Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

FCC Votes To Fight Cable's Reign Over Set-top Boxes (engadget.com)

Posted by yaelk on from the cable dept.

Last month, reports surfaced that the FCC planned to pry set-top boxes out of hands of cable and satellite companies. Today, the Commission passed the 'Unlock the Box' plan that would do just that. The proposal aims to introduce more competition when it comes to the boxes users rent from television providers. Under the new rules, cable companies would have to give third-party device makers the information they'd need in order to build set-top boxes.

4 of 186 comments (clear)

  1. Fighting over horsewhip handle designs by sinij · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is nothing but fighting over horsewhip handle designs. Cable industry days are numbered.

    1. Re:Fighting over horsewhip handle designs by NotDrWho · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Cable industry days are numbered.

      No, they'll just jack up the prices for your internet service to make up for what you're not paying them for cable.

      --
      SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
  2. Re:Why? My Cable Card Tuner is great by JustNiz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Except you can never buy the cable card, the cable company "rents" it to you at the same price that a cable box would cost to rent.
    Its money for old rope. Its just an artificial dependency who's only purpose is to scam you out of another $15/month or whatever.

  3. "unlock the box" is the wrong apprach by JustNiz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It seems clear that the whole need for a set top box is artificial, and that it s actually just another mechanism to justify the cable company adding another fee to your cable bill.

    All TVs already come with digital tuners, so serious question: Why can't they just legislate that cable companies have to supply standard QAM to the consumer, then we can do away with the whole stupid intermediate box thing entirely, and all the extra power/heat/cables/remotes that it requires and consumes too.