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New Agreement May End the Cable Box

Posted by kdawson on from the but-you'll-have-to-buy-yet-another-new-tv dept.

esocid clues us to news that Sony and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association have come to agreement on the way forward for two-way TV without set-top boxes. The actual agreement was not made public, pending review by other members of the Consumer Electronics Association, and as a result the coverage of the agreement is uniformly pretty incoherent. The background is that the NCTA and the CEA submitted competing proposals to the FCC on how to handle two-way, interactive TV services. None of the articles I turned up made clear what the future of the CableCard is to be. This was an interim solution to allow competition in set-top box manufacture, but its adoption has been plagued with problems. "Sony and the cable companies — Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Charter, Cablevision, and Bright House Networks — agreed to adopt: the Java-based 'tru2way' solution powered by CableLabs; new streamlined technology licenses; and new ways for all those involved to cooperate in the development of tru2way technology at CableLabs."

6 of 216 comments (clear)

  1. Set-top already gone by atamagabakkaomae · · Score: 5, Funny

    without set-top boxes

    Set-top boxes have been gone for ages..
    flat-screen TVs are just too thin for that

    --
    -- LP-Research
  2. Managed Internet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    It looks like those of you who wanted a brand-new Internet might just get it.

  3. Re:Lovely... by AdamPee · · Score: 2, Funny

    I shudder to think what would constitute a hand sign to get to the playboy channel.

  4. Re:Lovely... by FilterMapReduce · · Score: 2, Funny

    Not that sort of two-way TV. This story discusses a sort of two-way TV where there can be commands sent by the viewer, for interactive applications or choosing a pay-per-view program for instance.

    In before Big Brother references! :) That's a shame. TVs with built-in cameras would have allowed us to use the term "Orwellian" with some actual legitimacy for a change. ;)
  5. Re:Lovely... by veganboyjosh · · Score: 2, Funny

    In my experience, that means that 'tru2way' technology will be a sRteaming pile of shit.
    There, I fixed it for you.


    In my experience, that means that 'tru2way' technology will be a stReaming pile of shit.
    There, I fixed it for you.
  6. Brought to you by... by norminator · · Score: 2, Funny

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