Comments on: Broadlogic and Cable’s Analog Ghetto

By: Andrew Schmitt

Andrew Schmitt — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 20:10:21 +0000

We have this already. It’s called Cablecard. No one uses it.

I suppose if Cablecard were built in to every TV, that might be something.

The last thing that needs to happen is for the Government to legislate anything. It’s just TV. Life goes on without it.

By: hyzmarca

hyzmarca — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 13:24:42 +0000

This is certain a step in the right direction but the real solution is not a digital home gateway or free set-top boxes. The real solution, I am afraid, is one which is obvious but which is not forthcoming, digital-ready televisions.

In the old days, TVs couldn’t decode all of the analog cable channels. They worked great for broadcast signals but you needed a set-top-box to receive analog cable. Today, every new television is cable ready. You can connect a coax to it and it will decode the analog signals perfectly. In fact, it was cable-ready televisions that made cable such a success.

Yet, there is not a similar push for digital-ready televisions. Would it be that difficult to include an MPEG-2 decoder in every television? We already have low-cost televisions with integrated DVD players. A digital tuner? How much would that cost, really? A smart card-based CAM system? Certain it is possible to build such a television.
Why isn’t it happening? The tragedy of the anti-commons. Cable and satellite companies like their proprietary encryption schemes. For such a television to be affordable such encryption would have to be standardized or else television manufactures would have to license several mutually-exclusive decryption systems to ensure that the television will work with every cable and satellite company and this just isn’t feasible.
Legislatively enforced compatibility with a single standardized CAM technology for all satellite and cable providers is pretty much the only solution to the remote juggle.

By: Broadlogic and Cable’s Analog Ghetto « Iain’s Chips & Tech

Broadlogic and Cable’s Analog Ghetto « Iain’s Chips & Tech — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 17:46:24 +0000

[...] Broadlogic and Cable’s Analog Ghetto: “ [...]

By: George

George — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 14:57:11 +0000

Free set top boxes is not the answer. For most people this
would be a mess. What about theft or loss of the boxes.
Where do you put the box, how do you turn on/off the TV/VCR/DVR and what about the remotes. I like having lots of cheap remotes and not needing a set top for every TV. If every set has to have a box, then why not switch to the “dish”. I have Cable DVR box (and love it) and new HD TV and both are too smart. If you change the channel with the TV remote it switches the input to antenna input. Now the Cable/DVR remote will switch channels, but this input does not get to the TV until you reset the TV input to HD. This is not a simple task for most in the house and it can only be done with the a remote. It may cost the Cable company money to put in a gateway, but losing all monthly fees if someone switches to “dish” is a bigger problem. Why not have new “mini” set top boxes which talks to the gateway and does the VOD setup. This Box could also
break out the Cable modem signal and improve the internet setup.

By: Andrew Schmitt

Andrew Schmitt — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 20:17:38 +0000

A little more info.

Broadlogic is quoting out $300 ASPs for their chip, which is insane. Finished hardware is typically 2-3x component cost, which would mean this gateway sells for $600 bare minimum.

Not going to work.

By: PanMan

PanMan — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 12:00:53 +0000

Why is a settop box easily replacable, and a gateway isn’t? There are even models in which the gateway can have VOD functions, which are transfered analogue in the home. This only requires an RF remote (or a small device that translates an IR remote to some signal the gateway can receive). And I would envision a settop box with the main TV set, that includes this chip, to do analogue brodcasts over the in-home network…