What happens when an industry is so resolute in its plans to protect it's turf against the competition that it draws a line in the sand only to see others attack from a different front. They lose. Such is the case in battle and so too in business. To stay so narrowly focused and unbending to changing external factors is a recipe in disaster. And so too the ultimate end of EBIF, Enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format, designed exclusively for cable.
"It was invented as a way to add more oomph to the fielded base of digital cable set-top boxes, which obsolesced almost before they were installed. Ten years ago." But the world became Internet Protocol (IP) based and TV and other consumer electronic manufacturers, found more flexibility working with IP than with the cable operators and their EBIF technology. The result are not helping cable with the rise of more over the top competitors offering similar video content. These competitors found the different front and did an end around on the cable operators.
Can EBIF and IP work together? Some Apps are working to make it so for better connectivity and TV on the go. But it may not be the ideal technological approach. Ever wonder what those blue pop up screens are that come up on your TV for on demand movies and other ads. They are achieved with EBIF. And they look like decades old graphics. Clunky and downright ugly. Certainly not as clean and easy to interact with as other means. Communication has changed and EBIF has not. The consumer seeks more convergence and ease of use in their interactions with their video content. EBIF has to change or cable operators will continue to lose.
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