B2C2 Introduces Broadband Cable PCI Digital Receiver Card; A Single Card Based On Microtune's Advanced Single-Chip Tuner, Receiving Digital TV and High-speed Internet On the PC.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 17, 2001 B2C (Business to Consumer) Refers to a business communicating with or selling to an individual rather than a company. See B2B. 2, Inc., a major supplier of digital broadband receiving solutions, introduced the Cable4PC(TM) card, a cost-effective and highly integrated PCI-based solution for receiving digital television and high-speed Internet See broadband. content on PCs via existing cable systems. The Cable4PC card enables cable operators and other service providers to leverage the capabilities of legacy cable systems for advanced broadband services without costly upgrades to the existing cable infrastructure. Designed for ease-of-deployment as a client-end solution, the Cable4PC card also offers fast installation and a cost-effective option for cable subscribers. The Cable4PC card will be introduced at the Mediacast 2001 Show at London's new ExCel Exhibition Center on May 21-23, during Europe's largest conference for the broadband market. The card will also be demonstrated June 10-13 at McCormick Place McCormick Place is an enormous exposition complex located in Chicago, Illinois. (Microtune Booth 4934) in Chicago, IL at Cable 2001, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association's 50th Annual Convention and International Exposition. The Cable4PC solution consists of a single PCI (1) (Payment Card Industry) See PCI DSS. (2) (Peripheral Component Interconnect) The most widely used I/O bus (peripheral bus). board, configuration software and drivers. As a unique feature, the Cable4PC card offers a multi-lingual, customizable graphical user interface graphical user interface (GUI) Computer display format that allows the user to select commands, call up files, start programs, and do other routine tasks by using a mouse to point to pictorial symbols (icons) or lists of menu choices on the screen as opposed to having to (GUI (Graphical User Interface) A graphics-based user interface that incorporates movable windows, icons and a mouse. The ability to resize application windows and change style and size of fonts are the significant advantages of a GUI vs. a character-based interface. ) that can be pre-configured for specific markets, allowing end-users to install the card in a PC and be operational within minutes. The Cable4PC card also conforms to DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) An international digital television (DTV) standard that is the European and Far Eastern counterpart of the North American ATSC standard. standards to operate with all head-end Internet Protocol (IP) encapsulators for a complete end-to-end solution for data broadcasting. Based on Microtune's innovative MicroTuner(TM) MT2030 single-chip broadband tuner and B2C2's Flexcop(TM) controller, the Cable4PC solution combines state-of-the-art radio frequency (RF) and digital technology in a compact, highly integrated single PCI card. The Microtune(TM) patented MicroTuner single-chip tuner, a device the size of a dime, serves as the radio frequency (RF) gateway that receives and tunes digital video and data. B2C2's technology, including the FlexCop ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) Pronounced "a-sick." A chip that is custom designed for a specific application rather than a general-purpose chip such as a microprocessor. controller, the FlexParser(TM) demux and the SafeBus(TM) content protection system, provides optimized demultiplexing, encryption and filtering of packetized data -- features critical for effectively managing broadband content within the PC environment. The patented FlexCop ASIC controller and associated software offer an optimum partition of functionality to reduce CPU CPU in full central processing unit Principal component of a digital computer, composed of a control unit, an instruction-decoding unit, and an arithmetic-logic unit. overhead within the host PC while achieving maximum performance. "The Cable4PC card brings our customers and end users the benefits of broadband cable services on the popular PC platform," commented B2C2 CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Edward Bach. "In implementing our solution, the challenge was to develop a highly-integrated card that offers performance, low cost, ease-of-use and reliability advantages. Our solution deploys Microtune's MicroTuner tuner, which enables multifunctional digital applications delivered with superior performance. Our FlexCop ASIC controller combines multiple chips into one. Integrating both the FlexCop controller and MicroTuner tuner in our PCI digital receiver card enables an advanced solution that brings price/performance and application advantages to customers and consumers." Added James Fontaine, president of Microtune, "We are very pleased that B2C2 has selected our MicroTuner single-chip tuner to enable the best features of the Internet and video for its customers." The Cable4PC card is one member of a family of B2C2 digital receiver cards for PCs. Other cards support satellite (the Sky2PC(TM) card) and terrestrial (the Air2PC(TM)-DVB and -ATSC card) digital reception. All B2C2 receivers are available in both PCI and USB USB in full Universal Serial Bus Type of serial bus that allows peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, digitizers, data gloves, etc.) to be easily connected to a computer. versions. About Microtune Microtune Inc. is a leading RF silicon and systems company that designs, manufactures and markets RF broadband 'gateway' solutions for use in cable modems, set-top boxes, PC/TV multimedia, TV/digital TV, automotive entertainment and other consumer electronics. Inventors of the MicroTuner(TM) single-chip broadband tuner and a family of silicon broadband amplifiers, the company currently holds fourteen U.S. patents for its RF technology, with an additional twelve pending approval, containing a total of more than 1000 supporting claims. Founded in 1996, Microtune is headquartered in Plano, Texas, with key design, manufacturing and sales centers located around the world. The web site is www.microtune.com. About B2C2, Inc. B2C2, Inc. is a leading provider of cost-effective broadband solutions for receiving high-speed digital TV, HDTV (High Definition TV) A set of digital television (DTV) standards that offer the highest resolution and sharpest picture. Although some HDTV sets are available in standard (rather square) screen sizes, the overwhelming majority of sets are wide screen, which eliminates , multimedia and data over satellite, cable, and terrestrial networks. Its DVB and ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) An international digital television (DTV) standard adopted by the U.S., Canada, South Korea, Taiwan and Argentina. compliant data and broadcast receivers are based on the patented FlexCop ASIC controller, the company's digital receiver chip. For more information about B2C2, visit www.b2c2inc.com or contact the company at 1250 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501 USA, telephone 510/814-7373. Editor's Note: The B2C2 name, FlexCop, FlexParser, and SafeBus are trademarks of B2C2, Inc. Microtune, MicroTuner and MicroStreamer are trademarks of Microtune, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
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