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Cable television broadcasting industry

Wireless Technology Revolutionizes Home Entertainment at Western Cable Show 2000

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Scientific-Atlanta demonstrated an interactive streaming video, Internet browsing, and MP3 audio experience at the Western Cable Show 2000 using Intersil's PRISM 802.11b wireless technology. The demonstration connected a free-roaming laptop to an Explorer set-top box, enabling attendees to browse the web, listen to streaming audio, and watch interactive television simultaneously. This innovative technology promises to deliver broadband content directly to users' fingertips, eliminating the need for wires. Intersil's CEO, Greg Williams, emphasized the potential of PRISM wireless technology to support the cable industry's initiative to deliver broadband Internet access.

Key Takeaways:

  • Intersil's PRISM 802.11b wireless technology was showcased at the Western Cable Show 2000, providing a live demonstration of interactive streaming video, Internet browsing, and MP3 audio.
  • The Scientific-Atlanta Explorer set-top box wirelessly connected to a free-roaming laptop, enabling attendees to access a wide range of services simultaneously.
  • PRISM technology promises to deliver revolutionary, easy-to-use, and interactive services to any point in the home without wires.
  • The cable industry is making great strides in delivering a broadband pipeline into homes, with Intersil's 802.11b wireless technology taking this advantage a step further.
  • Fifty companies have incorporated PRISM chips in over 100 product designs since the introduction of the PRISM WLAN chip set in 1996.
  • Intersil is a leading supplier of semiconductors, reference designs, and software for wireless access and communications markets.
  • Scientific-Atlanta's Explorer set-tops and interactive network will be demonstrated at their booth (no.1639) at the Western Cable Show.

Statistics:

  • Over fifty companies have incorporated PRISM chips in more than 100 product designs.
  • Cahners In-Stat Groupcalled Intersil "the dominant force in the WLAN chip set marketplace with their PRISM chip sets holding the majority of market share" in a May 2000 report.
  • PRISM technology is designed to comply with the IEEE's 802.11 global standard.

Sources:

  • "Scientific-Atlanta Demonstrates Wireless Technology at Western Cable Show" (Business Wire, Nov. 29, 2000)
  • "Intersil and Scientific-Atlanta to Showcase PRISM 802.11b at Western Cable Show" (Business Wire, Nov. 29, 2000)
  • "About Intersil" (Intersil Corporation, www.intersil.com)
  • "About Scientific-Atlanta" (Scientific-Atlanta, Inc., www.scientificatlanta.com)

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