promo shots. But considering the continued dominance of the iPod as the top, must-have tech gadget of the new millennium (HDTVs are probably a close 2nd), the cable industry can't ignore the planned July launch of Apple's iPhone. Is this good for cable? Bad for cable? It's certainly unclear at the moment, but there's reason to think the iPhone's focus on mobile connectivity will help seed the market for the quad play. After all, people are used to taking music and video with them because of the iPod. Now that Apple will presumably spend millions marketing a wireless connectivity component, couldnt cable somehow become an indirect beneficiary? We'll see.
Bronze
DCAS RAZAMATAZ: Downloadable Security
Even as technology presses forward, that July 1 set-top security integration ban just keeps on looming. The problem? The cable industry is trying to phase out hardware-based security in favor of downloadable software that enables far more flexibility for both MSOs and their customers. But while many cable operators have asked for more time to perfect downloadable security, the FCC seems mostly unimpressed. It may see a smoke-and-mirrors attempt by the industry to delay the inevitable (as well as its cost), but the evidence suggests otherwise. CableLabs' DCAS, or downloadable conditional access system, spec is already a reality. And Beyond Broadband Technology has its own innovative solution. Despite the outcome of the integration ban, downloadable security has come into its own in the last year.
Honorables
NCTAs Broadband Home exhibit at its headquarters in DC
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