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Panasonic lone TV manufacturer signed up for tru2way Developers' Conference
Sure, we've got reports that this year's The Cable Show '08 (May 18 - 20) will be a blowout year for tru2way, but there's evidence that TV manufacturer support is lagging a bit. Hampered out of the gate by its crazy naming progression, the technology formerly known as CableCARD 2.0/OCAP/OpenCable has got some CE manufacturer trust to gain before it can take off. Don't get us wrong, we want to see the promise of a set-top box-less setup realized; but sadly, we don't call the shots for the industry. Counterbalancing tru2way's coming out party at The Cable Show '08 is this: TV manufacturer enrollment for the tru2way Developers' Conference numbers exactly one party -- Panasonic (no surprise there). Sure, there are plenty of technology providers signed up, but with Panasonic as the sole TV manufacturer, don't expect to see a flood of tru2way TVs just yet.
Cable providers shun HDTV at 2007 Cable Show
The constant struggle for cable companies to crank out more HD channels with an increasingly limited amount of bandwidth rolled right on through the 2007 Cable Show conference in Las Vegas, as a keen attendee noticed a stark absence of HDTV boasting at an expo that would seemingly showcase the format. Mark Kersey noticed that cable providers at the show set up "absolutely zero breakout sessions devoted to cable HD," and moreover, "virtually none of the high-powered panelists in the general sessions even uttered the word HDTV." His perception was that providers seemed "ashamed" of their offerings in comparison to FiOS and satellite, but considering all the flack the dishes have taken for crippling their HD feeds and making grandiose promises that we've yet to see realized, it's not like the other guys are really showing anyone up. Of course, cable has also been scolded a time or two about subpar HD quality, but the reality is that breakthroughs such as OCAP and channel bonding were able to steal the show due to the newsworthy nature of, say, hitting 150Mbps over copper. That said, we're certainly looking forward to the day when cable (or any other medium, actually) goes out of its way to put hordes of HD offerings up on a pedestal.
