ICTV, creators of HeadendWare, the world's first centralised platform for the delivery of interactive television services, has released a reference design that enables the delivery of interactive applications to every cable-ready digital television, without the need for a digital set-top box. The device was demonstrated by ICTV at the CableLabs Winter Conference. The event took place from 10-12 February in Colorado.

Currently, there is no return path that enables the delivery of interactive services to that important market of early adopters who will be the first to purchase cable-ready digital TVs. ICTV has stated that its solution enables cable system operators to generate revenue and cash flow from television based interactivity, including video on demand, from a customer base that historically has been most interested in using advanced services.

The technology, which utilises existing standards-based cable infrastructure, will also enable cable operators to deliver interactive services to current digital subscribers without having to deploy the "cable return path" required by today's digital set tops. Operators who have already deployed "cable return" will be able to deliver a consistent set of interactive services to all subscribers, including those with digital set-tops and those who purchase new cable-ready TVs as they become available.

The ICTV solution is an infrared adaptor for a cable modem which uses the standard DOCSIS return path to transmit upstream commands for a variety of headend-based applications, including customer care, video on demand and games. The adaptor, which contains an IR receiver and IR blaster, has been designed initially as a low-cost dongle that connects to the USB port of a standard cable modem. ICTV expects that future versions will be integrated into the cable modem, with the entire assembly costing slightly more than a standard cable modem.

The ICTV IR adaptor uses a small, embedded processor to packetise commands sent by the customer's remote control. The DOCSIS modem transmits the packets to the headend, where ICTV's HeadendWare centralised interactive media platform processes the request, tunes the user's television to a hidden channel and begins the delivery of interactive content.

ICTV, which already has had discussions with the consumer electronic industry regarding the device, anticipates that the initial dongle would accompany the "smart card" for conditional access in the welcome kit for new digital subscribers, or could be purchased by the consumer through consumer electronics channels. ICTV intends to license the design for the return path protocol to consumer electronics manufacturers on a royalty-free basis, and will nominate the design for inclusion in the next version of the cable-ready DTV standard.