FCC Extends Set-Top Box Deadline

Kadin2048 writes "The FCC today announced that it was once again rolling back the date (PDF!) for the eventual ban of "integrated set-top boxes" distributed and leased by cable companies to consumers, from 2006 to 2007. The move was a slight nod to the cable providers, who wanted the ban removed altogether, and a minor setback to the consumer electronics industry, who would have preferred that it stay on schedule. The ban would prevent the largest cable companies from integrating their digital content security devices with their navigation devices, allowing consumers to 'mix and match' the navigation or DVR set-top-box of their choice with a standard CableCARD security interface device. Currently, most digital cable set top boxes combine these two functions, meaning that digital cable customers who want DVR functionality must rent one from their cable company. By preventing the cable companies from leasing them to end-users, the FCC hopes to foster competition in the set-top-box market and allow more consumer choice. A statement from FCC Commissioner Johnathan Adelstein (PDF) was released simultaneously. The battle has been carefully watched by all the major players in the entertainment and electronics markets, including Microsoft, which had previously weighed in on the side of the consumer electronics camp (pro-deadline), but then later agreed with the one-year extension."

hmm

[tsalaroth]

I still think they should force the cable companies to allow third-party boxes, using open standards (even new ones).

altho....

[Ledora]

altho I am glad to see the FCC doing something to benfit the consumer, I really wonder if this is their place. it sounds to me like it is a "monpoly" type issue and should have been taken up with the FTC. But like the FCC rules to make broadcasters switch to digital I really wonder if this is the goverments place at all to be.

are we hosed?

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought the FCC would actually take the opposing side of the Cable providers. Looks as if that's not so -- maybe the FCC should visit the homes of the top cable provider executives, get on their knees, and just finish what they're currently doing.

For the love of Jesus, let the consumers win for once.

They should probably be eliminated entirely.

[Sheetrock]

The cost of cable, while high, does not adequately cover the cost of cable programming; commercials do that. But if they're handing out devices that conveniently skip commercials they're decreasing the value of advertising, undercutting the ability of networks to deliver quality programming.

This glut of reality TV ain't just because it's fun and interesting to watch average people compete for big dollars in unrealistic scenarios. There just isn't money to produce cool shows like Farscape or Friends anymore.

Canadians

[teknokracy]

Examples like this do make me wish the FCC had control over Canada. The CRTC only seem to care about Canadian content percentages on our stations, and not about competition, innovation, or anything that makes sense. Maybe if more Canadian shows and artists were GOOD, we wouldn't have to baby them on to the scene with handouts.

Cable Boxes

[Anonymous Coward]

Frankly I hate the cable boxes the cable company offers.

I liked the good old days when the sign can and I could split it to my 2 TVs.

Now they think I should buy/rent two cable boxes - one for each TV.

Now that I have a TV that has Side by Side picture they think I should have two cable boxes for that one TV.

It is geating crazy. My TV has a built in decoder for basic channels.

Stop these stupid cable boxes!!!! just send the whole signal to my house and allow me to buy spliter and such as I see fit.

Re:are we hosed?

[mrchaotica]

As long as HDTV DRM is allowed to stand, we're hosed either way.

Well of course Microsoft agreed to an extension!

[Isca]

Pushing the cablecard back another year means that Microsoft just has to play a waiting game for Tivo to go bankrupt or become irrelevant in this market. Pushing this back another year probably makes it difficult for tivo to survive.

Re:I want TiVo's software

[OwnedByTwoCats]

You didn't say it directly, but it's worth bringing out: Stand-alone TiVo's record an analog signal, and digitize it and compress it itself.

DirecTiVo takes the digital stream from the satellite and writes it to hard disk.

Wouldn't it be nice if I could buy a box, hook it up to my cable service, plug in an authentication module provided by the cable service, and record their digital stream directly to hard disk? Why do I have to rent their box which only has analog outputs, control it with an IR dongle, and have the digital signal go through decompression, d-to-a, a-to-d, and compression again?

What about OTA boxes?

[Anonymous Coward]

Slightly OT, but whatever happened to the "inexpensive settop digital converter boxes" they promised would be available to convert older TVs to digital capability? I don't consider $250-$300 "cheap", it's more of a price point to get folks to buy digital ready TVs instead, tossing perfectly good analog TVs.

Jurisdiction?

[null etc.]

I'm surprised that everyone is letting the FCC get away with this. Since when do they have the authority to mandate the business model of cable companies? Pretty soon they'll be telling mobile phone providers that they can't lock their phone or use proprietary technologies.

I, as a consumer, personally like the choice that these decisions are providing to consumers, but I disagree that the FCC should be involved.

Re:They should probably be eliminated entirely.

[Bonhamme Richard]

undercutting the ability of networks to deliver quality programming.

I'm don't really think that there was ever really "quality programming" on a large scale... About the only tv I have watched after the age of 12 was the Simpsons. Those in the tv industry are used to being grossly overpaid. Now that providers are lossing revinue from ads actors pay checks may actually come closer to relecting their worth.

Incedently, I think that the line between the tv and the computer is going to be blurring in the next few decades. As internet speeds increase it becomes easier and easier to download and view longer and longer movies. There could actually be a pay-per-view system of "Click here to watch xyz for 75cents" or websites that show programs that are just jammed full of pop ups or something.

wonder how this affects tv production?

[Mark19960]

I work in the elctronics industry, and in the last year I have seen a tow fold increase in the number of sets with cablecard capability. I think its a good thing.

I have seen samsung, sony, and thompson (RCA,GE, ect) with cablecard slots for the pcmcia card.

so, will this derail production of set with this integrated capability? ive seen a lot of sets, and a lot of sets that arrive that customers actually lease cablecards from the cable co. here (time warner)

so, I wonder if the number of sets with cablecard that I see for repair will come to a halt in the near future or what?
seems like its heading down the path to being nuked altogether.

but, I cant understand why the FCC has delayed this?
the cable cos is still going to charge you to lease that pcmcia card, and its still going to be the same amount. now if there were rules that placed a cap on that, I am even more for it.

For as long as...

[Jeff DeMaagd]

The cable companies can win a one year extension every six months, they win. I personally bet they will try this. Content providers do this with copyright and trademark extensions.

Re:I want TiVo's software

[General Fault]

I don't know about Charter, but Cox and Time Warner uses Scientific Atlanta DVRs. There is a location on Scientific Atlanta's site [powertv.com] that contains all of the API's and tools that you need to build a controller. IF you do this, then you can connect their DVR to your computer and use the computer to control the DVR. The Scientific Atlanta boxes have Digital out, so you can control the box to play out everything that was recorded that day at midnight and record the uncompressed / non-encrypted signal directly to your computer. I am working on something like this now.

Scientific Atlanta cable card == issues + issues

[JoeGee]

In a market the size of Columbus, Ohio, I am served by Time Warner. I am the 30th installation, and the first in my region (grouped with Columbus). According to the tech who installed my cable card, roll out has been held up since mid-summer 2004 due to glitches, some of which have caused HDTV's to require factory servicing to repair. Even with nine months of delay, the technology is far from being mature and bug free.

With a Scientific Atlanta cable card [google.com] installed, my TV (Sony KD-34XS955 [sonystyle.com]) periodically freezes/locks (it ain't just a Windoze thang) and needs a cold reboot. I am told that the problem can be fixed by having Sony come and install a firmware update for my set. I am calling them next week.

As a cable provider, can you imagine having to do this for every digital set in your service area? To me, it's no wonder they want a delay. The replacement to set top boxes is just not yet ready for prime time.

-Joe G.