9:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Track B:
Inside the Entertainment Box: New Technologies to Make the Set-Top Grow
The technology behind the set-top box is what enables the expansion of every improving consumer services. From Internet and ITV capabilities to PVR, instant messaging and telewebbing, the future of the set-top will undoubtedly determine the future prospects of the entire entertainment industry. There is no underestimating its importance. More than seventy thousand homes have set-tops and fifty thousand of them have premium services - therein lies the future of the set-top box. In this session, we hope to unlock some of the mystery of its future.
John Setel O'Donnell, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Equator Technologies
Avner Ronen, co-founder & VP Strategic Development, Odigo
Richard Johnson, President & CEO, CacheVision
Haig Krakirian, Senior Vice President Software Engineering, Pioneer
Neil Mitchell, Director of Marketing, Teralogic
Jay Schiller, Vice President of Broadband Strategy & Product Management, nCUBE
Peter Forman, President & CEO, Ligos, Moderator
Haig Krakirian, Senior Vice President Software Engineering, Pioneer: As vice president of software engineering at Pioneer, Krakirian is responsible for developing and producing interactive a
pplications for digital set-top boxes. Pioneer’s Passport, is a comprehensive digital navigation suite of applications incorporating an interactive program guide, impulse pay-per-view, and video on demand features. Prior to joining Pioneer, he was director of engineering at Time Warner Cable Broadband Applications, where he led the software development group in creating CDROM and ITV applications, including shopping and sports applications for the company’s Full Service Network trial in Orlando, FL. He is a frequent presenter including Digital Hollywood and SCTE Cable Tec Expo. Haig holds a Master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Southern California.Avner Ronen, co-founder & VP Strategic Development, Odigo: Avner Ronen is one
of the founding members of Odigo and a visionary in the Instant Messaging and Presence industry. His background includes over eight years of Internet development and consulting experience, in both the technological and business development aspects.Peter Forman is president, chief executive officer and chief operating officer of Ligos Cor
poration, based in San Francisco, California. As CEO and COO, he is responsible for leading the process of formulating company strategy and managing all aspects of strategy implementation. In addition, he is responsible for ensuring the financial well being of the company and managing its key relationships with investors and strategic partners. Before joining Ligos, Peter was president at Intelligence at Large, Inc., a developer of internet telephony and IP videoconferencing technologies. Prior to at Intelligence at Large, Inc. he was vice president of Business Development at Image G, Inc., a special effects production house where he was responsible for developing Internet related strategy and business. Before that, Peter was founder, president and CEO of New Video Corporation, a pioneer in the development of video and audio codecs for personal computers for use in media authoring and training systems. He also held management positions with Deloitte and Touche Management Consulting and The J. Paul Getty Trust Art History Information Program. Peter holds an MBA from University of California at Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management and a BFA from California Institute of the Arts.Richard C. Johnson, President & CEO, CacheVision Inc.: Richard is President an
d CEO of CacheVision, a joint venture between THOMSON Multimedia and Seagate Technology formed in July 2000. Richard joined Seagate in April 2000 as Vice President, Consumer Solutions, to form CacheVision. Prior to Seagate Richard was President and CEO of SkyTune Corporation, a company focused on digital TV and data broadcasting. Before SkyTune, he held management positions with industry leaders such as NEC and NCR. During these years Richard developed an extensive background in Internet and broadcasting technologies and build strong relationships with leaders in the digital television (DTV) industry. Johnson earned his Masters in Business Administration at the University of Southern California, where he majored in the Entrepreneurial Program. John Setel O'Donnell is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Equator Technologies Inc., leading provider of comprehensive broadband digital communications and media engines for the consumer technology market. With more than 20 years of experience in VLIW and Trace Scheduling technologies, O'Donnell focuses on bringing together leaders in media coding and delivery, digital rights management, and content owners, and in driving next-generation architectures for Equator to continue to serve as the premier provider of multi-service platforms. Before founding Equator Technologies Inc., O'Donnell co-founded Multiflow Computer, Inc, where he led the development of the world's first VLIW computers. O'Donnell has earned a B.S. in Computer Science from Yale University.