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Comcast, TWC and Cablevision make friendly, team up for NYC-wide WiFi
And Comcast makes three. Two years after Cablevision started rolling out hotspots in the Big Apple and less than a month after Time Warner joined it, Comcast has gotten buddy-buddy with the pair in their efforts to blanket New York City with WiFi. If you subscribe to any one of their data services, you now get free access to all three, and can use your existing login at any Optimum, Time Warner or Xfinity hotspot across the city. In a press release, Cablevision executive John Bickham said the agreement might be "the first of many." We wonder if by banding together, cable might one day compete with the telcos on wireless connectivity, the way they now do with home internet and television services. Still, the best laid plans... Full press release after the break.
Time Warner Cable enables city-wide WiFi for NYC subscribers
If you're a Time Warner Cable subscriber in the greater NYC area, your life just got a little bit better this morning. TWC has come to an agreement with Cablevision, allowing the former's subscribers to tap in to the city-wide WiFi the latter started rolling out way back in 2008. No, we're not talking unbroken coverage from the Hudson to the East Rivers, but there are thousands of Optimum-branded hotspots all over the boroughs that cover plenty of parks and rail stations across the city. Unfortunately TWC isn't opening this up to all of its subscribers, just NYC-based ones, but if you have the requisite @nyc.rr.com suffix on your e-mail address hit that source link and find yourself a hotspot. [Photo credit: David Corby]
FCC National Broadband Plan: some of your favorite ISPs respond
Yesterday, the FCC submitted its National Broadband Plan to Congress, essentially requesting that six goals be met over the next decade, including sizzlers like access for "every American" to "robust broadband services,"which apparently equals a minimum of 100 million US homes with "affordable" access to at least 100MBps down / 50Mbps up speeds. Pretty heady stuff, we know. We thought we'd contact a few of your friendly ISPs for comment, and we've got Comcast, Time Warner and Verizon going on record here -- all in all, they're rather predictable 'rah rahs' for the plan, especially considering that whole "affordable" bit. We also threw in part of Google CEO Eric Schmidt's response. The statements are after the break, and hit the source links for the fuller, long-winded versions.
Time Warner Cable offering its tubes to AT&T, Verizon
Wired broadband is all well and good, but significantly more high-speed internet access is going to come via wireless over the next several years, and everyone involved -- the carriers, the CTIA, and the FCC -- knows that it's going to be a technical challenge to meet that reality. Spectrum is one thing, but the bytes need somewhere to go once they hit the towers; that's where backhaul comes into play. AT&T and T-Mobile have both recently pimped fiber upgrades that should significantly widen the tubes connecting cell sites to the backbone, but they aren't going it alone: cable companies see the writing on the wall, too, and are looking to backhaul for a profitable new line of business. It turns out that Time Warner Cable tripled its backhaul revenue last year alone and is said to be making a heavy push to sign new deals with both AT&T and Verizon; AT&T, of course, has famously had trouble keeping its 3G network humming smoothly in Manhattan over the last 18 months as an endless barrage of iPhones slam it, so TWC probably sees this as a clutch opportunity since they basically own the cable market in New York. For its part, AT&T won't discuss its backhaul deals -- but it's told us in recent months that it has a backhaul advantage over some of its competitors since it operates a huge DSL business, so it's hard to gauge exactly how much benefit AT&T could reap by taking TWC up on its offer. Now, if Time Warner had some spectrum it wanted to offload, that'd be another matter altogether.
Hands-on with the interactive Olympics and web videos
Events like the Olympics usual bring new technology home -- which is a good thing -- but unfortunately these apps really show us how far we are from the interactive TV future we've been promised. There really isn't any realistic way to try out every version of interactive Olympic coverage since so many providers are only offered in certain areas of the country and some providers -- like Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Charter and most Cox areas -- aren't offering any at all. In addition to interactive TV the Winter games have actually taken a step back in regards to online video. While anyone could watch all the live videos and replays online before, the Winter Olympic coverage requires that you to prove you pay for TV before giving you full access. In the case of Verizon's FiOS TV, it allows viewers to access the EBIF interactive information from NBC Universal's channels, which is the first time we've every experienced the use of CableLabs' new interactive platform, as for how we like it or Comcast's mosaic channel, click on through to find out. %Gallery-85579%
Comcast, Time Warner and Cox are excited about the latest in DLNA
DLNA is one of the most widely adopted digital content sharing protocols around, and at CES this year you'd have a hard time finding a new HDTV on the floor that doesn't use it to stream videos, pictures and music around the home -- not to mention all the other multimedia devices. The new guidelines released earlier this year are finally making their way into new devices and these new guidelines are apparently what cable TV providers have been waiting for. Unlike most current DLNA implementations, the new clients can now display the DLNA server's user interface, and although you might not be in love with it, your cable company is. So what this could mean to us is that if we buy one of these new HDTVs with DLNA baked in, we would be able to use the cable company's DVR via the network even if the DVR is in another room -- not to mention PlayOn and a number of other DLNA servers. Now of course no one wants to mount a set-top under your newly wall mounted HDTV, so this could really end up being what many have been waiting for -- not to mention the fact that all your content should be available to any room of the house. Of course a press release is one thing and implementing is another, but this is one that we'll be following closely.
Fox & Time Warner Cable cut a deal, Turkish missiles to be removed
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/tech_news/Fox_Time_Warner_cut_a_deal_Turkish_missiles_to_be_removed'; We can finally stand down from our posts. After extended negotiations, Fox has made a deal with Time Warner Cable that will keep its programming on there and Bright House Networks. No word on any details, but we assume the ultra contentious websites will soon disappear as détente is the new word of the day. Check the PR after the break for the (lack of) further details - we're sure to find out how much cash Fox got by how much cable bills go up in the next few months.
It's 2010 - Fox is still on TWC (for now) but Food & HGTV are off Cablevision
As two digits flipped over last night we waited to see if Fox and Time Warner Cable would work out their differences or turn channels dark.... and waited... and waited until we finally dozed off. As it stands, thanks to a series of extensions and ongoing negotiations, the channels are still on, but there's no new deal. As long as that remains to be the case, many football fans and several members of the government should be quite pleased, but in a New Year's Day surprise, Cablevision has rid itself of two networks on its service - Food Network and HGTV. While we've been upset by reports of some odd aspect ratio stretching on HGTV, these channels have their own fans that are upset to see them missing. Cablevision's posture seems to be that they won't be coming back, but parent company Scripps has already launched campaigns at ILoveHGTV.com and ILoveFoodNetwork.com for viewers to appeal for their return. We'll keep an eye on the ongoing Fox/TWC spat, though we're sure they wouldn't suddenly let channels go dark right before the Sugar Bowl tonight, would they?
Poll: Will Fox actually pull the plug on New Years day?
We've seen a number of carriage disputes in the past few years but none as interesting as this. With only hours to go until midnight and 2010, Timer Warner Cable and Bright House Network customers around the country have no idea if they'll be able to watch some of the biggest College Football Bowl Games tomorrow. This is not like other disputes as none have meant that programming as popular as College Football would be withheld. The other interesting thing going on is that local broadcasters are getting serious about charging for its signal. Fox is refusing to let the issue go to arbitration or to any interim carriage agreements so it appears TWC is going to have to make a hard decision tonight. We have to say we'd be shocked if Time Warner Cable didn't cave at the last minute, but crazier things have happened and if we were one of those subscribing to cable in New York, Los Angeles, Tampa, Orlando, Dallas and Austin; we'd probably play it safe and test out our antenna today. %Poll-39395%
Senator Kerry asks Fox & Time Warner to keep the Bowl Games on
As the New Year's Day deadline closes in, the Time Warner Cable - Fox standoff has gained another participant, Senator John Kerry. He's sent a letter to executives at both companies in hopes to avoid a New Year's Day blackout that could pull the network's Bowl Games (Cotton, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange) from sports loving cable subscribers. This is a bit of a habit for the senator, who has previously put his two cents in on the Comcast/TWC & NFL Network dispute. What he's asking for from the two is that if an agreement isn't reached, they continue transmitting at least through the College Bowl season under the current terms. Some may question such a letter on the grounds that this doesn't deserve such attention, or whether it will have any effect, but we're happy someone is standing up for viewers stuck in the middle and only have one question: Can we push that extension out to cover the season premiere of 24?
Time Warner, Fox trade shots on who to blame when you can't see the bowl games
Time Warner didn't say who it was targeting with the heavily-slanted RollOverorGetTough (Spanish language version available at www.cederoponersefirme.com) website recently, but now that Fox has yelped like a hit dog and launched its own campaign at KeepFoxOn.com we can see where this is going. While Time Warner's latest press release claims victory from over 400,000 visitors overwhelmingly voting in favor of Getting Tough on price gouging programmers, Fox is claiming it seeks only "fair compensation" and is fulfilling its "responsibility" to prepare viewers for losing their channels. The Fox website hypes up switching to satellite and all the programming that could be lost if Time Warner does not opt to continue its agreement to carry Fox networks, and pointing out everything that's at stake: House, 24, several BCS games and more. The only ones we truly have sympathy for are the customers in the middle, hopefully this slapfight ends in time for them to avoid missing even a second of precious TV, just like the great Viacom near-miss of '08 - '09.
Time Warner wants to know if it should get tough about rate hikes
In a time when technology gets cheaper and cheaper, no one likes to pay more for the same thing and the most infamously cheap -- when it comes to paying for programming -- cable provider is looking for your support. You see, cable companies are like most corporations in America, they don't really produce anything as much as they market and mark up other people's work, so when the actual content producers like Fox, Disney/ABC and Universal increase the price of its content, those costs get passed onto your cable bill. Now Time Warner realizes it's stuck in between a rock and a hard place facing the decision to not carry your favorite show, or raise your rates -- because we know the cost isn't going to come out of the profits -- it hopes to gain your support to get tough with the providers by launching a new site where you can vote. We're really not sure what the answer is on this one, but we do wish the content producers weren't allowed to bundle channels, that way when Time Warner Cable decided to hold out on USA HD, it wouldn't also mean we couldn't watch Syfy HD.
Time Warner's TV Everywhere trials to start... sometime
It's been over a month since Comcast and Time Warner announced their TV Everywhere internet video service, and while we've seen some impressive content deals get made since then, there hasn't been much word on how the service will work, or even when it'll launch. That's starting to slowly change today, as Time Warner's announced that 5,000 lucky customers in "select markets" will be involved in a trial that's starting "over the next few months." No word yet on how much this'll cost or what extra shows or movies you might be able to get, but at least it's something -- and if Time Warner or Comcast need any extra help testing this out, we know a few people who'll be more than willing to help.
BBC America HD launches on TWC in NYC
It's taken nearly a month, but finally someone can see BBC America HD, as the channel has launched on Time Warner Cable in New York City, as part of a channel reshuffling that also brought HSN HD, Headline News HD, Outdoor Channel HD and Turner Classic Movies HD to subscribers. We'll have to check the schedule to see if Primeval, Dr. Who and Torchwood re-airs are on deck for the original launch slate, but in the meantime we'll just settle for catching Being Human at its best.[Thanks, Eric]
Time Warner Cable reselling WiMAX later this year in Charlotte, Dallas, and two mystery markets
It's not really that surprising given its investment in Clearwire, but Time Warner Cable is now ready to join in on the WiMAX fun. The company plans to resell the mobile broadband in four US cities by the end of the year, but so far it's only revealed two of them: Charlotte, North Carolina, and Dallas, Texas. Meanwhile, cable competitor Comcast has already opened up its WiMAX shop in Portland, Oregon, and plans to hit Atlanta, Chicago, and Philadelphia by the end of this year. No word on prices, but we don't expect it to stray far from the current $20 to $50 monthly fees. We're also a bit in the dark as to when we can expect the rollout this year, so if you're in one of those two markets and have a strong itch for 4G wireless, better start filling up that piggy bank now, just to be safe.
Poll: Will you ever use On Demand Online?
Comcast , Time Warner and assorted partners are throwing a big push behind the upcoming On Demand Online / TV Anywhere trial, clearly attempting to preserve their business model and keep customers signed up for cable. You've heard our thoughts so far in video, audio and text, now it's your turn to speak up. So, are you just not that impressed by watching TV on your computer, or do you think on demand place shifting could be the next big thing and a big reason to keep / switch to cable? Pick a response and let us know in the comments below.%Poll-31984%
HD channel expansion roundup
Once upon a time, a smattering of new HD channels in one major metropolitan area was a huge deal. Nowadays, it's almost expected that one area or another will experience some HD expansion each week. In order to keep things nice and tidy around here, we deliver high-def expansions, market expansions and anything else dealing with HD channel growth right here. If we missed an area that you're familiar with, drop us a line in comments so everyone can catch up. The more the merrier, we say!Read - Cablevision Significantly Expands Free Video On Demand Lineup With Programming From Eight Popular Networks Read - Tour de France: live at Riverview Theater Read - Comcast rolls out 80 new channels in Marin Read - Fox signal returning; ABC gets upgrade (Montana) Read - High-definition nearing for UH (Hawaii) Read - Cox Communications adds 27 HD channels Read - Time Warner Cable Will Buy More Samsung Tru2way Boxes
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.
Time Warner's TV Everywhere to pipe internet TV to Comcast subscribers
Just as we heard back in February, Time Warner and Comcast have joined hands in order to regain control on some of the content that is slipping right out from under 'em. In the olden days, the only portal for catching content was the 'tube; today, a vast array of television shows are available gratis on the web, and that's downright frightening for pay-TV operators. Today, both firms are detailing TV Everywhere in the most general way possible, only telling us that paying Comcast subscribers will soon have access to "premium long-form content" via a web portal. TNT and TBS are the only networks specifically named thus far, but considering that both of those already offer their best programming online to everyone, we're not terribly impressed. The agreement also includes a trial with around 5,000 Comcast users, which will be used to heavily test a newfangled authentication technology that will be necessary to allow paying Comcast users to access the material from any internet-connected PC. NewTeeVee has also assembled a clean, easy-to-digest FAQ that explains what exactly all this is. To be frank, it seems like a solution in search of a problem from the consumer viewpoint. After all, with portals like Hulu and individual network websites already providing in-demand content online, why is there even a need for some "special portal" for Comcast users? We've heard that paying subs will have access to even more material, possibly movies or other premium shows. But we won't front: we certainly don't want TV Everywhere to convert some of the content that's already free into pay-only content in order to accomplish the aforesaid "even more" goal. At any rate, the public at large probably won't hear more about this until the trial sessions end at an undisclosed time, but you can bet we'll be keeping a cautious eye on any developments.Read - TV Everywhere press releaseRead - NewTeeVee FAQ
TiVo coming to Time Warner Cable, potentially lots of other providers
It's been a long, messy road, but now that TiVo's beaten a victory out of EchoStar in that seemingly-endless DVR patent lawsuit it sounds like the company is trying to exert some muscle -- it's already in talks to bring its service to Time Warner Cable, and sources have told Bloomberg the ultimate plan is to eventually collect royalties from every pay-TV provider in the US. That might sound bullying and even a little trollish, but keep in mind these patents have withstood pretty much every legal challenge EchoStar could throw at them, so TiVo's operating from a position of some certainty here -- especially since it's got license agreements with huge players like Comcast and DirecTV to use as leverage in negotiations as well. Of course, none of this solves any of TiVo's actual problems with its products, and the company's topsy-turvy balance sheet has some analysts thinking its ripe for a buyout by one of the bigs, so things could change dramatically at any minute, but for right now it sounds like your chances of getting the TiVo interface on your cable or satellite company DVR just went up, and that's almost certainly a good thing.
