[opendtv] Re: Sony, six cable companies adopt two-way CableCARD tech

  • From: "Adam Goldberg" <adam_g@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sun, 1 Jun 2008 22:38:30 -0400

My argument with what Bill said is that I don't (personally) believe that
OCAP, exclusively, is a good idea.  I think it's going too far to say that
any CE companies affirmatively agree that OCAP exclusively is a good idea --
but that's not to say that some CE companies haven't agreed to make OCAP
products.

If Bill's vision is realized, than my stated fear (only competition among
vertical service offerings, no competition horizontally between CE companies
making receivers) is realized.  If OCAP is the only way to operate a cable,
satellite and telco receiver, than all receivers are innovation-handicapped
and handcuffed to the business interest of the operator (rather than the
consumer or the CE manufacturer).

> From what's in the article, this Sony agreement with all the cable
companies 
> should not preclude Sony from also going after its own
Internet/home-recording
> EPG ideas, now or in the future. As far as I can tell.

Unable to comment.

-----Original Message-----
From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Albert Manfredi
Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2008 9:38 PM
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Re: Sony, six cable companies adopt two-way CableCARD
tech


Adam Goldberg wrote:

> The DCR+ proponents argue that it should be possible to
> build a TV which does the above, and it should be possible
> to build an OCAP TV and it should be possible to build a
> TV which does both (depending on what the consumer
> wants).  If the cable operators, via OCAP, are able to
> provide a compelling experience, consumers will buy
> OCAP TVs or rent OCAP STBs.

> Which is better for consumers?  Competition between
> content access environment, with the free market driving
> the experience better and better ... or a cable-controlled,
> content-segmented, completely undifferentiated experience?

Adam, I gather you are objecting to the details of what is DCR+ vs. OCAP,
not to the notion of CE vendors and cable companies agreeing with one
another in a unified way, right?

I think Bill's point was that the pursuit of DCR+ was doing nothing to get a
unified cable agreement in place with CE companies. Whereas as soon as Sony
got behind OCAP, that hurdle could be breached. An agreement with all cable
companies would be a prerequisite to the consumer nirvana you propose, no?

From what's in the article, this Sony agreement with all the cable companies
should not preclude Sony from also going after its own
Internet/home-recording EPG ideas, now or in the future. As far as I can
tell.

Bert

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