AT&T, after being taken over by
Comcast, is forcing all of its
broadband internet users to convert their email address from @ATTBI.com to
@COMCAST.net. This follows the same
upheaval of its customers from @HOME.com to @ATTBI.com only 2 years ago.
(They took over @Home's broadband internet business and forced them out of
business. @Home was totally dependent on the Cable Companies'
monopoly of their customer's subscription).
So now is a good time to remove the county's residents from over dependence on
the county's cable Provider "du jour" by establishing
a domain that will stay with the County's cable
internet users forever. AT&T must be
forced to offer an independent email- address-domain so that,
(should the county decide to change its cable Provider), the
Provider cannot cite the address-change-disruption as a reason NOT
to. The address-change-disruption being:- Everyone HAS to change
email addresses to that of the new cable Provider.
(Change the county resident's broadband domain to @MARIN.com
?)
(Don't let AT&T tell you that its not technically
possible)
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The Cable (and Satellite) Provider
must make clear its intention and goals. It must
NOT put companies like TIVO, ReplyTV and Moxi
out of
business by exercising their monopoly of
set-top box scrambling and Channel Program Information.
(see below) The county must insist on this before renewing its
license.
DVR companies need to be able to control changing
channels on the set-top box and know of Cable TV channel programming.
And ensure that Cable (and Satellite) Providers' deals
with TIVO, don't put ReplayTV and others out of business. (TIVO is part
owned by NBC and other networks).
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The Cable
Companies' scrambling cable Box is a monopoly which must adhere to public
standards in input/output (incl. wireless) to encourage competition in
attached devices.
Adding recording features to the cable or satellite box threatens
both the stand-alone digital video recorder (TIVO, ReplayTV) and
integrated entertainment hubs built around the home computer. The
stand-alone digital recorder is facing stiff and possibly insurmountable
challenges. http://www.reardenstudios.com/articles/ieee_feb0702.html
For the same reason, Cable Cos. must
also make their Channel Info public and any changes instantly available.
ReplayTV has a new DVR that includes a broadband connection. The modem
enables the downloading of content onto the receiver's hard drive. Expect
ReplayTV, TiVo and others to launch video on demand services by 2003. The
broadband modem will turn the DVR from a recording machine into a movie
machine.
Cable companies can bankrupt this competition by
"proprietizing" their set-top box and not disclosing Channel
Info.
You will soon be undocking your notebook PC from a
docking station where it was recording TV shows and movies from the
previous day/night and then watch them while commuting on the bus to
work....There's some transit motivation!
Consumers don't want stacks of
set-top boxes and they don't want cable spaghetti behind their TVs. But
Cable Set-Top Boxes can be infinitely smaller than they are and can be
"slotted into" whatever other entertainment hub needs to
interface with them, if Government forces them to do so. This includes the
inevitable day when it will be slotted into the home computer. It too will
be totally interfaced with the TV . There will only be ONE remote
control, an alpha-numeric keyboard, accessing both the PC and TV. All of
today's Set-Top Box functionality will be software on the PC.
The Cable Company must own the Scrambling Chip
ONLYAnd as Disney tries to add yet
another set-top box for ITS Movie-on-Demand service look for an Unique ID
on the PC to facilitate ALL of the different pay services that will
abound.
Every major set-top-box manufacturer is readying a device
that will act as a home media server. These machines will track your
consumption habits and help you find movies, music. They will screen out
advertising. They will feed content to your stereo system, your personal
computer, and additional television sets.
EchoStar Satellite hopes to have boxes with Moxi
software in the hands of its customers by the end of the year. If Moxi's
demonstrations are any indication, these multitalented boxes will be a
reminder of what cable subscribers are missing by not getting a dish.
That's a choice cable doesn't want its customers to make.
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July 25,
2000 http://news.com.com/2100-1040-243625.html
Comcast cable customers in two New Jersey areas will soon be able to
lease, instead of buy, a digital video recorder.
Under separate deals announced today, Comcast customers in Cherry Hill,
N.J., will be able to try out a TIVO digital video recorder, while
customers in Burlington County will be offered the same from rival
ReplayTV.
Where is Marin's offering?
In both cases, consumers will be able to get the units at no up-front
cost. Instead, a monthly fee will be added to their cable bills. Both
machines allow consumers to record their favorite TV programs onto hard
disks instead of having to use videotape.
Adding TiVo or ReplayTV service is important for the cable companies
because satellite TV operators have already moved to add such features to
their offerings.
The ReplayTV service will cost $11.95 per month. TiVo's monthly fee is not
final yet but will probably be about $19, according to Edward Lichty,
director of business development for TiVo. The cost difference reflects
the fact that TiVo typically charges a $9.95 monthly service fee while
ReplayTV users pay only for hardware.
I cancelled Cable and took the DirecTV
alternative. It includes 3 rooms - one with TIVO,for $279. The same cost of
a standalone TIVO. Calling the Cable Company to cancel they said I would
have to pay $14 more per month for my Broadband Internet (from $49 to $64 !
). When I said I would cancel that and go for DSL they immediately offered
me an alternative - keep Basic Cable for a special price of $6 per month and
avoid the $14 alternative. I am pissed that not until I threatened to go DSL
did they make this offer. (Note that
DirecTV TIVO has 2 tuners and the standalone TIVOs only one. I can be
recording 2 programs whilst watching a 3rd, stored program.)
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