By Michael Adams, Time Warner Cable
MPEG-2 and ATM technologies each have their own set of advantages and disadvantages in a Full Service Network. We have proposed the design for a Broadband Interactive Cable Gateway (ICG) that bridges the gap between these technologies and allows each to be deployed where it is best-suited in a digital cable system. The ICG allows initial deployment of broadcast digital television services to be rapidly and cost-effectively upgraded to on-demand services with no impact to existing subscribers. This paper will discuss the ICG in detail including protocol conversion, signaling, and management Junctions and provide a set of requirements for prospective ICG vendors. The paper will also provide an overview of the hybrid ATMIMPEG-2 network architecture and explain why it is optimal for the deployment of a mix of broadcast and on-demand digital services.