This cable card fiasco sure has been one for the ages hasn’t it? I bet we look back 10 years from now and this sticks as one of the worst implemented technologies ever. It’s good to see TiVo and Sony involved in trying to make a change. Now the wait to see if anything comes of this.
EngadgetHD The way this would work is that the gateway would support Ethernet, MoCA, WiFi or whatever physical connection that would connect it to your home network. Then any device could discover its services via something like Bonjour and then gain access to both linear and VOD content via HTTP, or whatever. This way TiVo or anyone else could create a device (DVR, smartphone, TV) that connects to the home network and discovers and accesses these services. TiVo argues that this model would help spur competition because it would allow the video providers to do their own thing on their own equipment and use whatever medium they desire for transmission, while at the same time give consumers the choice to access the content they paid for via any device that supports the standard protocols. TiVo does point out that the FCC needs to be careful or this gateway might become a gatekeeper. But the real key here though is that no single entity like CableLabs would be able to enforce restrictions on how you enjoy your content, but the gateway would have to offer all the same services that you can get with a provider issued set-top box.
