dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
uniqs
46

swhx7
Premium Member
join:2006-07-23
Elbonia

swhx7 to AVonGauss

Premium Member

to AVonGauss

Re: CableCard

said by AVonGauss:

OCAP (tru2way) is a lot more than just a cable box tuner inside of a TV ... OCAP (tru2way) is an attempt to turn your TV in to a multimedia platform similar to your computer, unfortunately in this case it is a platform that will still be controlled by the cable operator and their advertising partners.

This is the problem with "Tru2way": it gives the cable company control of any device that supports the technology, including TV displays and DVRs.

The providers talk about it in public in terms of benefits to subscribers - compatibility and so forth. But once it is widely deployed, they'll start using it:
* to prevent recording
* to prevent changing the channel or muting the volume when advertisemnts are showing
* to restrict output resolutions
* to make the TV incompatible with competing providers' signals (or hold it hostage for a termination fee)
* and other abuses.

Some may see this and say, "no, that's not the intention" - such people have believed the hype. If the companies have power over your electronics, they will inevitably abuse it.
said by Wikipedia article on OCAP :
The Consumer Electronics Association and other groups argue OCAP is intended to block features that compete with cable company provided services and that consumers should be entitled to add, delete and otherwise control programs as on their personal computers.

And their televisions and recorders as well. The only acceptable arrangement is that each party (content provider and subscriber) is in control of the equipment it owns.
cornelius785
join:2006-10-26
Worcester, MA

cornelius785

Member

Re: CableCard

i sense lots of FUD in the above post.
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

fiberguy2

Premium Member

Re: CableCard

said by cornelius785:

i sense lots of FUD in the above post.
Why is that? .. is it because the truth gets in the way of your pre-mature celebration of freedom?

Nothing above he said wasn't theoretically true as some of it has already been discussed.
AVonGauss
Premium Member
join:2007-11-01
Boynton Beach, FL

AVonGauss to cornelius785

Premium Member

to cornelius785
I can understand why you might think that, but unfortunately it really isn't, most of those "solutions" have already been proposed by different interest groups already.

This is an extreme analogy, but it is true, so here we go...

OCAP (tru2way) is similar to an Internet service provider stating you cannot connect your computer to the Internet using your IEEE 802.3 Ethernet connection unless you are running the (fill-in your favorite OS here, such as Microsoft Windows) operating system. It actually goes a bit farther as it mandates that essentially you also cannot control your installation of the operating system, the service provider will do that for you, as they see fit.

Why did I mention IEEE 802.3? It has a direct comparison to DocSIS which can and probably already is in most cases used to provide the physical layer for two-way data communication with subscriber and operator devices. All they had to do was sit down and agree to a common protocol (API), update some firmware and use the existing cable cards and we would have been done with this years ago.

footballdude
Premium Member
join:2002-08-13
Imperial, MO

footballdude to swhx7

Premium Member

to swhx7
I can believe the entertainment companies would like to go this route. I can also believe that the first company to implement such technology would quickly go out of business. Probably in the course of a couple of days. No way, no how, would John Q Public put up with stuff like that. Especially in an age where everything you want is available on the internet.

The first company that tries it gets smacked down. The rest get religion real quick.
AVonGauss
Premium Member
join:2007-11-01
Boynton Beach, FL

AVonGauss

Premium Member

Re: CableCard

You mean like the flag in the Microsoft HTPC's that prevented recording of programs and was "accidentally" set by the broadcaster during the last year?