Abstract: A system and a method for controlling the presentation of multimedia content. Multimedia content is provided to a plurality of multimedia devices, control signaling is sent to each of the plurality of multimedia devices, and responsive to the control signaling, each of the multimedia devices presents the provided multimedia content. The multimedia content provided to each multimedia device can alternatively be the same or coordinated (i.e. different) content. The control signaling can include indications as to which of the multimedia content to present, when to start presenting it, and when to stop presenting it. Responsive to the control signaling, each of multimedia devices can present one or more items of multimedia content. The coordinated presentation of multimedia content by the plurality of multimedia devices results in a collective form of multimedia presentation that goes beyond the presentation of the individual multimedia content items on each of the individual multimedia devices.

Abstract: An improved method is provided for reducing four-wave mixing induced degradation in an optical data signal traversing an optical transport network that uses Raman amplifiers. The method includes: introducing at least two Raman amplifiers into the optical transport network, each Raman amplifier having a laser source, and synchronously modulating the laser sources of the Raman amplifiers, thereby reducing four-wave mixing in the optical data signal. Modulation of the laser sources is performed at such a rate that crosstalk from the modulation to the optical data signals experiencing the Raman gain is minimized.

Abstract: An improved method is provided for reducing four-wave mixing induced degradation in an optical data signal traversing an optical transport network that uses Raman amplifiers. The method includes: introducing at least two Raman amplifiers into the optical transport network, each Raman amplifier having a laser source, and synchronously modulating the laser sources of the Raman amplifiers, thereby reducing four-wave mixing in the optical data signal. Modulation of the laser sources is performed at such a rate that crosstalk from the modulation to the optical data signals experiencing the Raman gain is minimized.