The cable industry achieved a digital video milestone when CableLabs announced that it had awarded certified status to Panasonic for four models of integrated digital television sets (DTVs). These will connect directly to cable television systems and receive digital services without requiring set-top boxes.

An official release informs that the announcement follows completion of a wave of certification testing conducted as part of the Cablelabs Opencable project. Panasonic's four certified DTVs will be able to directly receive High Definition and other one-way digital programmes through cable, including premium services, on cable systems throughout the US and Canada without the need for a set-top box.

Cablelabs certified means that the device has passed a series of tests for compliance with the indicated version of the specification and has thus demonstrated interoperability with multiple cable distribution networks. Many of these devices provide other functions or are designed to comply with other specifications, in each case tailored by the manufacturer to meet the growing needs of consumers or cable operators in an evolving communication / entertainment sector.