No issue Monday

Jim BartholdIf a day without FierceCable is, as we like to believe, like a day without sunshine, expect Monday to be cloudy with a chance of golf balls. The publication is taking the day off to allow editors to ponder the value of the presidency in the U.S. It will be back in all its sartorial splendor on Tuesday.

Meantime, if you can't wait that long for news of the cable world, enjoy some of these recent features from the wireline group:

Rising stars in wireline: Future leaders to watch in 2011
While it's easy to recognize the influence that the CEOs of major telecom providers have on the wireline industry, one shouldn't overlook the executives working under the CEO. FierceTelecom takes a look at innovators who are the brains behind the brawn when it comes to developing new services, products and network initiatives. Read more...

Comcast vs. Cablevision: Different takes on set-tops
According to executives talking during their respective quarterly earnings conferences, both Comcast and Cablevision love what they can do with emerging IP-based devices like Apple's iPad connected to their home entertainment stream. It's how they plan to do it that differs. Read more...

3DTV outlook: Why push so hard to get it into homes?
3D television has its share of flaws, including cost and side effects like eyestrain. And yet 3DTV will likely be a big story--perhaps a success, perhaps a failure, but a tale to tell--as the American TV experience transforms yet again. How will service providers, content providers and device manufacturers handle the challenges of marketing the technology? Read more...

Is adaptive bit rate the yellow brick road, or fool's gold for HD streaming?
The world seems to have gone nuts for adaptive bit rate (ABR)/HTTP streaming as the obvious solution for High Definition (HD) Internet streaming. However, if the goal is HD, then perhaps we need to consider whether there are other, perhaps better, approaches. Read more...

Samantha BookmanWisconsin's stimulus rejection: Too many strings, or too much scrutiny?
The return of $23 million in federal broadband stimulus funds by the state of Wisconsin may have come as a surprise to anyone who rarely sees a state government back away from money of any kind. What the real reason behind their refusal? Read more...