FCC set top box mandate

[mardek1995 200]

I have to be honest, as much as I know that cable TV has started to get outdated, I'm not sure what to make of the possible set top box mandate. I mean, there are people who support the proposed mandate, and there are a lot of people who oppose it, but as for me, I'm really neutral on this issue

[Viper550 268]

I'm mixed on the idea, but personally, probably the only way this could work would be if they treated them like how phones are sold. Yes, that model is broken too, but better than nothing.

[WFTV Channel 9 80]

I'm neutral because I don't know much about it to be honest.

[mrschimpf 2065]

I don't think it matters either way. The first attempt at doing this back in the 2000's was easily end-arounded by the cable companies by pushing for CableCARD cable boxes which just locked the card behind inaccessible TORX screws, then the cable companies just 'split off' their STB businesses to a '(CableCo) Leasing Company of (State)' to get around the regulations which tried to stop it rather easily. All they do is send out a blanket bill to the main company which then reimburses them internally.

 

I expect one of two things; cable gets so muted that it doesn't matter and they will eventually open up their platforms without further intervention, or Apple TV/Roku apps will become the default interface with some kind of coax connector box running into the service port to authenticate/bring in VOD. Just look at Charter's frustration trying to get their new guide on mainly 2002 hardware and treble that with the TWC acquisition.

[Darius22 120]

Isn't this what the Tivo company does?

[mrschimpf 2065]

Isn't this what the Tivo company does?

 

And they're one of the only ones right now, which plays into why the first attempt at cable box legislation failed. The Moxi system was so much better (Charter used it for awhile) but eventually the idiocy that is Rovi/Macrovision's basic guide patents has done anyone in who wanted to license a guide that didn't look like some eccentric with a hate of basic time/date/channel display designed it to round the patents. Arris/Motorola, Cisco and Samsung and the other box providers, along with TiVo pretty much soak it as a cost of business, along with Microsoft for their Media Center system. Anyone else, it's a major inconvenience to round up the patents and work within Rovi/Macrovision's specific requirements; I have an HDHomerun and use an app to display channels on my Apple TV and right now it can only show one show illustration, up next and later and that's it since anything else would get Rovi's wrath. Once those patents finally expire I think we'll finally get fair STB competition.