Cable Industry Responds Regarding HD TiVo Problems

Lauren Weinstein writes "The day after the issue of cable system incompatibilities with the new HD TiVo and similar devices was discussed on Slashdot, the cable television industry has responded with a workaround proposal in a new FCC filing, though key issues remain to be fully resolved."

Comments

Blog promotion sucks.

[garcia]

Let's skip the pointless blog promotion and go straight to the real article here.

Are cable companies trying to be cell carriers?

[swb]

You kind of get the feeling they want to own the network and the devices, which I guess is an appealing idea from a monopoly standpoint.

I'm curious, though, how much money they actually make on set top boxes vs. what has to be nearly constant breakage and wear and tear.

Re:Are cable companies trying to be cell carriers?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes. The cable companies would love to own the devices allowed on the network. That's why in 1996 the FTC ruled that they *have* to allow cable card standards to exist, so customers can use off-the-shelf set top boxes in the name of competition. Ten years later, and we still can only *barely* do this -- the cable companies have dragged their feet at every turn. It's frustrating.

Re:Are cable companies trying to be cell carriers?

[Jafafa Hots]

For about 100 years, the phone company wouldn't allow anyone to connect their own equipment to their network. You had to lease your phone. That ended around 1969, when the government ruled that they had to allow people to own their own phones, etc. They ruled this after a company called Carterphone sued... because they provided what was basically an acoustic coupler modem for people to use with their phones.

If it had gone the other way, there would be no internet as we know it. Sprint followed Carterphone, letting people "steal" long distance calls by paying them rather than ma bell.

Openness drives innovation, which creates new industries and technologies - which corporations then try to own completely and milk every last cent out of, while killing any competing technology.

It was a boon for AT&T to have a stranglehold on communications, they were the wealthiest company on earth. But it held technological progress back by decades. Hell, they didn't even introduce phones in colors other than black for over 50 years.

Open letter to the NCTA

[ivan256]

In its comments to the FCC Friday, the NCTA opposed the CEA's proposal, saying it would "strip away the most exciting interactive services and features that distinguishes [sic] cable from its competitors."

Dear Cable Companies,

Features which are implemented in a set-top-box are not features of your network. You do not have some "right" to charge for features implemented in a device that is attached to your network unless that device is: A) Creating traffic on your network, and B) you charge the customer per unit traffic. Your proposal would strip away the most exciting services (the ability to pay once for things your company charges a recurring fee for) and features (the ability to skip commercials, and other crap that you haven't thought of) that distinguish the makers of competing set-top-boxes from you and each other.

Nobody with more than half a brain is fooled into thinking you have anybodies best interests but your own in mind, but the FCC's job is to look after the public's interest, not yours.

Love,
Your reluctant, but trapped, customers

Re:Does anyone remember when TV was simple?

[vertinox]

Does anyone remember when TV simple to use, and most of the shows were better?

I remember when MTV used to play music videos.

Boy... I'm old.

Re:A usb dongle does not work when TV don't have u

[Secrity]

TFA is specifically about TiVo, it does not address any other devices that may also be hosed.

TiVo is unique from most other CableCARD devices because it contains what is essentially a general purpose computer running Linux, it can be connected to the Internet, it is remotely programmable, and it has standard USB ports.

No apology is necessary.

Motorola, SA, CSG systems

[grumling]

Most of the problem is centered around Motorola and SA spreading FUD in the industry about signal theft. Instead of using standard encryption techniques (like your bank and just about every secure web site), they put together a system that is just about as closed as you can get. Then the .gov comes in and says they have to open it up. Rather than scrap the existing system and use something that will be secure and open to other manufacturers, they continue to try to adapt their encryption to the new rules, without letting too much information out there, hoping to avoid the hacking that went on in the satellite industry.

The other big problem is that the cable billing systems were never intended to deal with customer purchased equipment that requires authorization, and most of that code was hacked on at the last minute and doesn't work very well. The customer service people have minimal training on the system (they are there to provide customer service, not enter data), so they end up making a lot of mistakes. The billing systems make it much harder than necessary, and the screwy way cablecards interface makes it much more difficult.

Finally, the cablecard spec is still only 1 way. The real spec will be the 2.0/ocap system, but there still seems to be some work to do. This will allow 2 way services to be implemented but there is a lot of back office stuff that needs to be addressed, some of which has never been tried outside of a lab. The 1.0 cablecard slot is not compatible with the 2.0 cards (it is not a firmware upgrade).

It is going to require a lot of training and attitude change from the entire industry. In the long run, if the industry adopts the standard and actually uses the features available to them, it will be a great system. Imagine picking up a set top at Best Buy, taking it home, entering you WiFi key and getting on your home gateway. Your set top will autoprovision with services based on your subnet, and will share data with any other set tops in your home network. All this stuff is possible today, but will require a lot of rethinking by the cable companies. Motorola showed off the DVRs that share data, and Cisco/Scientific Atlanta has the home networking tech.

FCC bending-over for what?

[MilesNaismith]

I used to find hooking up TV equipment fairly easy.

I got a TiVO HD last week and getting it to work was a NIGHTMARE

First I couldn't find anyone at ComCast that seemed to know how this CableCard junk works. My local office wouldn't just give me one and let me hook it up myself, I had to have a "technician" for that.

I requested a visit and specified it was for TiVO HD, and I needed a MultiStream card.

THREE guys show up. Two of them were n00bs being trained. The supposed experienced hand doing the training, hadn't heard of an M-card, and only had one single-stream card with him.

Next he informs me none of it will work until I upgrade to "Digital Classic" I can't do it with just basic digital service.

Says I'll need to call in again and schedule another truck roll after I've upgraded.

Useless! How many mornings off am I supposed to request from work, so I can hope they will show up and figure this out?

They've made it so frakkin complicated their own people don't know how it works, and they won't let you do it yourself in many places. This is like the old AT&T monopoly. This half-baked idea is supposed to replace analog cable by 2009. Ugh! The CableCo has frakked this up through sheer incompetence or spite, and the FCC is asleep at the switch. This stuff should be kept SIMPLE not layered up with a bunch of unneccessary widgets. Adding MORE widgets will not fix a broken design.

Yes I returned my TiVO HD within the 30 days for full refund. I ABSOLUTELY do not blame TiVO in this, the returns lady was very gracious and didn't try to talk me out of it or anything. TiVO is just trying to play the hand it was dealt.

Re:Does anyone remember when TV was simple?

[ConceptJunkie]

Now, with the addition of cheap postal rental of DVDs and the Internet, broadcast TV has a hard time competing for the time I have for entertainment.

And yet they insist on doing everything they can to further antagonize me. Random schedules, reality shows, more advertising per hour, advertisements _during_ the programs... I cancelled my satellite subscription years ago and with Netflix and my own personal collection (including The Simpsons, MST3K and plenty of other nerdy shows), I don't miss network TV at all.

One Post to Clarify Many

[Bad Mamba Jamba]

I've been reading this thread and there are many fictions here I thought one general post would be better than trying to reply and correct them all.

• First of all TiVO's main gripe here is the introduction of Switch Digital Video (SDV) by the cable industry breaks their product. SDV, in a nutshell, is a technology that increases network efficiency by monitoring when people are watching a given show. If no-one is watching the bandwidth is allocated to another show that is being watched. Sort of like IP multicast, where you use IGMP to sign up for a multicast group, the router streams as long as you're signed up, but when no-one is signed up it doesn't bother broadcasting the stream. The part the breaks TiVO is the program is no longer broadcast on a stable frequency and PID on the network so TiVO can no longer tune reliably. SDV is not an cable wide standard and therefore TiVO is left out in the dark unless they implement drivers for every provider in the country. Assuming they can even get the specs. It has been suggested that switched digital video support be moved into the Cable Card specification to resolve this problem, but that's all still in the works.

  Note the big driver for freeing up bandwidth is HD content. HD requires 3x to 4x bandwidth to broadcast over a standard def channel. This incurs substantial cost to the cable company in terms of content revenue per bandwidth unit. One might give a nod that broadcast providers are trying to help us out here and make that shiny new HDTV in our living rooms even better. Even satellite is making this move - though they can't do switched due to their restricted 2 way capability, and instead had to launch a few new satellites and work other magic to increase their bandwidth.

  An alternate to SDV would be to increase plant bandwidth like the satellite guys and add additional channels. This requires substantial capital investment whereas switched is primarily a software solution and therefore significantly cheaper. Like order of magnitude cheaper. I guess in a way you can thank Wall Street for SDV because the investors really love this stuff and it makes stock prices go up.

• Second - somebody dragged in Cable Cards and said something about cable cards only being 1 way. WRONG! Time Warner Cable is deploying 2 way cable card devices in major markets such as NYC right now. http://www.timewarnercable.com/Corporate/Products/ CableCard/CableCard.html. Comcast does not offer two way service as of yet. But the spec is complete and available on the CableLabs website.

• Third, and slightly off topic, but the word monopoly irks me to no end; somebody said cable companies are monopolies. Strictly speaking - WRONG! Cable companies have to sign franchise agreements with every city, and may be fined, or even kicked out for violating those agreements. However ANY company is free to come in and compete. Verizon FIOS and AT&T are doing just this. DirectTV is there with Satellite. The main barrier to competition is cost. And the cost to build a network and maintain it is staggering.

  Remember the whole point of business is to make money while moving toward the best solution by virtue of competition. Not to give stuff away for free because it makes a company feel warm and fuzzy. You vote with your dollar be it buying stocks, paying taxes to support public infrastructure, or paying for goods and services. If you don't like cable go sign up for something else. Each broadcast technology has it's pros and cons, pick what works for you. If you're not happy with anything then cancel and get outside or take up a hobby. Hell start your own broadcast video company. Just no more whining!!!

Re:One Post to Clarify Many

[SillyNickName]

Third, and slightly off topic, but the word monopoly irks me to no end; somebody said cable companies are monopolies. Strictly speaking - WRONG! Cable companies have to sign franchise agreements with every city, and may be fined, or even kicked out for violating those agreements. However ANY company is free to come in and compete. Verizon FIOS and AT&T are doing just this. DirectTV is there with Satellite.

In most places only one company has the legal right to use the required right-of-ways to operate a cable system. The idea that just ANY company is free to come in install their own system is just not true and anyone foolish enough to try such a stunt would be arrested and taken away. This constitutes a government protected monopoly, NOT free competition. Strictly speaking.

Yeah, other companies compete indirectly, but then again all companies indirectly compete with each other for the same dollar. That still doesn't mean that there are no such things as monopolies.