STBs: “Reports of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated”

Are set-top boxes (STBs) becoming a thing of the past? According to Light Reading's Mari Silbey, they aren't going anywhere. While the news of Cisco selling its beloved set-top unit to Technicolor is stirring up rumors about the death of the set-top business as a whole, we know that by giving operators a presence in the home, STBs offer several advantages.

Consumers may not need a STB for video streaming anymore, but having a special cable box in the home gives cable operators the opportunity to provide a hub for IoT devices and home security applications. With a surge of interest in IoT and what it means for the smart home, cable boxes could be the long-term solution everyone is looking for.

As technology continues to advance, consumers need something in the home that is capable of keeping up with the times. Operators, and consumers, can fortify existing cable boxes with inexpensive dongles that provide new functionality and enable new services. This method will not only save money, but it will ensure that consumers are getting the latest and greatest technology.

Silbey says it best: "Speed, latency and offline storage: these are all reasons why there's still a business in set-tops, even if it's one that demands greater vendor scale and delivers lower per-box margins."

To read her article in full, click here.

The Impact of the "Cloud" on Pay TV

Alticast's EMEA President, Tiann Schutte, answers questions posed by Digital TV Europe about the impact of cloud technology on pay TV in the April/May issue of Digital TV Europe.
http://www.digitaltveurope.net/358672/qa-tiaan-schutte-president-alticast/

Could this be the End for CableCARD?

It’s not often that cable operators have disliked an initiative as much as they have CableCARD. Fortunately, several years after the FCC banned cable companies from including integrated security in consumer set-top boxes, the unbelievably long reign of CableCARD is likely coming to an end, pending Senate approval in September.

Late Tuesday, the House passed the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Reauthorization Act of 2014, which aims to give satellite operators the power to import distant network signals when local affiliate stations aren't available and, some would argue most importantly, eliminates the requirement that cable operators separate security from set-tops in the form of a CableCARD.

Without facing the limitations brought on by CableCARD, cable operators will be able to drastically cut down on hardware costs and more fully support downloadable conditional access techniques. The Satellite Television Extension and Localism Reauthorization Act of 2014 will also level the playful field between cable operators and satellite and telecom TV providers by removing burdens that only apply to operators.

It’s no secret how many within the cable industry feel about CableCARD and the House’s recent vote demonstrates its recognition that it is time for change. Though the House’s vote is a step in the right direction, the battle to end CableCARD isn’t quite over. The bill still needs Senate consideration and approval to become law and allow CableCARD to finally be put to pasture.

Check out the full story on the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Reauthorization Act here from Light Reading.

Forget Unplugging the Coffeemaker; STB Power Consumption is Under Fire

According to Bloomberg, there are 224 million cable TV set-top boxes (STBs) currently deployed in the U.S. Many of these are constantly humming and over 47 million STBs are filled with outdated CableCARD technology that’s anything but “green.” In fact, a recent FierceCable story stated that cable boxes are the second biggest energy suckers in homes. Not only is this damaging to the environment, but it’s also costing consumers more in energy costs.

However, as living room staples, STBs aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Experts predict that the number of cable boxes will grow 29 percent by 2040 in the U.S. alone, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and more STBs mean increased energy consumption.

So what do we do about it?

There are several ways to reduce STB power consumption. In fact, in late 2012 15 industry-leading multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) and equipment manufacturers took a voluntary approach and launched a multi-step initiative that aimed to save $1.5 billion in annual residential electricity costs and reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of four power plants each year. The initiative included tactics like only producing STBs that meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR 3.0 (ESv3) efficiency levels and utilizing new technology to enable STBs to run at a reduced power level when they aren’t in use.

The agreement, which is detailed in this National Cable and Telecommunications Association report, also pledges that participants will support ongoing research to solve the problem of high STB energy consumption. Participating companies developed a dedicated Energy Lab to continue research and also committed to regular industry meetings on the subject.

Another simple change we can make immediately to reduce STB energy consumption beyond the strategies already in place is to remove an outdated, but still required, piece of technology inside STBs called CableCARD.

This strategy to remove the outdated CableCARD component is guaranteed to reduce the impact STBs have on the environment as it doesn’t rely on consumer behavior whatsoever. CableCARDs, which are comprised of PCMCIA cards loaded with conditional access (CA) software, were created as a response to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) 1996 mandate for separating security from the set-top itself. Since it was implemented almost two decades ago, CableCARD technology has remained completely unchanged despite the fact that the cable industry is virtually unrecognizable. Removing CableCARD from STBs will have numerous benefits; decreasing energy consumption is just one of them.

While it’s important to note that there isn’t a “one size fits all solution” that will completely solve the STB energy consumption issue, there are many actionable steps that can be taken throughout the industry to contribute to a more energy efficient process.

STBs are critical components in most of our TV viewing lives, so it’s important that we do what we can to reduce their “environmental footprint” as much as possible.

Check out the FierceCable article on STB energy consumption here.

Alticast Demonstrates how to Deliver TV Everywhere Services With RDK-Based “Set Top Box on a Stick” at RDK Users Conference

Alticast’s HDMI Software Allows Operators to Leverage Gateways or the Cloud to Deliver

 a Superior TV Everywhere Experience

Alticast, a worldwide leader in interactive television, will demonstrate to operators how they can expand their TV Everywhere service offerings with the company’s new software for HDMI sticks at next week’s RDK User’s Conference, which is being held on February 11 in Denver.  Leveraging the RDK and Alticast’s HTML5 application framework with an HDMI stick, Alticast’s solution represents a new paradigm for multiscreen IP video delivery, either directly from the Cloud or as a client to a home-based gateway.  

“Our HDMI stick software solution ‘untethers’ the set-top box from the home, enabling cable operators to cost-effectively provide subscribers with a superior TV Everywhere service that is highly customizable, personalized and available on any viewing device,” said John Carlucci, CTO, Alticast US.  “The RDK User’s Conference is the ideal location to show many of the world’s largest cable operators and potential manufacturing partners the benefits of our compact, RDK-based HDMI software solution, which can help operators keep their current subscribers and attract new ones.”

The Alticast HDMI stick supports a personalized multiscreen viewing experience in the home or on the go.  The stick works in conjunction with a home gateway to securely deliver programing to any TV or Consumer Device in the home.  It also has the potential to go anywhere in a Cloud-based delivery model for VOD and operator provided live TV.  The Alticast software solution lets operators decide how and what they deliver to the consumer.  The HTML5 Application Framework operates side-by-side with Android, allowing operators to deliver a multi-functional entertainment solution.

In addition, Alticast will demonstrate their new Application Store running on RDK.  This storefront for HTML5 applications provides the operator with tools for branding the service and curating the offerings. Backend administration workflow tools for developers allow application upload, versioning, and sales monitoring. The Application Store design gives complete control to the operator, opens the door to a new revenue opportunity and provides added entertainment choices to their customers.

The Reference Design Kit (RDK) is a pre-integrated software bundle developed and licensed to create a common framework for powering IP or hybrid Set-Top Boxes and gateway devices for CE manufacturers, system-on-a-chip (SoC) vendors, software developers, system integrators and TV service providers. The RDK was developed to accelerate the deployment of next-generation video services and prevent software fragmentation by providing speed-to-market, collaboration and standardization. Supported by more than 120 licensees, RDK Management, LLC was formed as a joint venture between Comcast Cable and Time Warner Cable to administer the RDK. More information is available at http://www.rdkcentral.com