Web browser

Cabot has pre-integrated a highly featured, fully productionised third party web browser and rendering engine.  The resulting solution supports all the industry standards such as HTML, JavaScript, CSS, JPEG, PNG, GIF and animated GIF, as well as AJAX, allowing customers to create a rich and responsive user experience.

The web browser can support video streaming over IP and can broadcast video through a variety of formats.  A wide range of audio/video codecs are supported by the browser, including Mpeg-1/Mpeg-2 video and MP3, WAV, OGG, WMA audio. 

Web pages can use Cabot's Javascript API to start and control video output and also allows for a number of display options.  For example, the web page can be made transparent to allow video to show through or can scale the video enabling a page of text with quarter-screen video still visible.

Widgets

Cabot's widget technology extends the capabilities of a basic internet connected TV by allowing viewers to choose from a selection of internet based applications to run on their television.  These could include access to:

• Online video or movies through sites such as YouTube or Lovefilm
• Photo sharing sites such as Flickr
• RSS news feeds
• Localised information such as weather forecasts or public transport timetables

Cabot's Widget Agent connects to a portal website and displays to the viewer the selection of widgets that are available.  The user may select which widgets they wish to appear on their TV widget toolbar.  Whilst watching TV the viewer can bring up their widget toolbar and run any widget, or multiple widgets simultaneously.  Where appropriate, widgets may run overlaid over the current broadcast TV programme or can be displayed full screen.

Cabot widgets are written using industry standard HTML/JavaScript and interface to Cabot's Widget Agent API. 

Video on Demand (VOD)

As well as providing video streaming over IP, Cabot can create widgets that would support VOD of HTTP live streaming of video and audio or that supports the downloading of audio or video files to the device for later playback.

Near Video on Demand (NVOD)

An alternative to Video on Demand, NVOD refers to the ability for a broadcaster to schedule a program so that it starts frequently, providing more viewers with the opportunity to watch the program.  Cabot technology can enable the provision of NVOD with several broadcaster-specific enhancements possible as development opportunities.

Push VOD

Cabot has developed Push VOD technology which enables the provision of on-demand services through the control of DVR functionality via MHEG-5 Resident Programs.  The resulting technology won the Cable and Satellite ‘Best Interactive TV Technology or Application’ 2008 Award.  Cabot is now exploring the use of internet-based PushVOD support and also the potential to use the MHEG interaction channel for this purpose.