Sony Introduces Passage

UncleCrispy writes "Sony, a newcomer in the cable industry announced its new technology, Passage, on the opening day of the BroadBand Plus Show to the receptive ears of the cable community. "Sony's Passage Technology is a simple, elegant solution that allows equipment from multiple vendors to peacefully co-exist on legacy digital CATV networks" Now you won't be stuck with the SetTopBox your cable provider forces on you, but with Passage you should be able to go to the store and buy any box you want. If you want a DVR box, you can buy it, and you'll no longer be stuck with the rental fees. Sounds like it's a good deal for the cable providers and consumers, but how will current SetTopBox monopolies take the news?"

Comments

What is this thing?

[ArcSecond]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this doesn't sound like a Sony product for the home, but one for the cable companies, right? I'm sure Sony will have consumer products associated with this (ie PS2, some new PVR, other integrated A/V gear), but with stupid-sounding buzzwords like "Legacy CA Agnostic", it must be aimed a the pointy-haired crowd out there.

Anyone know who they are competing with? Is this a transport protocol + hardware, or the other way around?

Re:What is this thing?

[grammar nazi]

...but how will current SetTopBox monopolies take the news?

Easy. They will do what all monopolies do when competition enters their markets. They will either squash Sony's box through legislation or deals with the cable companies, or, they will lower their prices.

Competition == Good for consumers
ALWAYS.

Re:What is this thing?

[papasui]

Actually the FCC passed a bill around 1996 that requires cable companies to support other digital cable boxes besides the ones they provide.

Re:What is this thing?

[Abcd1234]

This product appears to be geared toward cable operators (MSOs) who are providing a digital tier as part of their services. You see, in existing cable systems, the entire network must be fairly homogenous. ie, the same set-tops in the home, the same headends in the network, etc, etc. This, of course, locks an MSO in with a particular vendor and reduces competition. According to the hype on their web site, they are providing a product which allows multiple types of set top boxes and multiple head-ends from different vendors to exist in the same network. IOW, it allows the MSO to mix and match hardware to suit their needs.

As for the term "Legacy CA Agnostic", this is actually quite important. What they're saying is that you can roll out this "Passage" technology in a cable network without disrupting the existing cable access system. So, you could roll out a new type of STB in homes if you wanted, or allow people to start purchasing STBs from other vendors, without breaking your current network set up.

As for the architecture, it appears to involve replicating signalling and control data for each of the STB types in the network (using encryption to separate the "channels") and then doing regular broadcast for the video stream. At least, that's what I can get from their Architecture description (which is rather vague... surprise, surprise). This allows for multiple STBs while keeping bandwidth overhead at a minimum, since only the signalling needs to be replicated.

SetTopBox monopolies...

[Skal Tura]

Well monopolies will be surely very mad for Sony about this, they might even try to find a way to sue them for anything.
Instead, Small manufacturers will be partying today, tomorrow, and day after that, cause they will finally have some 'edge', as customer can choose the box itself and small manufacturers might get their boxes sold more often. =)
Sony go go!

Re:rental fees ain't bad.

[zoward]

On the flip side: I have Charter.net. Modem rental fees were $10/month for a cable modem priced at ~$100. I've had mine for 2 years, saving myself $140 by buying the unit. However, the price of rental just went from $10 to $3. So it seems to vary from situation to situation. You alos have to wonder how many extras (PVR being a good eaxmple) a third-party box might have.

Choice - for whom?

[Bazzargh]

This reads like it gives /cable companies/ more choice in STB's, not consumers. So it will let them change suppliers on a whim. This might provide consumer benefits (lower rental costs) but since the alternate destination for the savings is higher margins for the cable co's, I wouldnt bet on it.

Quote from the passage blurb: "With Passage, operators can introduce[...] innovative set-top boxes". I don't see how you can read this as "With Passage, operators can introduce innovative services on commodity set-top boxes", which is what the /. article imples.

-Baz

Boycott Sony

[slashuzer]

I just love the hipocracy here. When Sony comes out with "technology" to help our "rights" eberyone is fuming and boycotting Sony and their products because they are the evil incarnate and now everyone want to get on the sony cable wagon.

Way to go!

Re:Freedom to choose _multiple_ STBs?

[papasui]

Sure, around 1996 the FCC passed a bill that would require the cable companies to support 3rd party digital cable boxes besides the ones that they rent out. Just as there's a the DOCSIS standard for cable modems, there's standards for the digital box. Any fairly new cable box should work on most digital cable systems, it does require that it be provisioned (authorized) on that cable system by enter the box number into the system.

Be carefull...

[onlyabill]

Just be carefull here... Remember that Sony is the same company that uses digital rights technology in their MP3 players.

To quote from their site:

Passage is efficient. With Passage Technology the customer experiences no degradation of existing services. A typical Passage system requires between 2-10% additional bandwidth* to deliver the same content and services including the new, secondary CA system. This means that Passage can be introduced in a system without changes to the existing channel line-up.

*Utilization of bandwidth overhead is controlled by the MSO. Utilization of more bandwidth increases security levels.

Is 'security levels' another word for digital rights management? I just have a hard time believing a company that goes through so much trouble to install DRM into their audio products would not do the same in the video market. Other posts have mentioned freedom to choose your own set-top box. That is not discussed on the Sony site. The freedom of choice is for the cable companies, not you or me. This could be good and it could reduce consumer costs but don't bank on it. It may just give the cable companies even more control over what you watch and how.

Re:Huh?

[Bobman1235]

Sony works against a monopoly? Warm coats are on their way to hell right now, I guess. Can you be more ignorant of Sony's business tactics?

Just because a business is large and successful does NOT make it a monopoly. This is a typical Slashdot perception that is just absolutely ridiculous. I personally don't like Sony, I think most of their products are sub-par, and I therefore do NOT purchase from them. Bad business tactics make a bad company, but not necessarily a monopoly. So stop crying wolf and just buy non-Sony products. With a monopoly you would not have that option.

Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

"but how will current SetTopBox monopolies take the news?"

By exploiting the DMCA and decrying Passage as a copyright circumvention device, of course.

Re:rental fees ain't bad.

[f.money]

Of course, what Sony is announcing is a CATV box, *not* a cable modem. Most cable systems force you to rent a cable box (and, wonder of wonders, since they're a monopoly, they can gouge as much as they want) - this allows you to get a unit with the features you want.

Jon