OpenCable Application Platform
The OpenCable Application Platform, or OCAP, is an operating system layer designed for consumer electronics that connect to a cable television system, the Java-based middleware portion of the platform. Unlike operating systems on a personal computer, the cable company controls what OCAP programs run on the consumer's machine. Designed by CableLabs for the cable networks of North America, OCAP programs are intended for interactive services such as eCommerce, online banking, Electronic program guides, and digital video recording. Cable companies have required OCAP as part of the Cablecard 2.0 specification, a proposal that is controversial and has not been approved by the Federal Communications Commission. Cable companies have stated that two-way communications by third party devices on their networks will require them to support OCAP.[1] The Consumer Electronics Association and other groups argue OCAP is intended to block features that compete with cable company provided services and that consumers should be entitled to add, delete and otherwise control programs as on their personal computers.[2] On January 8, 2008 CableLabs announced [3] the Tru2Way brand for the OpenCable platform, including OCAP as the application platform.
Technical overview
[edit ]OCAP is the Java based software/middleware portion of the OpenCable initiative. OCAP is based on the Globally Executable MHP (GEM)-standard, and was defined by CableLabs. Because OCAP is based on GEM, it has a lot in common with the Multimedia Home Platform (MHP)-standard defined by the DVB project.
At present two versions of the OCAP standard exist:
- OCAP v1.0
- OCAP v2.0
See also
[edit ]- Downloadable Conditional Access System (DCAS)
- Embedded Java
- Java Platform, Micro Edition
- ARIB
- Interactive digital cable ready
- OEDN
References
[edit ]- ^ "Two-Way Communications". StoreFound. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015.
- ^ "CE Industries Continue To Debate Interactive Cable". This Week in Consumer Electronics (TWICE). 2006年01月30日. Archived from the original on 2006年11月09日. Retrieved 2007年01月05日.
- ^ "Tru2way Brand to Succeed 'OpenCable Platform' in Consumer and Retail Settings". 2008年01月08日. Archived from the original on 2008年06月29日. Retrieved 2008年10月20日.
External links
[edit ]- "OpenCable / OCAP Website". CableLabs. Archived from the original on 2006年03月26日. Retrieved 2006年06月05日.
- "The OCAP Primer". Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM). Archived from the original on 2006年04月20日. Retrieved 2006年06月05日.
- "An Introduction to OCAP". Interactive TV Web. Archived from the original on 2009年02月04日. Retrieved 2009年01月07日.
- Sun Microsystems' Java TV
- MHP official standards for interactive television and related interactive home entertainment.
- MHP tutorials
- MHP Knowledge Database
- The OCAP/EBIF Developer Network
- "Comcast & TW Heads Push OCAP". Cable Digital News. 2006年05月23日. Archived from the original on 2006年05月25日. Retrieved 2006年06月05日.
- "OCAP - Who's Capping Whom?". Zatz Not Funny. 2006年01月13日. Retrieved 2006年06月05日.
- "Cable operators open nets at CES". CommsDesign. 2006年01月09日. Archived from the original on 2013年01月19日. Retrieved 2006年06月05日.
- "Cable Industry Begins to Launch Next-Generation Digital Services". PC World. 2006年01月06日. Retrieved 2006年06月15日.