[opendtv] Re: 060707 Free Friday Fragments (Mark's Monday Memo)
- From: Steve Wilson <stevenjwilson@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:59:57 -0400
Manfredi, Albert E wrote: The two Keys to the Kingdom seem to be 1) Switched
Digital Video (SDV) to more efficiently use QAM channels and 2) "Cheap"
All-Digital STB and HD-DVR that can be used to wean the MAJORITY of cable
viewers from Expanded Analog to Digital. Even though that means the
complication of adding an STB for most viewers (which may become less of a
drawback in Feb2007). Exactly. The cable system can migrate gradually from
the mix of digital and analog channel, and can migrate gradually from
wastingbandwidth on simulcast SD and separate HD digital programs. Ditto
migrate gradually to AVC, if that's even such a big deal here. So, do cable
companys care about AVC now? Sure it buys you more programs...but, it they
haven't even deployed the old technology yet.
And as you imply, the cable company can promote, rather than discourage, the
use of cable-ready receivers with CableCard (I take that as being your
mention of Feb 2007), including the use of the new two-way CableCard
upgrade,because people do generally despise STBs. Me included. I took them
back and I am still analog only. It was one of those digital boxes that
took3 secs or so for the picture to clear when you changed the channel.
Plus, the PPV didnt work and they told me I needed to exchange the box.
The cable-ready PVR market *should* be booming, as it is not so encumbered
with legal issues as the built-in cable virtual PVRs are. PVRs, w/o
removablediscs, are clearly meant for time-shifting only, and the FCC and
courts *have* said that is okay. So in principle, nothing should be stopping
this. (As if.) Really! When did TIVO come out, and everyone loves them.
Butits just another service fee. Is that market (the PVR market) growing
fast? I made my own because I want to record and keep my movies so I can
watch them whenever I want. Plus how many PVRs let you edit the shows and
add disks at will? This market has a long way to go.....we are still in
theIce Age....
My point: I think your #2 choice becomes the favorite, unless cable systems
insist on making life difficult for everyone including themselves. Any
reluctance of CE companies to produce the required hardware is in large part
caused by a perception that the service providers are doing all in their
power to render such standard solutions obsolete even before they make it to
market. The CE companies would love to build lots of cheap boxes; the
problem is they don't know what to build! The service providers don't know
what they need (another AVC complication). If all you want to do is decode
channels thats one thing, but if want to start supporting the myriad of
services and features that these technologies enable....("Cheap" All-Digital
STB and HD-DVR..it aint gonna be cheap for a long long time.... unless cheap
means crappy and barely functional; hopefully enough of us gave 'em back
;-) )
That's my perception of reality. (Perhaps "clueless as usual," as our
self-professed experts claim.) And the really nice part about this WOULD be
that these standardized cable solutions would also work for OTA users. Oh
gee. I wonder if that makes them more or less likely to be implemented. Bert
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