What is CableLabs and why is CableLabs so interested in digital compression and the MPEG intellectual property issues?
CableLabs® is a research and development consortium of cable television system operators representing more than 85% of the cable television subscribers in the United States, 70% of the cable television subscribers in Canada, and 5-10% of cable television subscribers in Mexico. CableLabs plans and funds research and development projects that will help cable companies take advantage of future opportunities and meet future challenges in the television industry. It also transfers relevant technologies to member companies and to the industry. In addition, CableLabs acts as a clearinghouse to provide information on current and prospective technological developments that are of interest to the cable television industry. In the United States, 63 percent of the 93 million television households receive cable television service while 95 percent of all television households are “passed” (have access to) cable television service. In Canada, the numbers are 73 percent of the 10.1 million television
