Source
By Clint Swett -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, August 18, 2005
SureWest Broadband is quietly testing the broadcast of high-definition television programming, which it plans to offer its customers by the end of September.
Such a move would put SureWest on a more equal footing with Comcast, which has offered high-definition TV shows in the Sacramento market since 2003.
Roseville-based SureWest is using a technology called Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) that treats a television signal just like any other piece of digital data, said Bill DeMuth, SureWest's chief technology officer. The programming will be carried over the company's fiber-optic cable system.
The advantage of IPTV is that it can also handle Internet-style information, meaning SureWest could eventually offer enhanced services, such as sports stats to accompany the broadcast of a baseball game.
DeMuth declined to say how many high-definition TV channels would be offered, or at what price. But he said SureWest's rates would be competitive with Comcast, which charges $5 a month for high-definition programming.
By Clint Swett -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, August 18, 2005
SureWest Broadband is quietly testing the broadcast of high-definition television programming, which it plans to offer its customers by the end of September.
Such a move would put SureWest on a more equal footing with Comcast, which has offered high-definition TV shows in the Sacramento market since 2003.
Roseville-based SureWest is using a technology called Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) that treats a television signal just like any other piece of digital data, said Bill DeMuth, SureWest's chief technology officer. The programming will be carried over the company's fiber-optic cable system.
The advantage of IPTV is that it can also handle Internet-style information, meaning SureWest could eventually offer enhanced services, such as sports stats to accompany the broadcast of a baseball game.
DeMuth declined to say how many high-definition TV channels would be offered, or at what price. But he said SureWest's rates would be competitive with Comcast, which charges $5 a month for high-definition programming.
