Interesting People mailing list archives
CableCARD: a primer
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 21:53:50 -0500
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 - -------- Original Message -------- Subject: CableCARD: a primer Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 21:48:19 -0500 From: Peter Bachman <peterb () cequs com> Reply-To: Peter Bachman <peterb () cequs com> Organization: Cequs Inc. To: dave () farber net References: <43EB34F8.2090102 () farber net> Dave, Cable card is a great alternative, when it works. There's not a lot of incentive for the cable service industry to fully support the cable card spec because they prefer to have people dependent on boxes. Configuring boxes, moving boxes, etc. provides a lot of jobs. And when it cuts into the movies on demand revenue stream, that's a further disincentive. All that said, the set top boxes with the built in DVRs are pretty nice with dual tuners and HDMI connections. The scaling and picture seems to be better when you go in directly via the card, versus using the box. But that does have its drawbacks. And as Brad notes, it's all about the DRM. But a 500 gig DVR with a built in CableCard slot that records 60 Hours of High Def with a free on screen program guide for less than $300.00 seems more attractive for most users rather than dealing with Linux open source or a Microsoft proprietary system that requires using a computer. But then again, HD VCR never really took off and they also eventually ended up around the same price point. The success seems to be in making the user interface very easy to use. I like the idea of open source DVRs and hope people will continue to innovate with them, I hope that a POD or software interface could be simply jacked into any device, and once you paid for the rights to watch or listen to something, that would not require any additional authorization when you moved from the living room to the bedroom or your car.
CableCARD: a primer By Nate Anderson Monday, February 06, 2006 Introduction We know that you'd like nothing better than to get rid of that set-top box sitting on your DVD player. It's ugly, it's clunky, and it has its own remote. Extra cables snake about the back of your entertainment center, providing ideal conditions for some type of electrical fire, and the matte black box clashes with your brushed silver aesthetic. To top it all off, you have to pay for the privilege of using this thing-if you want digital cable, it's the only way to go.
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Current thread:
- CableCARD: a primer Dave Farber (Feb 09)
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- CableCARD: a primer Dave Farber (Feb 10)