CableCARD 2.0

We speak of web 2.0 and TV 2.0, so let's talk about the CableCARD 2.0. This Sunday, after a number of delays, the FCC law first discussed in 1998, sand designed to separate control of the content from the cable box, is scheduled to go into effect. Between now and July 1, cable companies will be trying for another extension. It will enable us to win back our TV sets and not rely on the set-top box as the only means to access scrambled digital programming.

I currently have a TIVO device connected directly to cable, but with access to only unscrambled channels from basic cable. I also have a DVR on another TV set. I see how each functions. Its like the difference between a Porsche and a VW. That's how much I prefer TIVO.

Still, the current CableCARD, barely being utilized today, is a one-way device, allowing access to all digital channels, but not to cable's VOD and PPV options, as well as the interactive guide, and other technology. So the next version, CableCARD 2.0 should be that interactive iteration. But is it too late to the game; perhaps, because of the OCAP standard being embraced by companies like Intel, we can move away from a physical card and let the software in the chips intelligently determine access and openness to this array of programming and technological innovation.

I say figure it out. The integration of Web 2.0 and TV 2.0 is the future; today's set-top box is not. Access, convergence, and interaction are what we want with the devices of our choosing; July 1 has arrived, let's get started.

TBS to go HI Def in September

I am old enough to remember when TV shows went from Black & White to Color. Shows like Gilligan's Island started in one format and finsihed in another. So now we face another technological innovation, Hi Def. As more homes bring in Hi Def screens, more demand emerges for the content in Hi Def as well. I have one Hi Def TV, and it is not connected to a cable box. Its that obtrusive set-top box, it limits the TVs ability and it takes extra space on the counter. I don't want it. Put the technology inside the TV, authorize with a cablecard, and more people will use their Hi Def TVs to watch Hi Def content.

How fast will it take till all content to be offered in HD? Today, we need a special channel though to watch this content, and even that content is not 24/7 HD. Just take a look at ESPN HD, TNT HD, etc. Some of the programs and of course the ads are still in the "old" format. And most peple may have bought their new HD TV because of the thin screen and ergonomic look, and don't realize they are not getting true HD. Heck they probably don't realize that it has to be tuned to the HD version of the channel showing an HD show. This conversion may take longer than anyone expected.

Intel embracing OCAP

Now that Intel is embracing OCAP, I expect big improvements in the way the TV and the PC finally work together. Mark this day as when TV 2.0 and Web 2.0 merge as one. By supporting OCAP standards, communication among multiple devices should be simplified, enabling the set-top box and pc to come together and run applications across multiple devices. I foresee much easier remote scheduling of your dvr, better downloading and sharing programs network across multiple TVs inside the house, and the ease of more two-way functionality. It will be fun to watch where these new OCAP chips appear first.

Companies Hang Up on Apple's iPhone

Is lack of compatability to office email an issue for the iPhone? No. The bigger issue is that the device is only available through AT&T/Cingular. While executives are tired of carrying too many pieces of equipment on themselves, I believe it will not stop folks from carrying their current blackberry and the iPhone at the same time. Why - First, to keep separate their personal email from their office email, to NOT be connected to their office ALL the time. Hence, two devices. Second, most already carry other devices - ipod, personal cellphone, gameboy, psp, personal dvd player. The iPhone will still enable some consolidation of devices. I've met many folks that already carry both a cellular phone and a blackberry. BUT, I am not a fan of the AT&T phone service, the iPhone's only current carrier. Having switched to Verizon Wireless, I've enjoyed better connections, less drops, and more reliability. Also, at the current price tag, the iPhone is not for everyone, but it will not stop those that want its features from taking it while retaining their business blackberry device at the same time. Me, I'll wait till the Verizon version is released.

Sony introduces Minisodes on My Space

Have you watched a minisode yet? Frankly, I clicked through and watched the Honda commerical followed by a couple minutes of TJ Hooker... and then I clicked off. Great stunt, great promotion, great out of box thinking of using existing video in the new space, but it has no legs and will die a quick death. I tried today to go into My Space and search for Minisode, TJ Hooker, Sony, and other terms in their video box and couldn't find it. And it isn't a featured video either, so I say outa sight, outa mind.

My thinking is that most major entertainment companies are still guessing on how to make the internet work for them. Lots of guesses, few home runs. Re-editing old TV and finding a sponsor, hard to see the future of that. But I don't wan't to be a naysayer. Opportunity does abound, but it is more synergistic than the above stunt. Sneak peaks, deleted scenes, related gaming, interactive discussions, and other TV 2.0 elements will have much stronger legs. Ultimately, the entertainment value brings in the advertising partner, but it also must keep driving the viewer back to the core product/show/movie. New TV shows need to keep adding viewers, no one cares that much about old TV shows.

I recall a number of years ago watching an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond while on a airplane trip; having never watched before, I enjoyed the show and was encouraged to seek it out and watch new episodes on TV. That out of box taste turned me into a viewer. This type of tactic has most potential on the web. Unlike a standalone stunt with old TV shows, the concept should be applied to new shows to help find bring viewers to their TV show. So forget about TJ Hooker, try it with a show currently on the air.

Joost everywhere, embedded in hardware

Is Joost reading my blogs? I'm sure not, but I did write back on 5/31/07 and clearly stated that Joost needs to get into the cable set top box. Well now 2 + weeks later, it is being reported that Joost is talking publicly about this integration. A very obvious and natural fit. This is the ultimate 1000 channel universe, available through the television set, for a big screen experience. Apple TV should consider this an opportunity as well to replace the current version of a set top that cable operators use with a box that accepts the cablecard and OCAP platform and effortlessly integrates the web and tv. As there is no exclusivity of content on these other platforms, Apple TV has free rein to build a home page that eases our navigation. Look how well they manage iTunes! But lets get to the heart of what each of these services are trying to do, deliver an advanced user experience for content. Recognizing the need to work with cable and cable technology may help propel Joost ahead of the pack. But the race is only beginning and Apple, Akimbo, and every other platform with internet embedded video should determine their business strategy for integrating themselves into the big screen TV experience through the cable box or another device. And we still haven't heard a word from the two main MSOs, Comcast and Time Warner. They have a big say, too.

The end of the optical disc

As I read this article, it got me to thinking, with the advent of HD and richer content, what will the next device look like to hold, distribute and share content. History has shown that a new format tends to completely replace an older format. Who needs a VCR today? The DVR has quickly replaced it. It's interesting to recall all the formats we've owned (and obviously your age will determine which format you recall): the LP, EP, and 45 record, the 8 track, tape reels, cassette, beta tape, VHS, floppy disc, zip drive, mini disc, cd rom/compact disc, flash drive, etc. I'm sure I'm missing some more. Of course, the concern remains with digital rights management.
The article suggests that the optical disc (CD/DVD) will fade away in the next 5 years. Seems possible as the flash drive has become more accepted. Maybe the cable box can add a USB port to read those flash drives, or better yet put it on the TV. Makes me think fondly to the old Star Trek series, plastic rectangles inserted into the computer to share content. Makes me think they got it right.

Network based DVR idea backed by Verizon, AT&T, and others

Interesting to hear other companies are now coming to the defense of Cablevision. Even more so, they are all overbuilders to the cable platform, not other MSOs. Cheaper, technologically-superior, are the reasons cited for this support; but perhaps there are other reasons not yet stated. It may also allow for a much more advanced platform to help the consumer search through all this content. A happier consumer means retention and the ability to sell in more products and services. The question of copyright continues to emerge, but the real issue is the advertising, its measurement, and consequently, the real value retained by the content owners. Address those concerns and more companies will back this centralized DVR approach.

Apple to now offer rent option to their itunes

Such a natural fit! Apple already dominates with a great site that allows easy streaming and search as well as the ability to download to their player. Consider all the pieces that Apple is now touching: iphone, Apple TV, itune, etc. They have the hardware and software and most importantly, a dominant share of the market, with users continually visiting itunes for new content. It is a natural fit for Apple to offer a rental option. So what will the next announcement for Apple? It seems with all the pieces in place, Apple could be the company that comes up with the effortless way to search, organize, save, and share all this entertainment content, to your phone, your ipod, your tv. Wrap around an advertising play, and Apple is building the pieces to be the dominant entertainment viewing and listening site.

Live Ad invades the Tonight Show

So why does this in-program ad deserve discussion in today's Wall Street Journal? It certainly isn't a first. Have the writer or editors not watched American Idol - Ford and Coke ads inside each show. It is not a new phenomenon. I am a Letterman fan and frankly there are some comic bits that could be mistaken for in placement ads. And yes, this practice of a live commercial has been a part of TV before, albeit it has not been recent since American Idol. Shows like Milton Berle and his Texaco Theatre, Jack Benny and Jello and Lucky Strikes, and many more examples integrated these sponsors and wrote fun scripts to push the product. So don't mistake this for TV 2.0 or interactive advertising, this is plain old in-program ad placement.

It is not new, but it will help folks that DVR or TIVO to not fast forward and stay tuned for the entertainment value of these sponsored spots. And that is the key phrase, because if they stop being entertaining, viewers will stop paying attention.

Rent or Own? The New Cable-TV Dilemma

Interesting article from the Wall Street Journal today, except it's not just about the cable card. Consumers want easy access to their communication choices, not just through the cable box, but also through their pc and other equipment that want access to the fiber pipeline. A cablecard, a password protection keystroke, or whatever it needs to be, its time to think more broadly. Perhaps OCAP can figurre out how to make a plug and play philosophy work more efficiently for the cable tv experience.

Television 2.0

A recent commentary in Forbes echos the blogs I have been writing lately; that is , the interoperability of web, phone, and tv because of technological advances. Dubbed Television 2.0, it relies on consumers taking all their communication services from one provider, "the triple play" and thus simplifying the interactive processes.

So are the cable companies making the necessary investments in their plants, are they contracting with their equipment providers to enable all these wonderful new services, or will the dynamics finally change and the consumer will go to their electronic retailer to buy the devices they want - set top box, remote cameras, dvr, etc - all enabled by a plug and play connection to your cable wire. For the cable company today, the primary rationale for the triple play is ROI, more revenue from the investment of capital in building a fiber backbone by offering more services through it. The interoperability may be nice, but for the operator, the next investment is toward other services that will provide a new revenue stream from this existing backbone: business services, security, file back up protection, etc.

And lastly, is the consumer ready to finally see who they are talking to on the phone - a "video phone", do they want to have their phone calls and voice messages pop up on their tv screens, do they want to pick which stories they want to watch on the news. How much change is the consumer ready for and how much will they embrace. While I believe interactivity will be embraced, consumers still want each of their devices to do what they each do well. TVs to provide an experience where you sit back to watch, PCs to provide an experience where you sit forward and interact, and phones to comunicate - and while each application may crossover, consumers will still prefer them to do their primary function first. So how fast Television 2.0 truly occurs...I say not as fast as web 2.0.

And that's my 2 ¢

Cablevision Fights DVR Ruling

It seems to me that Cablevision makes excellent points why it should be allowed to build a remote DVR service, provided that they agree to not affect the content being recorded. This centralized approach would allow the sharing of video content more easily among the customer devices - cable box, pc, and perhaps other mobile devices. This centralized server would also be useful for other in home applications like security cameras, baby cams, remote viewing capability, etc.
And should a live event, like say the American Idol finale go over its time, a centralized system could easily capture the added time without the hassle that this year's finale caused to all DVR users, a missed ending. And beyond TV viewing, a centralized server approach might just simplify the communication of a home pc to its home cable box, allowing home videos, photos, music and other files to be accessed and shared more simply. Perhaps consumers would pay extra for that fexibility.

Digital rights management, content control, and application are important issues to consider. Perhaps content and cable companies can find contractual opportunities to authorize such arrangements as well. It may just prove additionally profitable to all parties as well.