CableCards
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Shocker: Google hoping to lure more cable providers to cool Google TV side of the room
Considering all the recent hullabaloo surrounding Google TV, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Mountain View-based search titan has dreams of growing beyond its current de facto exclusive integration deal with Dish Network. Still, Light Reading reports that "a source whose familiar with those discussions" says Google is pushing the service hard to all cable TV operators. This is further corroborated by an exec with a "top US MSO" who confirmed specifically that talks are underway with Google on how the TV platform could be integrated with cable boxes. While opening up two-way control and surrendering the UI to its perceived over-the-top video-providing enemy could change pay-TV as we know it, the trade-off is Google TV compatibility could give 'em the competitive edge they need. It certainly wouldn't be the first time DVR functionality was touted as a reason to switch. We're definitely down with more options too, but without an acceptable two-way standard, a bit of wheelin' and dealin' by Google could just add more noise to the mess that is the connected TV market. Considering how tru2way failed though and the recent lukewarm FCC CableCARD rule changes, it would seem this is just the reality we live in. But please, Google, feel free to prove us wrong.
CableCards here to stay or suffering a slow death?
CableCards are one of the best requirements that the FCC mandated for cable companies lately but yet, most consumers are not aware of the option. Alan Stafford from PC World takes an in-depth look at the state of CableCards and it came out just the way everyone imaged: distraught. The slow death isn't caused by TV manufactures that stopped implementing them, but rather consumers not utilizing 'em. Last year at this time, the HDTV market was saturated CableCard support but if people weren't going to use the option, it was an easy cost cutting measure on the manufacturing end. Then there is the whole issue about two-way CableCard support. Who doesn't want to rid themselves of set-top cable boxes, but cable companies don't want to lose the income. The state of CableCards can be boiled down to a simple statement however, "Consumers don't know about CableCards and the cable companies aren't going to tell 'em."[via PVRwire]
