CMC Demos Multiple HITS AxIS Interactive TV Applications at Cable Show

At the NCTA Cable Show’s Broadband Nation exhibit this week, Comcast Media Center (CMC) is teaming with a group of companies to demo advanced interactive TV applications, based on the ETV standard, that are currently being tested, launched and supported by its HITS AxIS platform. (Note: the latter–whose name stands for “Headend In The Sky Advanced Interactive Services,” and which was developed in collaboration with Vidiom and TVWorks–is a centralized platform that operates on the NAS and DAC headend-management platforms and that is billed as being designed to support developers of advanced OCAP/tru2way and ETV/EBIF interactive TV applications and to facilitate the deployment and management of those applications on cable systems serving small- to mid-sized markets. CMC claims to be working with over 20 leading ITV developers that are developing apps for HITS AxIS; it has signed up four cable MSO’s to serve as beta sites for the service: Buckeye CableSystem, Bend Broadband, Metrocast Communications, and Sunflower Broadband.)

The applications are being managed at CMC’s Denver headquarters and are being delivered live to the Broadband Nation exhibit via the local Comcast Cable system headend for the Washington, DC market. They include:
–An i-menu home page for ITV applications, which features a mosaic of 14 thumbnails for telescoping directly to each application and which CMC bills as illustrating the customization and advertising opportunities available to HITS AxIS affiliates.
–Two tcommerce applications from iCueTV (developed with assistance from itaas) that allow viewers to order network TV shows on DVD’s and Blu-ray discs.
–A movie tickets application from Ensequence that allows viewers to request information and schedules for movies currently playing in DC-area theaters, as well as to access background information on each movie and to watch trailers for upcoming movies. According to CMC, cable customers in HITS AxIS beta areas can use the app to purchase movie tickets via their remote controls.
–A Yellow Pages on TV application from BIAP that lets viewers search for local businesses in the DC area and that also allows viewers in HITS AxIS beta areas to save listings as favorites, telescope to VOD content provided by advertisers, or connect to a business using click-to-call.
–A widget dashboard application template from enableTV that provides “one-stop” access to local, national and international news, sports, movie listings, horoscopes and more.
–The Buckeye Dashboard, a version of the enableTV widget dashboard application template that has been customized by enableTV for HITS AxIS beta-testing by Buckeye CableSystem. According to CMC, this version of the app demonstrates the application template’s customization and revenue-generating potential.
–An RFI application from iCueTV that allows Cable Show attendees who have pre-registered at the CMC booth to use a remote control to enter their account and PIN in order to request more information on HITS AxIS (note: the information is sent to them via email).
–A premium movie application from Starz which features a mini-guide that links from the Starz linear channel to Starz On Demand content.
–Four ITV applications that use the Video-Rich Navigation service, which was developed by CMC and GuideWorks and which is currently deployed as Comcast Central in a number of Comcast markets.

According to CMC, the ETV applications it is demo’ing all use the TVWorks ETV platform. The company’s demo also features information on Strategy & Technology’s TSBroadcaster2 system (which CMC uses to deliver ITV applications over satellite and fiber to cable headends), and on technologies from other HITS AxIS vendors. “The HITS AxIS demo in Broadband Nation is a great way for Cable Show 09 attendees to see examples of ITV applications that are already available using the ETV/EBIF platform,” CMC COO, Gary Traver, said in a prepared statement. “We are very grateful to NCTA, our developer partners, Buckeye CableSystem and our sister companies in Comcast for their essential roles in creating this live ITV experience.”