[opendtv] Re: 060707 Free Friday Fragments (Mark's Monday Memo)
- From: "Kilroy Hughes" <Kilroy.Hughes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2006 16:35:50 -0700
IPTV doesn't have much to do with the Internet.
The specific meaning of the term is using IP packets and gear for video
delivery on a proprietary network ... like telco or cableco. Video
files might make their way on to that proprietary IPTV network from the
Internet, but probably not if cablecos have anything to say about it.
CableLabs is a side show for IPTV, and the real standardization is
happening in ATIS and ITU by telcos and companies actually doing IPTV.
What needs to be standardized are network wire protocols for
interoperable settop boxes and servers; and content formats including
interactive video and synchronized interactive multimedia for portable
content and standardized content production and testing. =20
Standardizing the wire protocols and data formats is something the cable
industry should have done for MPEG TV a long time ago, and will
eventually do to reduce cost after they give up on hardware plugins and
managing the operating system software of each settop box and TV in
order to perpetuate their proprietary CA and network systems, EPGs, etc.
... DCAS and standard data and media formats over the wire will work
much better. =20
But cablecos have always sold scarcity and based their business on
control of vendors, customers, and programmers. They have been the
"gatekeepers" programmers without spectrum had to pay to carry their
bits (or, as a consumer, pay extra for anything not in the lowest common
denominator package or any access flexibility like Pause or VOD). They
are a monopoly and until satellite got good, they had you by the short
hairs (still do for triple play).=20
The unlimited capacity and flexibility of IPTV is the last thing the
cablecos want (at least that's what they told me a few years ago when I
offered). Of course, they've made so much money selling DOCSIS
bandwidth and VOIP since then, maybe the old dogs are learning new
tricks or leaving town. But the "scarcity and control" business model
goes down the toilet when IPTV gives everyone infinite "channel
capacity", automatic VOD and network PVR, HDTV, Internet access, VOIP,
and all the other stuff they currently charge extra for. =20
At least pretending to standardize with CableCARD and OCAP has managed
to keep the FCC confused and at bay years after the industry was
supposed to have delivered an open playing field for consumers, settop
box manufacturers, and Circuit City; equivalent to Ma Bell opening up to
telephones from Radio Shack. Maybe telco IPTV competition will force
some actual improvement.
PS. Bert, you are totally clueless as usual. With IPTV you can junk
the proprietary MPEG-2 TS and CA systems and replace it with Netgear and
equivalent IP routers at a tenth the price and 10 to 100 times the
throughput (very little of which is multicast). "Tuning" consists of
parsing packet IDs in the STB, for instance for a dozen streams if you
want to show a live video EPG grid or record a few shows while you watch
(want thirteen tuners? ... have more, they're free), and a box
requesting a new show or a jump to another part of show has about 400ms
latency, less than a digital broadcast channel tune.=20
Kilroy Hughes
-----Original Message-----
From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Richard Hollandsworth
Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2006 12:52 PM
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Re: 060707 Free Friday Fragments (Mark's Monday Memo)
I ran across Motorola's OCAP presentation at last month's SCTE:
http://broadband.motorola.com/noflash/Prep_OCAP_Seminar_Motorola_SCTE_6-
22-2006. pdf =20
Note page 20 shows DCAS and Switched Digital Video won't be added to
OCAP until 2007.
Seems there is an effort to "standardize" IPTV delivery services.
If that means I can go on the Internet and locate the British-Only
version of a SciFi program and have it downloaded to my HD-DVR, I'm all
for it....or HOWDY DOODY Ep. 17 (I think I had detention that day).
holl_ands
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Albert Manfredi <bert22306@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Richard Hollandsworth
wrote:
>http://www.cabledatacomnews.com/weekly_analysis/07062006_02.html
>
>OCAP v.1.1 will reportedly add Caller ID display on DTV, Mobile Phone
>cross-links, Multi-Room DVR (networking), IPTV and Switched Digital
>Video (aka switched broadcast) that is needed for greatly expanded HD
>service.
Quoting:
"The proposed new version of the critical OpenCable Application Platform
(OCAP) middleware specification, known as OCAP 1.1, would incorporate=20
IP-based tuning into the OpenCable digital TV sets and set-tops that=20
consumer electronics makers are beginning to produce for sale in retail=20
stores. With the IP tuner function, the retail-ready sets and set-tops
would=20
be able to carry both IP video and more conventional MPEG-based TV=20
programming."
Never mind that when using a typical cable-style PON architecture, what
they=20
call "IP tuner function" doesn't buy a whole lot, compared with
frequency=20
and MPEG-2 TS "tuning." It's all about cachet. Like teenage girl fashion
magazines.
OTA broadcasters should pick up on this latest fashion statement, and
offer=20
IP encapsulation for segregating OTA multicasts. The fact that it would=20
simply be IP layered over MPEG-2 TS, to do what MPEG-2 TS alone
otherwise=20
does quite well, should not deter. "C'est la mode," as the French say so
aptly.
(Not saying that cable *shouldn't* offer IP over MPEG-2 TS, so they can
do=20
IPTV. Just trying to put the hype in perspective.)
Bert
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