] Cable operators say they may soon be able to offer ] services that would crush their satellite and phone ] competitors following introduction this week of a simple ] device that could free up massive amounts of bandwidth. ] ] These devices, about the size of two cigarette packs, ] could enable cable systems to transmit lots of ] high-definition TV (HDTV), video phone connections, video ] on demand and far faster high-speed Internet connections. ] ] "It allows you to dream, create and do things differently ] than you've ever done," says Comcast Cable President ] Steve Burke. ] ] Operators envision buying millions of these converters ] or similar ones planned by Motorola and others ] and putting them on virtually every TV owned by ] their nearly 72 million customers. Then operators can ] stop transmitting analog signals and go all-digital. ] ] That's a big deal. Analog TV channels consume about 65% ] of the bandwidth on most modern systems and ] operators can squeeze as many as eight digital channels ] into the bandwidth that each analog channel now fills. ] ] That's key for adding HDTV. Adios analog. Laughing Boy |