Digital cable makes it possible to transmit clearer picture resolution, CD quality sound, more channels & advanced features. Here are a few key factors that make digital cable technology distinct from older cable television service:

On Demand — Some cable providers allow you to choose from a menu of over a thousand movies and shows whenever you want. While watching, you can pause, fast-forward and rewind. There is a large selection of movie titles available -- it's like having a video store in your home.

Subscription On Demand Services — Subscription On Demand is a service that provides viewers unlimited access to programs, movies and shows at an additional monthly fee. Subscribers can select programs that can be watched whenever they want, as many times as they want. The content is refreshed weekly so there is always something new to watch. HBO and Cinemax are just some of the programmers that offer such On Demand subscription services.

Free On Demand — Some cable operators offer their customers access to On Demand programs at no additional charge with their digital service, depending on their level of service. This is known as Free On Demand. Some examples of Free On Demand include special interest programming from LIFESKOOL or a selection of television episodes from channels like Nickelodeon and PBS.

Interactive TV (also referred to as Enhanced TV) — This refers to the 2-way capabilty of digital cable. What this means is a digital cable subscriber can interact with their television in a variety of ways. Here are some examples:

• Control what you watch — Some services such as MSG Game Director allow you to control camera angles for live games from Madison Square Garden. Participate in shows by voting for your favorite music videos on Fuse Interactive.
• Customized news and information — Browse top news stories and select the news that's of interest to you, get up-to-the-minute weather updates, view traffic conditions on the roads by selecting live camera views.
• Shopping — Services such as OPTIMUM AUTOS® from Cablevision let you search for a car from participating dealerships, accessing thousands of new and used car listings to shop for your next car. You can read reviews, get show times or purchase tickets to Broadway and off-Broadway musicals with Broadway.com TV.
• Play games on your television — Choose from a variety of video games. Included are a selection of classic arcade games, puzzles and casino games. You can even enter your name and see it on TV if you get a top score.

Sports packages — Digital cable gives you the ability to purchase sports packages for a variety of sports, including Major League Soccer, Major League Baseball, NBA Basketball and more. These sports packages give you multiple channels of out-of-market games that you wouldn't ordinarily get to watch.

Multicultural programming — With the ability to offer more channels, digital cable can offer customers international programming choices that appeal to audiences from around the world -- everthing from Spanish-language to Russian and Korean channels.

Interactive program guide — Allows for easy navigation through digital cable choices. You can choose shows by time, category or channel, as well as plan your viewing up to a week ahead of time.

Parental control features — With so much on television, cable companies know that all programming may not be apporpriate for children. Therefore, the cable industry is committed to educating consumers on Parental Control Features, which allow a customer to block out shows that they don't want their children to see.(www.optimum.com/support/parental_control.jsp)

HDTV — Digital cable allows for even greater quality and sound with High Definition Television. HDTV is a form of digital cable that allows customers to get more vivid pictures and amazing stereo sound.

Digital Video Recorder — DVR's let digital cable customers record programs with the touch of a button, pause live TV and get instant replays. With a DVR, you will never miss your favorite shows again. One of the biggest benefits for cable customers with DVR is that the service is typically available directly through your DVR digital cable box and there's no need for additional equipment.

Visit www.optimum.com/io for more information.