[opendtv] MVPD and VOD; A Solution to Time-Shifting


Here in Las Vegas, there is a group under Cox Communications, the
Hospitality Group, that offers programming to hotels.  The system is not
the usuall cable system.  They push digital content to servers in each of
the hotels and offer the programming as VOD.  As I understand it, a full
week's schedule of every channel (I don't know how many) is stored on the
server and it all is available VOD and complete with a full programming
guide.

Now, to me, this makes a lot of sense.  I would be interested in
subscribing to services that pushed all the media to a DVR in my house and
I could chose to watch any program when I wanted.  Naturally, this would
take a lot of storage space.  Perhaps I can't have every program, so
perhaps I subscribe to just the channels I want.  One thing that won't work
is having to set the record times.  That works for the programs you know
about, but not the ones you don't and might be able to find by "surfing"
the storage.  And then you could "surf" on the program level rather than
channel by channel and only what is being offered at the time.

There is still one problem: sharing.  I realize that sharing media is not
allowed, but what if I saw a story and I wanted someone else to see it?
How do I get it to them?  It would be great if I could simply send them a
pointer that cues up the very program on their own storage.  That way I'm
not distributing the material and they get to see the story.

Actually, there is still one more issue: fair use.  If the media is locked
up on a DVR, how do I get access to use it in a lecture or other "fair use"
category?  Well, I guess under fair use, there is nothing that requires it
to be available for fair use.   I suppose you could make a photonic bridge:
point a camera at the screen!

Dan

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