We give
TiVo a
hard time around here, but very few companies happen to share the same interests as its customers as much as TiVo. One of the hottest topics that TiVo has continuously championed, that helps us just as much, is the good fight to get cable operators to open up their networks to third party devices. Avid readers of Engadget HD know all too well how
tru2way falls short to achieve our desired goals and TiVo continues to pound the drum. Up this time around TiVo is pointing to all the
TV Everywhere initiatives as further proof that tru2way and CableCARD are nothing more than ways to discriminate against 3rd party set-top box providers. After all, while anyone with
a valid FiOS account can no access HBO GO on any PC, TiVo HD owners with CableCARD don't have access to the very same content via VoD -- like those who choose the FiOS DVR for example. TiVo states that this is further proof that cable operators could and should allow
TiVo to communicate via IP to access VoD rather than be forced to implement the provider's user interface via tru2way. Of course submitting comments to the FCC is only the first step, but let's just keep hoping the FCC comes around sooner rather than later.
posted February 19th 2010 9:18PM
Maybe TiVo needs to sue more DVR suppliers.
Hard to argue with Tivo's case. The market is moving towards SDV and IPTV, and they're breaking compatibility with 3rd party STBs. Allowing upstream access to the headend to request necessary data seems like a pretty common sense idea. It also removes the need for tru2way hardware, which nobody seems to like anyway.
@vgsmike
Does tru2way hardware even exist?
@Jeff Kibuule
It wouldn't have to with Tivo's solution. ;)
@Jeff Kibuule
Yes cable companies all over the country have been deploying tru2way boxes for well over a year. And no, there are no 3rd party tru2way devices availble at retail. Panasonic sells tru2way TVs in Chicago, Denver and Atlanta.
I don't have a TiVo and used one once or twice. I just figured you could use it with any cable provider. Does it only work with satelite provides? I am so confused, any help?
@EM1 TiVo works with any provider except AT&T Uverse. What you can't access though are features like VOD or ordering PPV through the TiVo like you could through a regular cable box since there is no way for the TiVo to talk back to the cable company.
@brennok
That makes sense. Thanks!
Does anyone really wonder why? It's a pretty simple answer, cable companies beleive they make less money when you use a TiVo then if you were to pay for the cable companies DVR. But they never think about how crappy there DVRs are and people leave them for others such as Dish or DirecTV. It's like the RIAA and Hollywood putting all these locks on media that consumers are put off by it and inturn, means less revenue for the companies.
2 reasons: Motorola and Scientific Atlanta.
Both companies have incompatible authentication and communications systems. Cable companies have bought into one system or the other. Tru2way/cable card was forced from above (the FCC), and required another incompatible standard that didn't work easily with Motorola or SA, and worse yet, manufacturers had no real interest in producing devices that would work in a marketplace that was on a race to the bottom on price and required paying patent fees to Motorola and SA for their encryption systems.
Oh, and most people really don't ask for cable cards, they just don't want boxes in any form. The cable techs don't like cable cards because they tend to break over time due to incompatibility with the native (Moto/SA) systems, and kludgey billing system integration.
@(Unverified) Sorry for replying to my own post, but I also should point out that much of this would be preventable if the content providers would get over themselves and stop all the encryption and locking out content. I'd love to use a MythTV box with my digital cable box, but every time it tried to record content with the "broadcast flag" set it locks up the whole box, every output, until I power cycled the digital box.
@(Unverified)
Cable card was not "forced upon the industry". Cable card was what happened when an interoperability mandate was imposed on the industry. The fact that Cable Card is such a muck up is entirely due to the fact that the industry tried to use it as a means to AVOID their mandate.
Reliable remote control of the STB and an unencrypted output is all anyone needs.
@jedi
Anyone who believes content owners would ever agree to unencrypted outputs probably believes in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny.
As for reliable STB control with protected outputs, we had that with 1394 in 2004 and you see how well that worked out.
No, the only acceptable solution is a PKI encryption system and an open two-way communication protocol over the existing RF infrastructure.
@BenD
"the only acceptable solution is a PKI encryption system and an open two-way communication protocol over the existing RF infrastructure."
YES. Exactly. Unfortunately I think we have a better chance to see Santa or the Easter Bunny.
I should also add that the cable TV business is on a path towards declining revenues and relevance. The advent of these "TV Everywhere" strategies puts content producers in direct contact with the customers, bypassing cable's TV business altogether.
If Cable were smarter, they would realize that what Tivo proposes is a LIFE BOAT.
I think most companys should be open it can improve and help sales on both fronts only because those boxes are better plus have more storage.
If Tivo want's to pony up 100 billion dollars to upgrade the cable systems with IPTV cable modems terminating systems I'm sure all the cable companies' would be happy to do what they want.
What's up with all these company's like Tivo and Google who don't pony up their own money to do what they want instead of crying to the government?
They are just shitty businessmen that can't make their dreams come true because the dream would never work..
@dataninja
Nice try but the government passed the law to force cable companies open up in 1996, which about three years before TiVo existed. If the cable industry spent half the money they spend dragging their fett on a solution this would've been solved 5 years ago.
@dataninja
TiVo is offering a suggestion to an easy to implement method of doing what the FCC has already regulated to be done over a decade ago. It doesn't take a genius to see that pretty much failed. Their suggestion is quick and easy to implement, and certainly not your overly dramatic "100 billion dollars" to upgrade. The pipes for this are already in place, not much else would need to be done.