US Cable Support > Cox HSI > [GA] On demand access with Cable Cards

[GA] On demand access with Cable Cards

VOD needs a bidirectional path to function. Current "third" party cable card implementations don't support VOD.

Tivo does not get VOD, but Cox and Tivo are working on a solution.

reply to wcda
Nothing with a cablecard gets VOD on Cox at this point in time. It's unlikely anything ever will, although there's some very small chance TiVo might get it.

It's doubtful that it would ever happen on a customer-owned TiVo, nor would I want their software on my TiVo's if hell froze over and that option was ever offered.

Want VOD? Get one of their boxes. The graphics are a wonderful way to remember the early 1990's.

reply to wcda
The only way to support two way communication so that VOD will work is for the CableCard devices to support Tru2way, a CableLabs standard software stack based on Java. Once your device supports Tru2way stack, the Cable co, Cox in this case, will push their Tru2way implementation, aka the UI you saw on your cable box today to your device. In a sense, your whatever box you have will look exactly and behave exactly like a cable box. I'm not sure about you, the only reason I use CableCard is to get away from that aweful cable box UI.

For obvious reasons, Microsoft will never add a Java software stack into its WMC environment.

Cox is using an IP back channel not tru2way it will be a seachange client download.

This month Cox will begin the integration and testing work needed to make its VOD infrastructure based on SeaChange International software work with the Premiere DVRs. As in RCN's setup, the TiVo boxes will communicate with the Cox VOD servers using an IP signaling backchannel.

»www.multichannel.com/article/455···TiVo.php

that's what the page said

reply to ajwees41

reply to ajwees41
I've been using tru2way on Cox for over a year.

OP did not mention tivo and me using tru2way on Cox disproves your statement that they are not using tru2way.

he did mention ondemand though and I never said cox does not use tru2way, but I said vod atleast through tivo will be over an IP back channel.

reply to tru2way

reply to tru2way
Tru2Way is TruVapor so far for the average consumer. The only products on the opencable site that tout tru2way are some Panasonic TV's originally introduced in what, 2009? They're completely useless now, too, on SDV systems. What a happy "accident."

Three years later, nothing remains on the market but the tru2way name. While I have no doubt that you're probably beta testing something, tru2way is nothing but a ruse to tell the FCC, "Hey, looky here at these new open devices we're conceptualizing. Gosh, we really want to be open. We even had these nifty-sounding Panasonic TV's on the market a few years ago."

Getting back on the original topic, on demand access with cable cards - it exists today due to separable security, but only within the walled gardens of the same old ho-hum CE manufacturers surrounded by (mostly) visually appalling graphic design and only the content that whatever MSO finds to be financially most expedient.

Who knows what form it'll take on TiVo? It's certainly not a magical Tru2Way device with empty promises of rainbows, unicorns and all the subscribers holding hands around their flat screens singing kum ba yah. What's certain is that there is no IT organization anywhere that would install such a key application onto a customer-owned set top box where the MSO does not control absolutely every variable. It'll have to be their "own" stripped version. Netflix? No. What about pyTiVo or other similar applications? Probably not. They'll want to have complete control of the operating system. If Cox ever rolls this out it will be on a box that they provide and rent out at a profit.

I'm not interested in VOD as it exists today. The moment I want my set-top box telling me that I can't fast forward because I should "enjoy the show," I'll trot right down and pick-up one of the low-part-count ScientificPaceAtlantaMotorola tru2way eyesores with the Super Nintendo graphics.

The Panasonic TV you mentioned is only a prototype demoed in CES. It was never released to market. SDV is naturally supported at that time because the two-way nature of the Tru2Way.

But as I mentioned above, I 100% agree Tru2way is a vaporware. And I certainly don't want it on any of my devices. If FCC has balls, they should mandate the IP backchannel technology proposed last year (it didn't get approved) so that at least we can get rid of that stupid TA for SDV and get some VOD support without all the the Tru2Way crap.

there are Tru2Way TV's out there and they when / still are? sold in stores

According to wikipedia:

quote:

---

Panasonic and Comcast announced a Tru2way trial to begin 27 October 2008 in greater Chicago, Denver, Northern Colorado and Colorado Springs. Abt Electronics and Ultimate Electronics will offer a choice of 42" and 50" Panasonic Plasma televisions using Tru2way in these Comcast cable systems. These televisions went on sale for consumer purchase on 27 October 2008, but had to be installed professionally by the retailers' installation group.

...

As of July 2010, Panasonic, the sole device manufacturer producing Tru2way compatible televisions, has stated that they will no longer sell Tru2way compatible televisions. Thus at this point there are no television sets with built-in Tru2Way compatibility being sold.

---