KEYSTONE, Colo., Aug. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Entropic Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ENTR), a leading provider of silicon and software solutions to enable connected home entertainment, and Cable Television Laboratories, Inc., (CableLabs(r)), a non-profit research and development consortium, have worked together to further demonstrate the capabilities of the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) Quality of Service (QoS) 3.0 standard and the Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) 1.1 standard, at the CableLabs(r) Summer Conference 2009 in Keystone, Colo.
UPnP QoS 3.0 is a new specification that defines a framework for policy-based parameterized QoS, essentially bridging the gap between service provider and broadband network solutions to provide end-to-end managed services on user devices within the home. UPnP QoS 3.0 and parameterized QoS (pQoS) capability offered by MoCA 1.1 are key features in the new CableLabs Reserved Service Domain (RSD) specification, which is part of the OpenCable(tm) Home Networking Extensions (OCHN) specification.
Sponsored by CableLabs and supported by Entropic and Ghent University-IBBT, this is the most comprehensive demonstration of UPnP QoS 3.0 features. In addition to showcasing its bandwidth reservation capabilities, network contention resolution features are being demonstrated, including reporting information about contending/blocking streams and resolving network contentions based on user or MSO preferences. Network contention occurs when sufficient bandwidth is not available for a new stream. When this occurs, users will be presented with a list of contending streams along with their relative importance to help resolve contention. An alternate method of handling network contention is when a Multiple System Operator (MSO) has established specific policies, then bandwidth allocated to a stream with lowest relative importance will be revoked in favor of a new stream with higher importance.
The demo consists of three personal computers embedded with Entropic's MoCA 1.1 compliant silicon solution and a UPnP QoS 3.0 stack built by Ghent University-IBBT; one serving HD content to two video clients. An additional PC with a MoCA 1.1 bridge is used to simulate additional network traffic.
"Apart from covering basic QoS reservation functionality, this demonstration showcases capabilities essential to MSOs when offering their premium services, such as multi-room DVR, over the home network," said Ralph Brown, CTO, CableLabs. "By combining our leading technologies we are able to exhibit a number of critical functions, including reporting and resolving network contentions."
"Our collaboration with CableLabs to fully leverage the capabilities of the UPnP QoS 3.0 bandwidth reservation and contention resolution functionality demonstrates the promise of delivering premium services over a home network, without compromise," said Dr. Anton Monk, vice president technology, Entropic Communications. "The powerful features of Entropic's silicon, combined with CableLabs' specifications, are delivering the advanced network performance to service providers for the evolving connected home."
About CableLabs
Founded in 1988 by members of the cable television industry, Cable Television Laboratories is a non-profit research and development consortium that is dedicated to pursuing new cable telecommunications technologies and to helping its cable operator members integrate those advancements into their business objectives. Cable operators from around the world are members. CableLabs maintains web sites at www.cablelabs.com; www.packetcable.com; www.cablemodem.com; www.cablenet.org; www.opencable.com; and www.tru2way.com.
About Entropic Communications
Entropic Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ENTR) is a leading fabless semiconductor company that is engineering the future of connected home networking and entertainment by providing next-generation silicon and software technologies to the world's leading Cable, Telco and Satellite service providers, OEM's and consumer electronic manufacturers. As a co-founder of MoCA, multimedia over coax alliance, Entropic pioneered and continues to evolve the way high-definition television-quality video and other multimedia & digital content such as movies, music, games and photos are brought into and delivered throughout the home. For more information, visit Entropic at www.entropic.com.
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Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature constitute "forward-looking statements." Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the advantages and deployment of Entropic's chipsets and its collaboration with CableLabs. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause Entropic's actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the effects of competition; Entropic's dependence on a limited number of customers and ultimately service providers; customer and service providers acceptance of Entropic's products; Entropic's ability to introduce new and enhanced products on a timely basis; the risk that the market for high-definition television-quality video and multimedia content delivery solutions may not develop as anticipated; the effect of intellectual property rights claims; and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of Entropic's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended June 30, 2009. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Entropic is providing this information as of the date of this release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
CableLabs is a trademark of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.