Charter Signs Up for Sony's Passage Set-Top Platform

In hopes of spurring more competition and customer choice in the set-top receiver market, Charter Communications and Sony Electronics have signed a licensing agreement for Sony's Passage technology. The technology may ultimately allow set-tops, network and headend equipment from different companies to work together on

Author:: TVTechnology
Publish date:: Jan 15, 2003

In hopes of spurring more competition and customer choice in the set-top receiver market, Charter Communications and Sony Electronics have signed a licensing agreement for Sony's Passage technology.

The technology may ultimately allow set-tops, network and headend equipment from different companies to work together on existing digital cable TV networks.

"Opening up the cable infrastructure will most certainly foster competition and result in more choices and better services for consumers," said Stephen Silva, executive VP and CTO for Charter. This, says Silva, should also spur the development of new products and industry innovation.

NCTA said the agreement makes it clear that consumers will be able to enjoy a choice of differentiated two-way products at retail and through cable operators from a variety of manufacturers.

The company will use Tru2way technology in its new television sets.

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Digtal set-top maker Pace Micro Technology has begun shipping its DC-510 digital cable set-tops to Comcast Cable, which plans to deploy the gateways in systems throughout its service area. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed. According to UK-based Pace, the DC-510 is the smallest digital cable gateway

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