Sony Electronics and major cable operators which together pass over 105 million U.S. homes have negotiated and signed an agreement that will enable consumers to purchase “two-way” digital televisions and other devices that can receive interactive digital and high-definition video services without a set-top box, Sony and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) announced today. The terms of the agreement are embodied in a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) negotiated by Sony Electronics and the six largest cable companies – Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Charter, Cablevision and Bright House Networks – which serve more than 82% of all U.S. cable subscribers.
Other consumer electronics companies will be beneficiaries of this new national two-way “plug-and-play” platform and have also been invited to formally join the MOU.
This negotiated industry agreement establishes the fundamentals for a competitive retail market for “two-way” digital cable-ready devices. It addresses how such products will be brought to market with interactive services like video-on-demand, digital video recording and interactive programming guides.
In addition, the agreement makes it clear that consumers will be able to enjoy a choice of differentiated two-way products at retail and through cable operators from a variety of consumer electronics and information technology manufacturers. The agreement includes safeguards to facilitate the development of a robust, two-way retail market and to ensure that cable operators can continue to develop and offer new competitive services.
Representative Rick Boucher (D-VA), a senior Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and one of the leading advocates in Congress for new technology and consumer freedoms said in a statement: “I congratulate Sony and the major cable operators for achieving consensus on a set of core principles that will speed the introduction of new two-way plug-and-play devices.” Representative Boucher added: “With this groundbreaking compromise, these industry-leading companies and other major cable companies will ensure that consumers will have broader access to innovative competitive cable ready navigation devices from commercial retailers and will have expanded options to enjoy cable programming, including video on demand and other interactive programming options.”
As part of the agreement, the parties will adopt: the Java-based “tru2way” solution as the national interactive “plug-and-play” standard; new streamlined technology licenses; and new ways for content providers, consumer electronics manufacturers, information technology companies and cable operators to cooperate in evolving the tru2way technology at Cable Television Laboratories (CableLabs), the cable industry’s research and development consortium.
The agreement will encourage the development and distribution of interactive and high-value digital content. Key elements of the agreement relate to the deployment of a platform for “write once, run anywhere” applications, and to the incorporation of secure digital interfaces that protect consumers’ home recording rights along with copyright owners’ rights to secure their digital content. Detailed terms of the MOU have not yet been released, while other potential signatories complete their review of the document.
“This marketplace agreement is good news for consumers,” said Edgar Tu, Sony Electronics’ Senior Vice President of TV Operations of America, in the press release. “A national plug-and-play digital cable standard for interactive TV receivers, recorders and other products that is transferable and viable wherever you live is ideal for today’s mobile society.”
“This is a landmark agreement which will provide a national, open and interactive platform resulting in more choices of services and products for consumers,” said Kyle McSlarrow, NCTA President & CEO, in the press release.
“We are pleased that this technical challenge has been addressed through a voluntary, private-sector solution,” said Consumer Electronics Association President and CEO Gary Shapiro, in the press release. “We look forward to working with our cable colleagues to ensure Americans across the country have access to high value cable content while using the equipment of their choosing.”
Source: NCTA
John P. Falcone reports for CNET, “Tru2way is designed from the ground up to be interactive, customizable (for the cable provider), and plug-and-play. Switched digital video, video-on-demand, pay-per-view, HD channels, dual-tuner support–it should all work without a hitch, and deliver an identical experience on your local cable system, no matter which Tru2way TV you’re buying.”
“There are plenty of other potential advantages as well. Tru2way TVs should be able to offer additional functionality, such as built-in DVRs. (Unlike earlier DVR/TV combos, which were limited to over-the-air programming or basic cable, Tru2way products would be able to record any of the hundreds of channels you receive.) And including the tuner inside the TV would offer the potential for better picture quality, since a TV signal native to the TV would no longer be reliant on the so-so video processing found on most set-top boxes. Beyond the TV, Tru2way functionality could be built-in to third-party DVRs (TiVo is already said to be working on a “Series4″ DVR that utilizes the technology) and accessories,” Falcone reports.
“So what’s not to like? Nothing–except that none of this yet exists in the real world. Until you can actually buy one of these Tru2way products at Best Buy, Circuit City, or Amazon, it’s all theoretical. Sony joins Panasonic, Samsung, and RCA on the Tru2way roadmap, but whether any of these companies will actually deliver a real world Tru2way product before the end of the year remains to be seen,” Falcone reports.
Full article here.
And what do you do with that empty space where your ugly and horribly-programmed cable box used to be? Just plop a nice Apple TV in there and you’re all set!
It’s amazing but I think this agreement will actually make it harder for a low tech guy like me to watch TV. Hooray for Apple TV.
Years away from seeing where this will go.
““This marketplace agreement is good news for consumers,” said Edgar Tu, Sony Electronics’ Senior Vice President “
I’ll believe that when I hear it from a consumer watchdog organization.
“The agreement includes safeguards to facilitate the development of a robust, two-way retail market “
Gosh, I wonder what Sony’s idea of robust is? Another rootkit? Distribute in Atrac format?
I wonder what proprietary Sony technology is being slipped to us in our digital kool-aide?
I hope this pushes Apple into making AppleTV a digital video recorder.
How different will this be from the cable card initiative? With the cable card, the party-poopers were cable companies. This time around, I wouldn’t be surprised if set-top box makers lobbied hard to prevent this from ever happening.
Will this stop the clock on my VCR from flashing “12:00”?
Looks like another round of Plug-and-Pray™ is coming to your TV set!
I can see Apple TV built into future HDTVs. Problem solved!
What about Satellite TV? I’m screwed. Oh wait! I have an AppleTV. Problem solved.
And I’ve been screwed for months from Time Warner in San Diego. Does announcement this mean Time Warner will straighten out?
NOPE!!!
I switched to AT&T;U-Verse this past weekend, and I’m blown away. With an Apple TV at the top of the heap, my needs are beyond satisfied.
I don’t want that! I see an emerging market for TV firewalls
Hello, Elgato?
May I speak with someone in engineering, please?
Thank you. Yes, I’ll hold.
Enough with the rhetoric. How are they trying to screw us over this time?
Somebody help: After reading this page twice and looked up tru2way technology in a couple cable websites, I still cannot find a definition for what this “two-way” means. Does that mean the cable companies can now program my TV with their software and monitor even more closely what I watch and buy? Nelson Ratings daemon built into every box? Write-once, infect everywhere trojan/virus?
What about older TVs that do not have tru2way? Like the non-HD old sets needing a new converter box next year, do we then need another ‘tru2way set-top box’ to watch TV after 2010? Great MOU to help sell more new TVs – way to go for Sony.
A short description is tru2way is at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tru2way
At the heart of this is the following gambit: saturate the market with TVs that are beholden to the software and choices of Sony and its cable partners, and which discourage (and maybe don’t even allow for) the use of additional boxes, including TiVo or Apple TV or whatever device not sold or owned by the Sony-Cable consortium. And what does the consumer ultimately get? No need for a little box. Big whoop.
Sounds bad to me.
Anything Sony has a hand in creating is broken by design. I’ll pass on this until I have no choice.
Much to do about little or nothing. Total H Y P E !
The internet is the interactive platform of the future, not another failed Sony agenda.
This is a BAD idea. Imagine having to buy a whole new TV ever time the update their services?!!! I’d rather just get a new box than a new TV ever 3-5 years.
I upgrade my CPU about twice as often as my monitors. I’ve gone through 4 box upgrades with the same 50″ TV. My most expensive MacPro costs less than my TV. Looks like this is good for the guys who sell TVs. Oh yeah, Sony.
Scheduled programming is an artifact of having a limited tuner. The future of Television programming is much more like podcasts today and my future Apple box is all I’ll need.
I don’t want Apple to integrate with my DVR/cable box. I want it to eliminate it.
@Yimmie,
Interesting comment considering that’s exactly the band wagon we’re all on with personal computing and their relative OSes.
@MDN,
Thanks for fixing my typo.
“Tru2way is designed from the ground up to be interactive, customizable (for the cable provider), and plug-and-play. Switched digital video, video-on-demand, pay-per-view, HD channels, dual-tuner support–it should all work without a hitch, and deliver an identical experience on your local cable system, no matter which Tru2way TV you’re buying.
Almost word-for-word from MS’s Plug-And-Pray rollout, no?
I’ll believe it when I see it working as-promised.
All I want is a single universal cable for connecting one video device to another. If HDMI works then so be it. Then we can plug in whatever box to whatever TV.
It’s funny that Apple’s PR blurb is usually simple concise and clear. This blurb tells us nothing how this stuff work or really what it is designed to use.