tru2way
Latest
Broadcom's new DVR chip could make all our dreams come true
We look to our TV provider and companies like TiVo and Moxi to bring us DVRs, but the one thing just about every DVR has in common is a Broadcom chip makes them tick. So while the rest of the box varies by a lot, if the System on a Chip (SoC) doesn't support it, then it probably isn't there -- assuming another chip isn't added for a specific task. So you can understand why we got so excited when we saw the specs on the latest SoC, the BCM7125, announced by Broadcom at the Cable-Tec Expo. It of course supports tru2way and CableCARD, but more interestingly; MoCA 1.1, DLNA, Flash (as in video streaming), DOCSIS 3.0, and a 3D graphics engine. This means that little little guy could be the key to a multi-room DVR without running wires, that will play Hulu directly from the internet as well as stream content from PlayOn, all via a great looking user interface. So yeah, it has potential. The sad news is that there's no way to know how long we'll have to wait before a DVR is released that'll actually take advantage it.
Rogers Communications in Canada is not sold on tru2way
Add Rogers to the list of cable operators that aren't happy with tru2way -- which is in addition to the CE companies and the public at large. No folks, tru2way is the new technology that many love to hate and we can't say we blame 'em, but we aren't sure what ground the big cable company to the north has to stand on, as it isn't exactly the model of openness. You see as bad as we think our entire CableCARD fiasco is stateside, our cold friends who talk funny can't even enjoy the TiVo HD, a Moxi or Windows Media Center -- so yeah, it's much worse.
Comcast should be tru2way ready by the end of the year
Remember that big to do about the tru2way memorandum of understanding that Sony and the rest of the Consumer Electronics manufacturers signed earlier last year. You know, the one that said every cable operator in the US would be tru2way capable by July 1st 2009? Well that date has come and gone and while the providers insist it is no big deal, no HDTV manufactures seem very excited about tru2way at the moment. According to Comcast's EVP David Cohen, more than just three markets will be ready to go by the end of the year. At this point we'll believe it when we see it, because supposedly tru2way HDTVs have been available to Comcast subscribers in Chicago, Denver and Atlanta for some time, yet not even a single review or hands-on has appeared online, in fact we haven't even gotten a single tip or comment that anyone even has one of these tru2way TVs. Every provider in world could be ready but if there aren't plenty of tru2way TVs announced at CES in a few months, it's all for naught.
Video: Intel Tru2way server streams cable all over your house
Look, Moblin and MIDs and USB 3.0 are all well and good, but the real highlight of IDF is hiding in plain sight: it's Intel's CE 3100 Media Processor-based Tru2way DVR server, which has three digital cable tuners that can be streamed over a regular gigabit Ethernet or MoCA to any number of clients, ranging from other 3100-based set-top boxes to DLNA devices like laptops and even the PS3. It's seriously cool -- the clients all see the server's tuners as their own, so the experience is seamless, and since it all runs on the Tru2way stack, it doesn't matter what kind of client you plug in -- the three clients on the show floor were running interfaces from Intel, Comcast (Rovi), and Digeo. Of course, since it's a DVR, you can actually add more clients than tuners and have them play back recorded content while your other boxes use the tuners -- Intel was demoing XBMC on a Sony laptop connecting over DLNA and streaming a recorded program while a PS3 nearby ran a photo slideshow, all while the three cable clients streamed uncompressed HD video from the tuners. Intel says a number of cable companies are interested in deploying this stuff and that we should see things on the market in the next year -- we honestly can't wait. Check a video after the break.
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.
Samsung signs up to use Rovi EPG technology
What this means for consumers is yet to be announced, but with any luck that cool new guide called Liquid, that we saw last month from Rovi, could be coming to Samsung HDTVs. Where all of this fits in with tru2way still remains to be seen as well, but with more and more TVs coming equipped with network connectivity and thus access to accurate guide data and VOD services like Amazon and Netflix, makes us wonder if tru2way will even matter. We suppose this CES will be the real indicator, when we see if CableCARD makes a comeback and if tru2way is a part of it.
Echostar might SlingLoad other manufacturer's cable boxes
Even though some cable giants are already trying their hand at placeshifting with TV Anywhere, Echostar may be ready to leverage its technology by licensing the SlingLoaded feature to other set-top box manufacturers like Motorola, Cisco or Pace, according to Cable Digital News. With its tru2way cable box still notable lacking a distribution deal, this could be a way for Sling fans that don't want any additional hardware to get it in the home, but speaking of that T2200S (still not coming to retail channels according to Senior Product Manager P. Margit Tritt) the company's presence at The Independent Show also gave it an opportunity to feel out the needs of smaller cable operators. Either way, there's plenty of time before its planned Q4 2009 launch - go on, admit you're excited, we don't judge here.
Cable companies miss tru2way deadline, insist it's no big deal
Remember that tru2way-related Memorandum of Understanding that was all the rage about this time last year? It appears the 6 cable companies haven't lived up to at least one part of their agreement, collectively missing the deadline of July 1 to have 100% of their digital cable headends compatible. No word on how close they got, but Comcast, Cox, Time Warner, Charter, Cablevision and Bright House still insist it's "not that far off" though we don't see how missing important milestones is helping move the technology forwards.
TiVo earnings call reveals Comcast Tivo, Stop||Watch expansions on the way
Among the financial details (net loss of $4.1 million, yawn) of today's earnings call, TiVo had big news about its Comcast TiVo product, announcing that remote scheduling will be available this summer in the New England area, the planned Chicago launch is "close," that the cable company will soon offer customers in areas switching to all digital the option of a TiVo HD retail box instead of a digital terminal adapter and in one yet-to-be-named tru2way market, will make TiVo its primary DVR option. That's the word from CEO Tom Rogers, who also said Comcast is going to aggressively roll TiVo out, while its still looking for the "best path" of distribution. Non-Comcast interesting developments? The SeaChange partnership has lead to one independent cable operator, Comporium, offering its service, while the Stop||Watch ratings service is expanding to 300,000 subscribers, 75 times the size of Nielsen's DVR sample. Check the read link for the (.PDF) press release or listen in on TiVo's website for all the info, we're busy pondering a bleep & bloop enabled future for our boring old cable DVR boxes.Update: The transcript of the call is available on Seeking Alpha [Via Davis Freeberg]
Ten years of TiVo: how far we haven't come
We'll be totally honest here: we love TiVo. TiVo DVRs of every vintage are scattered throughout the Engadget editorial ranks, and Series3 units are our preferred hardware for HD Netflix streaming and Amazon's nascent HD Video on Demand service. And, well, using a TiVo is just fun in a way that no other DVR ever is -- those booping noises still provoke smiles all around.But here's the thing: it's been ten years since TiVo first introduced the Philips-built HDR110 at NAB, and while the company's name has since become synonymous with time-shifted digital video recording, it's not because its products have achieved runaway success. In fact, it's the exact opposite: most consumers choose to get by with awful cable- or satellite-company DVRs, and TiVo's only just barely pulled a full year of profitability, two factors that have kept it firmly on deathwatch since 2005. Not only that, but while TiVo might have pushed the DVR into the mainstream, it hasn't meaningfully innovated since -- apart from HD output and the aforementioned streaming services, you'd be hard-pressed to tell a brand-new TiVo HD from an original unit by using it for five minutes. Worse, the entire DVR category's essentially remained stagnant as well -- one study found that the average DVR-enabled family records just 15-20 percent of the TV they watch, a startlingly low number by any measure.So look -- it's not working, guys. We're happy that Comcast is now offering the TiVo interface in certain markets as a paid option, and we'll be pleased as punch when those long-promised new DirecTiVo units ship out, but the simple fact of the matter is TiVo can't continue to rely on the same strategies and ideas that haven't worked for the past ten years. What TiVo needs is a new plan -- and we've got five simple ideas that might help kickstart the company and the DVR market for the next ten years. Read on for more.
Cox prepping a multi-room DVR for sometime this year
Cox Communications will be bringing its own multiroom option to its DVR lineup, but it's keeping quiet about some significant details -- namely, the debut market and timing. Aside from our inability to get excited about a feature that may not be coming to our service area for an undetermined price, Cox is at least hitting some key points for the new multiroom option, including support for HD, larger hard drive capacity and sharing content around your home using MoCA technology. Tru2way was not mentioned specifically for the "next generation guide" software also promised for the DVR, but we wouldn't be surprised to see that make the cut. So yeah, Cox is ticking off some checkboxes, and we'll keep hoping for a really good cable company DVR; but as most folks who have compared a TiVo with the cable co DVR will tell you, usability isn't necessarily spelled out in the feature list.
The slow rollout of interactive TV
The rollout of tru2way and other interactive TV initiatives by the cable companies seems to finally be gaining some momentum, but while we've largely addressed our disappointment with the speed of adoption on the hardware side, the New York Times is questioning why we haven't (and likely won't in the very near future) seen more interactive software. In an age where everything has an app store, the fragmented nature of the cable systems and confusing interconnected platforms reduces the opportunities for developers to jump in, and though Comcast jumped out promoting its Yahoo! widget powered tru2way future, no solid timeline for availability leaves very little to look forward to.
Motorola, Time Warner mixing up multiroom, tru2way cable setups due later this year
Ok, we've seen multiroom setups, mostly from IPTV providers, and tru2way has had a limited rollout so far, but Time Warner Cable and Motorola are teaming up to be the first to bring the two together in customers homes. Follow Me TV is already available on FiOS, but the Dolby Digital Plus-supporting DCX3400-M DVR we saw at CES in '08 and DXC-3200M set-top box will make it happen on cable, shifting high definition video around the house via Multimedia over Coaxial Alliance (MoCA) connections. Hopefully tru2way's interoperability lets customers choose what equipment makes up their home video network, not just the cable company, but we should find out more after launch later this year.
Macrovision shows new Passport tru2way guide and multi-room features
At the Cable Show this week Macrovision is showing off its new tru2way Passport software, which we have to say is pretty cool looking. Of course it isn't the coolest looking software we've seen, but it is the best looking tru2way option so far and at least it is widescreen. But maybe in what might be bigger news to Comcast fans customers around the country -- or anyone who uses the Passport of iGuide software really -- is the that like the Passport tru2way software, the new Passport and iGuide software will also support multi-room viewing. So you'll finally be able to have your content follow you around the house and automatically pick up where you left off. Unfortunately like other solutions based on the Motorola boxes it's limited to two tuners throughout the house -- because a DVR can only act as a server and not as a client -- and we'd bet our old friends at the cable company will continue to only offer DVRs with puney 160GB hard drives, which really makes it hard for most families to get by with a single DVR.
Panasonic again giving tru2way a boost at Cable Show '09
Panasonic has consistently been one of the companies backing tru2way with the most hardware, and this year's Cable Show is no different. First up, its tru2way compatible plasma HDTVs are now on sale in Atlanta, with additional rollouts planned for the rest of '09 -- put host city Washington D.C. on the list for sure, since since Comcast has hooked the booth up to a live feed for demonstrations as previously seen in Denver. Don't have the scratch for a whole new TV just to experience the new tech? Say hello to the PCH2180 Advanced Multi-tuner tru2way set-top receiver (pictured) that's now shipping, an HD-DVR ready for multistream CableCARDs and includes a DOCSIS modem, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and VC-1 compatibility plus MoCA networking capabilities. Panasonic's taken the time to tie it to a prototype Easy Touch multitouch remote (video embedded after the break) that we were digging at CEATEC and CES alike, with this kind of investment the NCTA might be able to make us forget January's disappointment.%Gallery-33142%
Cable customers can get SlingLoaded too with the T2200S tru2way DVR
Want a taste of the SlingLoaded DISH Network 922 DVR (pictured), without switching to satellite? Echostar, as expected, is ready to show off a tru2way compatible version of its latest box, the T2200S, this week at the Cable Show '09. The T2200S contains the 1TB hard drive, expandable storage and of course, Sling Media's placeshifting technology ready to send live or recorded TV to your Internet connected device of choice. Since it's tru2way, it's also capable of running either the SlingGuide software, or whatever middleware is chosen by the provider, and enabling remote video diagnostics, hopefully making many truck rolls unnecessary. Like the 922, we've no price or release date yet but hopefully all that work on tru2way and M-CARD means whether or not our cable company signs up, we'll still have the choice of purchasing one at retail.Update: Looks like the box is planned to start testing June, and go into production in Q4 of 2009, the specs from the PR are after the break. [Thanks, Justin]
Cox planning to roll out tru2way STBs this summer
Although it flew beneath the radar at this year's CES, tru2way looks to be spooling up the PR machine in advance of The Cable Show in April. Leading the charge, Cox Communications has announced its agreement to use NDS tru2way software starting this summer; and since the field of tru2way-equipped TVs is slim pickings, you know the delivery mechanism -- set top boxes. Grousing aside, technology has to move forward, so Cox is going to start introducing Cisco (Scientific-Atlanta) and Motorola manufactured boxes with NDS software, with plans to do a market-by-market rollout later this year and continuing in 2010. We're all for more media-rich experiences on the TV, but not nearly as enthusiastic as we were about getting rid of STBs altogether. Absent TV manufacturers hopping onboard the tru2way en masse, this situation is taking on some CableCard overtones.
Plenty of tru2way demos planned for The Cable Show in April
Yes, we were disappointed by the lack of tru2way at CES. Luckily, next month's The Cable Show should give a bit of a lift, with interactive program guides, games, chat, web browsers and more on display. Samsung is the most notable hardware name we noticed on the list, but with only set-top boxes, home networking and portability apps on the menu our question of when its compatible TVs may go one sale will likely remain unanswered. Check out the release for the full listing, whether 2009 is the year of tru2way or not should certainly be more clear once the show is underway from April 1-3.
TiVo inks VOD-related deals with SeaChange and Alticast
While many are still eagerly awaiting their tuning adapter for utilizing tru2way on their existing TiVo box, said company has announced two partnerships today that look to solve issues with cable carriers that don't currently have an OCAP / tru2way deployment plan. The tie-up with SeaChange will enable those lagging carriers to bring cable VOD services to the TiVo HD DVR experience, giving them the option to highlight offerings on a TiVo guide, for instance. The second partnership involves Alticast, and while details are a tad fuzzier here, we get the impression that TiVo's looking to possibly push its heralded interface out onto other devices, such as embedded within a Blu-ray deck or other set-top-box. Or as Joshua Danovitz, Vice President and GM of International at TiVo puts it: "[We need to make] the TiVo experience available on a broad range of platforms, both in the United States and around the world." Hit the read links for more on each, and don't be surprised if you dig the vibes you get.\[Via Yahoo! / PC World]Read - Alticast partnershipRead - SeaChange partnership
Zodiac and Alticast to power Cisco / Scientific-Atlanta tru2way set-top boxes
There stands a good chance that you've never heard of Zodiac Interactive nor Alticast, but if a Cisco / Scientific-Atlanta tru2way set-top box ends up in your abode in the near future, there's an even better chance that those two firms will play a crucial role. The duo has just announced plans to plant its embedded software within tru2way STBs, with the combined solution enabling cable providers to "deliver interactive services and applications including next-generation interactive user interfaces, guides, messaging and advanced VOD." Additionally, MSOs will be able to more easily offer subscribers "advanced services such as TV widgets," though there's currently no timetable for when a completed box will be made available. Did we mention that the widget race was officially on?
