Charter readies HDTV and video-on-demand

Charter Communications plans to significantly expand its Reno cable service soon with the addition of three new products.

The cable operator plans to add video-on-demand, high definition TV, and digital video recorders, all before summer.

First up will be high definition TV, expected sometime in April.

The local channels that currently offer high definition are the ABC and CBS affiliates, KOLO and KTVN, respectively.

Stewart Butler, director of sales and marketing for Charter's Nevada system, said the cable company is in the process of renegotiating its agreements with the two stations before it can launch the service.

After that, Charter plans to offer video-on-demand starting in May.

That service will allow viewers to order a wide variety of movies, sports and other content that is stored on a Charter server.

NCube Corp.

made an announcement last week that Charter plans to install nCube's nAble video server technology to deliver that service.

Butler said he didn't know how large the library of content would be, but he likened it to visiting a video store.

Video-on-demand will also be available in Fallon.

Finally, late in the second quarter, said Butler, the company will begin offering digital video recorders, similar to the popular TiVo devices.

Those machines allow a viewer to program in keywords such as "football" or "Cary Grant," and the system will automatically record and store any programming in which football or Cary Grant appear.

That service will also be the launch of a digital converter box that can deliver all three services.

"It's the Cadillac of converter boxes," said Butler.

For now, the company is busy preparing for the new services.

"We're feverishly working, buying equipment," said Butler.

"In the next week or so [the services] will start showing up in advertising."