Cable Television Technology And Operations

Fully updated, revised, and expanded, this second edition of Modern Cable Television Technology addresses the significant changes undergone by cable since 1999--including, most notably, its continued transformation from a system for delivery of television to a scalable-bandwidth platform for a broad range of communication services. It provides in-depth coverage of high speed data transmission, home networking, IP-based voice, optical dense wavelength division multiplexing, new video compression techniques, integrated voice/video/data transport, and much more. Intended as a day-to-day reference for cable engineers, this book illuminates all the technologies involved in building and maintaining a cable system. But it's also a great study guide for candidates for SCTE certification, and its careful explanations will benefit any technician whose work involves connecting to a cable system or building products that consume cable services. Features * The much-awaited second edition of an award-winning book, written by leading figures in the cable industry. * Organized to "follow the plant" from signal creation, through multiplexing, transmission, and, finally, reception and processing within consumer's premises. * Focuses on the practical, not the theoretical, and explains concepts and techniques using a minimum of mathematics. * Covers both analog and digital signals, as well as coaxial and fiber-optic broadband distribution systems. * Discusses system architecture in detail, including considerations relating to digital fiber modulation and network reliability. * Explores a wide range of customer interface issues, including analog and digital video reception, consumer electronics, and home networks. About the Authors Walter Ciciora is a Fellow of the IEEE, the SMPTE, and SCTE and is a consultant in Cable, Consumer Electronics, and Telecommunications. He is a cofounder and CTO of HBA Matchmaker Media, a company with technologies in addressable advertising. Dr. Ciciora was cofounder and CTO of EnCamera Sciences, a company with technologies for embedding digital data in analog television signals, until it was sold in 2000. Previously, he was VP of Technology at Time Warner from 1982 to 1993 after being with Zenith since 1965. David Large is the Chief Technical Officer of Altrio Communications. He is a Fellow Member and Hall of Fame Honoree of the SCTE, a Senior Member of the IEEE, an NCTA Science and Technology Vanguard Award Winner, and SCTE-certified Broadband Communications Engineer. James Farmer is Chief Technical Officer at Wave7 Optics. He has previously been with Scientific-Atlanta, ESP, and ANTEC. He is a senior member of the IEEE and the SCTE and has served on administrative boards with both organizations. He is a recipient of the NCTA Vanguard Award in Technology, and is a member of the SCTE Hall of Fame. Michael Adams is President of Broadband Semantics, Inc. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE, and a member of the SCTE. In 2001, he received the Cable Center book award for "OpenCable Architecture."