[opendtv] Re: News: Stevens Vows Cable-Indecency Crackdown
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 10:57:18 -0500
At 10:19 PM -0800 3/1/05, Kon Wilms wrote:
>On Wed, 2005-03-02 at 00:11 -0500, Cliff Benham wrote:
>> DBS is not one way, never has been, has always required and always has
>> had aback channel phone connection, but now with
>
>A modem (or ethernet via Tivo, say) backchannel does not make DBS
>two-way - there is no session loop, everything is batched and processed
>OOB. You *can* put a backchannel on an OTA feed (actually, we make boxes
>that do exactly this). No rocket science there, its just a modem. Or
>ethernet jack.
Just an observation. My father-in-law had DirecTV for years in
Alabama. HE NEVER hooked up the phone line. As long as you keep
paying the monthly bill you keep getting service. The only limitation
is the ordering "interactive" services such as NVOD. There is a
temporary cache in the STB that keeps track of these transactions;
typically it has a spending cap that will disallow further
transactions until the transactions are downloaded via the back
channel.
>You know what ATSC really needs? A STB platform that implements all the
>relevant ATSC standards, has modular hardware, provides for 3rd party
>development, and is built upon an open platform (say, Linux). All your
>in-store EPG-only 'tune to channel x' ATSC STBs are just a pile of junk
>-- and that right there is why OTA will die, i.e. 'failure to innovate'.
You nailed it Kon.
There is nothing preventing broadcasters from competing with cable
and DBS, except the effort and risk that accompanies innovation. No
reason to innovate when you have the politicians in your pocket.
"Always dance with those who brung you..."
Regards
Craig
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