[opendtv] Re: Two-way plug-&-play
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 08:37:52 -0400
Before I respond to Bill Sheppards message, I would like to thank him
for carrying on an interesting and spirited thread. One might guess
(correctly) that this was my intention when I posted a rather
provocative message questioning the market potential for OCAP.
Now for some specific comments...
At 6:17 PM -0700 10/13/04, Bill Sheppard wrote:
> >It seems that the CE guys (and major content distributors like cable
>>MSOs) continue to believe that they can overcome the inertia of the
>>software tools that are emerging from the Internet and PC platforms.
>>
>>
>Internet and PC's aren't TV! Aside from Microsoft's continued and
>highly unsuccessful product attempts (WebTV, Media Center Edition), the
>rest of the industry quit trying to shoehorn a browser into your
>television years ago. HTML is fully incompatible with the expectations
>of content producers.
While I agree completely that TV and the Internet are different
things, it is impossible to justify that they are NOT converging in
some very important ways. The reality is that the guts of a PC and an
advanced digital set top box, such as many of those now being
deployed by cable and DBS systems, are more similar than different.
The technologies for decoding of compressed formats, image processing
and scaling, and localized rasterization of graphics and still images
are nearly identical - the only real difference is that PCs typically
support a wider range of compression formats (through software
codecs). STBs could easily do the same, but they do not need to
because of the tight controls over "approved" formats and codecs by
the cable, DBS and broadcast DTV operators.
But this is not a discussion about TV. It is a discussion about
enhancing the TV experience, adding new capabilities including real
interactivity and the localization and customization of content,
including commercial messages. When you take this major step beyond
the passive "lean back" viewing experience, where channel surfing
using the remote control is the only form of user interaction, you
can no longer ignore the world of the PC, which is the primary tool
for interaction with digital media today.
I disagree that companies have stopped trying to put browsers into a
TV. The reality is that you need an appropriate display to deal with
non-Nyquist limited content such as the HTML pages we view on a daily
basis. Microsoft (WebTV) failed for a simple reason: a TV display
provides the equivalent non-Nyquist limited resolution to a 320 x 240
computer display, with the addition of some unwanted interlace
artifacts. This is not much different than the first generation of
CGA/EGA computer displays, except for a somewhat larger color palette.
Even a 480P display presents challenges to the use of a web browser -
a 640 x 480 window is significantly smaller than the average XGA
(1024 x 768) raster used for surfing the Web.
When we move to progressive HD displays the traditional TV
disadvantages disappear. A 1280 x 720 DLP, Plasma, or LCD display
provides the ability to use non-Nyquist limited graphics in a manner
that is virtually identical to a PC. The image subtended to the
viewer is virtually the same, when screen size and viewing distance
are taken into account. So the only major difference that remains is
the form of user interaction.
I would agree that the TV will not become the primary venue for
surfing the web, any more than an OCAP enabled STB will be used
primarily for interactive applications, rather than viewing
traditional TV programming.
The area of interest involves the enhancements to the TV viewing experience:
- How do I provide an appropriate front end to the TV viewing experience?
- How do I search EPGs and web search engines for the content I want?
- How do I mark programming for caching?
- How do I search local resources including the programs in cache,
music and photo libraries on PCs in the home, and other networked
media services?
- How do I subscribe to information resources that may come from a
digital video channel or the Web (i.e. do I cache the Weather Channel
or Weather.com).
- And related to this issue, how do I use networked PCs, in the home,
office, or via ANY Internet connection to mark content for caching by
the TV in the family room?
- And how do I access content in the caches in my home when I am traveling.
In short, do I want are comprehensive solution for interactivity, or
a subset that is optimized by a service provider in an attempt to
keep me imprisoned inside their walled garden?
>
>>As consumers (continue) to migrate to progressive display
>>technologies, the barriers to real convergence are crumbling. It's
>>ludicrous to believe that an industry (even one as powerful as the TV
>>industry) can control the evolutionary path of digital media
>>technologies, especially when they continue to firmly grasp a failing
>>(but still profitable) business model.
>>
>It's not a matter of controlling the path of digital media technologies,
>it's a matter of enabling a common platform to deliver new services,
>many of which are likely to further the goal of real convergence.
Agreed.
But the path of digital media technologies is well defined. It does
not run through cable MSOs, or DBS operators or broadcast TV. The
truth is that these interests are doing virtually everything within
their power to change this reality. The truth is that they are trying
to shut down potential competition, and control the evolutionary path
of digital media.
One need only look at Java to see this reality. There is widespread
use of Java tools in many areas, INCLUDING Web browsers. As you
noted, my cell phone runs Java apps. The long and sordid history
behind interactive TV has converged with JAVA in several instances. I
see NOTHING wrong with this.
What I see as the REAL problem is what the developers of MHP,
OCApP,et al want to do with the technology.
I think it was 1994 or 1995 when I attended the gala launch of the
Time Warner Full Service Network. The system was obviously ahead of
its time, using SGI workstations as STBs. More important, the system
was closed...proprietary. Part of the launch included a presentation
on the development tools to build interactive applications for the
FSN. To play, you had to develop your applications specifically to
the FSN SDK. Meanwhile Time Warner competitors were proposing to do
the same, with their own proprietary systems. The FSN failed for many
reasons...one of the most important was the web, which provides a
universal set of tools to develop applications once and publish them
everywhere.
OCAP is an improvement, if for no other reason than the agreement of
MSOs to support it, even as they continue to deploy proprietary
competing technologies. The question remains, however, whether the
companies that want to build interactive cable applications will
support OCAP, rather than pushing for the common language of the
Internet, for which they are building their applications.
The Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8000HD is a good example of a home
gateway product that has been optimized for a progressive HD display.
It uses DVI with HDCP to provide a high quality link to the display
that can deliver both Nyquist limited and non-Nyquist limited samples
to the screen. It provides HD caching for video and plenty of room to
cache HTML resources as well. It includes a cable modem that allows
the user to travle outside the cable systems walled garden. And it
includes a web browser.
As I have been preaching recently, real convergence is happening, and
the primary reason is that the limitations of a TV display are now
disappearing.
Java is certainly going to play an important role in the future,
whether or not MHP and OCAP find a viable market. The real question
is whether cable, DBS and broadcasters can control the evolution of
digital media. They are winning in the courts and with the
politicians. They are losing the battle with consumers.
Regards
Craig
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