Cable guys work with EBIF

While telcos like Verizon Communications and SureWest Communications have made more news for their support of Enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format (EBIF) than the cable TV companies it was designed for, cable firms Comcast and Time Warner Cable are getting ready to work with EBIF.

The interactivity standard from CableLabs supports many new applications, such as polls, interactive games and advertising, and now the two cable TV players are installing the EBIF capabilities in their networks and set-top boxes. EBIF also will be used to support  the advanced advertising service bureau under development at cable industry-backed Canoe Ventures, according to Light Reading's Cable Digital News.

Comcast plans to have EBIF to 10 million homes by the end of the year, while TWC plans to have it in all of its digital STBs by sometime next year. It's looking as if EBIF could play an interim role in the cable TV industry's evolution to its Tru2way interactive solution.

For more:
- Light Reading's Cable Digital News has coverage

Related article
SureWest was among the first to leverage EBIF