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Okay enough waiting, where is tru2way?
It seems like forever that we've been waiting to see a tru2way TV at the local big box store and honestly we're starting to think it's all vapor ware. Our gut started telling us things weren't going well at CES in January when we actually saw less tru2way on display than the year before. Then there was the supposedly insignificant missed deadline this pass July, but what's worse is that even after a year, Panasonic and Comcast have only worked together to offer tru2way TVs in three markets (Chicago, Denver and Atlanta). A new report from Light Reading Cable Industry Insider confirms our fears, stating that the tru2way retail forecast is "cloudy." At least one member of the industry believes that the cable companies want to perfect it on their own boxes before opening it up to 3rd party retail devices, which makes sense, but how long exactly do they expect this to take? The bottom line is that consumer want tru2way because they want to have access to the same experience on their new HDTV, but without the two remotes and the ugly set-top-box under their TV with the wires dangling down. We asked CableLabs what the hold up was and although they were proud to tell us about all the tru2way developers enjoying their conferences, they said we'd have to ask the TV manufactures or the cable company what the specific hold up was. We do wonder though, if it's possible for the window for tru2way to close. What we mean is that with more and more TVs coming with network capabilities, maybe we'll just go back to vanilla CableCARD TVs and get our guide data and VOD from the internet instead -- now if only everyone had a network connection behind their TV.
Outgoing CableLabs prez talks about the origins of HDTV as we know it
Current CableLabs CEO & prez Richard Green is moving on later this year as Paul Liao from Panasonic takes over the reigns and the first part of Multichannel News' interview with him covers the first time he saw HDTV back in 1980 and the process that eventually gave us the standards we have today.That goes back through the first NFL game recorded in HD, and why high definition took so long to take off -- apparently not everyone wants a 1 million+ lb 40-inch CRT and broadcasters were never happy about spending all the money necessary to upgrade -- from the days of 5x3 with 1125 lines. It's not a crystal ball to the success of Blu-ray, digital downloads, 3D or anything else, but worth a read for some interesting anecdotes on how tough progress is.
CableLabs investigating possible 3D delivery standards
Count one more standards body trying to figure out how to bring the 3D experience home properly, now that CableLabs has begun investigating the best delivery system. the CableLabs VP of consumer video technology is the chair of the SCTE working group on 3D and claims there's as many as 30 different methods of multiplexing the video stream, so it could be a slow march towards a standard, including such problems as where the decoding happens, on a set-top box or in the display itself, but we should be able to expect experiments like the recent live BskyB trial here in the future, but your guess is as good as ours to precisely when.
Verismo's VuNow internet TV platform gets props from CableLabs
Ready or not, Verismo Networks' VuNow internet TV platform is making its way out. After ambushing the OEM market earlier this year, the company is now proudly announcing new praise from an unlikely suspect: CableLabs. As the story goes, executives from the CableLabs Forum voted VuNow as the "best new product idea" during so-called "informal polling" at a meetup in Colorado Springs. At first glance, one might wonder why cable proponents would be supporting a platform that needs no subscription, but considering that Comcast and Time Warner Cable (and likely others) are already looking to wrap internet content into pay-TV bundles, we suppose it's no longer a shock. The whole cable-internet media relationship is about to get a lot more interesting.
Funai planning tru2way dual-tuner DVR / set-top-box
Check it, timeshifters. Funai is about to make a serious play in the advanced DVR space at CES next month, as word has arrived that it will be showing off a "combined DVR / tru2way set-top-box" in Las Vegas. For those unaware, Funai is the company behind Sylvania, Magnavox, Philco, Symphonic, and Emerson, and if all goes to plan (read: if CableLabs gives the green light), it should start mass production on said boxes in Q3 of next year. At least initially, these two-way-enabled devices will be sold via "retail outlets and MSO partners," but it's going to wait and witness demand before moving the tru2way technology directly into its TV sets. Of note, there are also whispers of a tru2way-enabled BD player somewhere down the line from these guys, and we don't suppose we have to detail our inner excitement on that one.
CableLabs certifies first tru2way Panasonic HDTVs
Sure it hasn't always been smooth going, but it looks like Panasonic's tru2way HDTV has successfully navigated into a sector containing high quantities of win. That puts the 42- and 50-inch PZ80Q televisions seen at CEDIA on track to hit shelves before Christmas as promised, though official pricing information still eludes us. Still undergoing testing in the labs? A Panasonic tru2way STB, while previously certified hardware from Samsung and LG remains in limbo and ADB's tru2way-certified box waits in the wings. Those eagerly awaiting the second coming of CableCard, keep your wallets at the ready.
Intel wants every HD STB to be network enabled
Ever since personal computers have been capable of displaying full motion video -- almost ten years now -- we've wanted the same great content we have access to our TV, on our PC. Intel has been on board with us since day one -- for obvious reasons -- and was a big reason why the FCC currently requires cables companies to provide us with a HD STB with a functional 1394 port (upon request). But as we all know, 1394 isn't all the rage these days and thanks to all the DRM -- and the lack of 5C support on PCs -- going through the trouble of requiring your provider to comply with the mandate, just isn't worth it to access the same channels you can already get with a clear QAM tuner. So for the reasons mentioned above, Intel has petitioned the FCC to replace the 1394 requirement with a IP one. While we agree that IP is more widespread than 1394, we aren't so sure about the DRM that would be used to protect the content; DTCP-IP. So while we want HD on our PC as much as the next, if the FCC doesn't also require CableLabs to license DTCP-IP to computer software and hardware manufactures alike, we really don't see how this change would help.
LG, Funai officially jump on the tru2way bandwagon
tru2way might not be entirely without issues, but add one more major ally to CableLabs' two-way technology, as LG (and Funai) both signed onto the same Memorandum of Understanding ratified by the six largest cable operators and a slew of consumer electronics manufacturers. Ideally, this means tru2way rollout will be speedy, and there will be plenty of hardware on shelves over the next year. LG prez Woo Paik expects HDTVs planned for '09 and beyond to include tru2way support, hopefully their compatibility testing will go a little bit better than Panasonic's.
CableLabs loosens up on PC CableCARD tuner restrictions
No CableLabs isn't going to make it so you can purchase an ATI Digital Cable Tuner without an OEM PC, but it's almost that big of a change. Believe it or not, currently, even after you pony up for a PC and CableCARD tuner from the likes of Dell or Niveus, every single recording made with the CableCARD tuner is locked down with DRM -- no it doesn't matter whether the content is marked as copy freely or not, crazy huh? Well it finally looks like there is some sanity over at CableLabs, because the recently revised OCUR specification (6/20/08) no longer requires this draconian limitation. No clue when this change is going to take affect to current owners however, but it appears that a firmware update for the tuners and the elusive Vista Media Center TV Pack may be required. Either way this is a step in the right direction, but there is still no way these things will really take off until the OEM requirement is eliminated too, especially considering the current alternatives.
Motorola / Cisco see Tuning Adapters certified
July is over half way over and if you were starting to worry that the Tuning Adapters that would save your TiVo from uselessness, you can rest a little easier. Sure, you can't rest as easy as you could if you actually had one of these little guys from Motorola or Cisco making your TiVo HD or Series3 SDV compatible, but it can't be long now. In the long line of red tape that is required to bring any cable device to market, the tuning adapters have finally made it through one of the last hurdles by being certified by the all mighty CableLabs. This means that it is only a matter of time before you can expect to see a letter from either TiVo or your cable co -- assuming they are using SDV -- informing you of your HD savior. And in case you're wondering, yes the latest TiVo update -- that's right, the same one that enabled YouTube -- does include the necessary fixins to make this all work, so stay tuned while we all wait to see how things finally shake out.
CableLabs states the obvious, tru2way is open to all
You gotta love the cable industry sometimes. It takes an act of congress to get them to move towards an open standard for all, and then from the very beginning they drag their feet for twelve years. Now here we are, close to the dream of being able to access all the same services with any HDTV, as those with a STB, and the CableLabs CEO pretends to extend an olive branch to the telco industry by letting them know they can use the open standard tru2way too. Sure, the FCC didn't specifically mandate the deployment of tru2way, but it did require an open platform to be created and considering that FiOS (for example) has been required by the FCC to support CableCARD -- just like any other cable company -- we find it hilarious that CableLabs would pretend that the cable industry would do their competition any favors.
Panasonic's first tru2way tests full of fail
Uh oh -- it looks like early-adopter Panasonic has hit some choppy waters in its tru2way TV efforts. The first sets subjected to CableLabs testing showed several bugs in the implementation, and talk coming from insiders indicates that no-nos like disabling Emergency Alert System messages slipped through. For its part, CableLabs is being professional and not making any comments on the Panasonic results. Panasonic is also putting a brave face on things, and is not retreating from its goal of delivering tru2way TVs to retail shelves in time for the 2008 holiday season. We wouldn't rule it out, either -- Panasonic has some serious resources it can throw at the problem; but this does throw a major wrench into the works. We're still optimistic about tru2way, and are willing to wait a few more months to get things right. Introduction of new technology and/or standards is always challenging, so we hope this setback doesn't have a chilling effect on other tru2way players -- quite the contrary, it could spur more aggressive development to claim the "first tru2way TV" title.
Tuning adapters hit CableLabs testing lair, still not ready for public consumption
This one probably goes without saying, but just in case you're inclined to waste a few gallons of precious regular unleaded searching for a tuning adapter, don't. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and TiVo have jointly issued a release to inform the public that "several manufacturers of switched digital external tuning adapters have submitted products for formal testing at CableLabs." On the positive side, this means we're inching closer to seeing these devices hit store shelves, but sadly, it also means we're not done wading through red tape just yet. For those unfamiliar, these newfangled "tuning adapters" will enable TiVo Series3, TiVo HD and certain one-way set-top-boxes that utilize CableCARDs to "access digital cable channels delivered using switched digital (SDV) technology." Hit up the read link for all the details, and check out our hands-on galleries with a few of the boxes right here.
Tuning Adapter support for Media Center imminent?
Despite the fact that Switched Digital Video will allow HD providers to bring us more HD goodness, it's been a bad word around here because it prevents TiVos in Vista Media Centers from access the new HD. But with the Cable Show and the first public display of the Tuning Adapter -- formerly known as the tuning resolver -- right around the corner, TiVo fans can see the light at the end of the tunnel. But at the same time, with no word from Microsoft or AMD, Vista Media Center users with ATI Digital Cable Tuners are on the edge of their seats. So we decided to hit up AMD and CableLabs for some answers, and while we didn't hear exactly what we wanted to, the response was promising. According to AMD it's "in discussions with all the relevant parties to address the issue of Switched Digital Video" and CableLabs was quick to respond by saying "the CableLabs specifications for the Tuning Adapter and the UDCP application extension do not technically prevent use with an OCUR." Of course all this really amounts to is a definite maybe, but we're optimistic we'll see this happen.
CableLabs loosens up tru2way licensing
With the problems that CableCARD ran into, CE company reticence to adopt the new tru2way standard is understandable. But CableLabs has gone a ways toward not repeating past mistakes in its updated tru2way licensing agreement. First and foremost, CE companies will be able to "self-certify" their products. This is great news for manufacturers and consumers alike, and could solve issues stemming from the previous requirement that all gear must be submitted to CableLabs for certification. Altogether, the changes show a "kinder, gentler" face of CableLabs, which seems to get the hint that more cooperation with companies that actually make goods for consumers is a good thing. For its efforts, Samsung has put its name on the dotted line of the new agreement. We like what we're seeing with tru2way, and hope to get more hands-on impressions at The Cable Show later this month. Who knows, maybe roll-your-own tru2way HTPCs could be around the corner!
Digeo settles with Gemstar, new Moxi DVR on the way
The continuing saga of Digeo and its now you see it / now you don't DVRs at CES has taken another step, first by the company resolving a lawsuit with Gemstar-TV Guide. Courtesy of a multiyear licensing agreement, any problems with its "too similar" guide software should be in the past; a good thing since Light Reading noticed the Moxi HD DVD 3012, set to debut at next month's Cable Show with dual tuners, increased hard drive and CableCARD support. We'll keep an eye out for more details on the new hardware hidden among all that tru2way equipment.[Via ZatznotFunny]
Motorola's MTR700 tuning resolver edges closer to release
Earlier this year, we got word that switched digital support for CableCARD was still on track for Q2, and now we're feeling a tad more confident in said assertion thanks to a recent update from Motorola. According to the company's Mari Silbey, its own tuning resolver -- which is meant to allow any third-party CableCARD device to access channels delivered via SDV -- will officially be christened MTR700. Additionally, we're told that it'll likely look just like the DCT700 set-top-box (pictured), and that the unit has just passed through a CableLabs interop "with flying colors." Next, we're expecting the device to be submitted for CableLabs' Cert Wave 60, and best of all, Moto assures us that the STB will be on display (and "functional" enough for demos) at next month's Cable Show in New Orleans. Huzzah![Via Light Reading]
TiVo still working on a DVR with two-way features like VOD
Hi-def and DVRs go together like peanut butter and jelly, but even with all the great DVRs available today, none are perfect. TiVo offers the best overall user experience and features, but lacks a few fundamental features that most cable STBs have -- like VOD, for starters. Although this isn't TiVo's fault, when it comes down to figuring out what's right for your family, it really doesn't matter. During Tivo's earnings call yesterday, it was reaffirmed that TiVo is working one step closer to making the ultimate cable DVR by including two-way functionality using the latest CableLabs standard tru2way. For those who haven't been keeping track at home, tru2way has undergone an identity crisis, and if you go back long enough, you'll find that it was called CableCARD 2.0 -- by someone. The way this would work is that you'd have a way on a TiVo to access the cable company's UI, so good or bad, when you're accessing VOD content, you'd see the same thing as if you were using a Moto or SA Cisco box. What isn't known is if current HD TiVo owners, with the help of a tuning resolver and some software, would have access to the same features. We don't see why not, but this stuff is already way more complicated than it should be, and at this point we wouldn't put anything by CableLabs.
Switched digital support for CableCARD still on track for second quarter
It's hard to believe the first quarter of '08 is almost half way over, but time can't pass fast enough when you're waiting on something. TiVo fans everywhere don't look like they'll have to wait too much longer for new HD channels -- that are already available to cable co' DVR users -- thanks to new testing equipment that CableLabs has received that is designed to allow 3rd party CableCARD devices to play nice with switched digital video. This new STB -- which is also known as a tunning resolver and is expected to look something the box pictured here -- will allow any 3rd party CableCARD device to access channels delivered using SDV -- assuming the device is compatible. At this point, this is all about TiVo owners, but many hope that Microsoft will get in on the action as well.
OpenCable officially becomes tru2way
In the latest episode of as the cable industry turns, the rumors that CableLabs would rename OpenCable to tru2Way are indeed true. For those keeping track at home, once upon a time the world dreamed of ditching their cable box, but wanted to continue to take advantage of all the services their cable co' forced them to pay for. Then after an act of congress and ten years time; along came CableCARD, but left out VOD and PPV, so we all waited with baited breath for CableCARD 2.0 -- but it never came. But hope wasn't lost, as CableLabs released OCAP, which was marketed as OpenCable, but there was still no love from the industry. So what is CableLabs to do? It does the same thing anyone does when in this predicament; give it a new name. Whether a new name is what's needed to gets things moving remains to be seen, we're at the largest consumer electronics show in the US this week and although we've yet to see any tru2way enabled HDTVs or DVRs just yet, we'll keep you posted.
