Time Warner Cable deploys 150k OpenCable STBs, aka CableCARD 2.0
Most of us have been confused about why our CableCARD host devices don't support two-way services, and it's been wildly misunderstood that we were waiting for CableCARD 2.0. The truth is that CableCARDs have been capable of authorizing two-way communications for some time, but there wasn't a way for 3rd party cable devices to be certified by CableLabs -- like the latest cable deployed STBs -- for two-way communication. Cable's solution to this is middleware software originally called OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP) and more recently renamed to simply: OpenCable. Until now most of this only existed on paper -- or a in a lab somewhere -- but according to B&C, Time Warner Cable has standardized all the STBs in their markets running the Passport Guide with OpenCable STBs. The reported 150k boxes are mostly made by Samsung, but cable veteran Scientific Atlanta will eventually represent the majority of them. This is an important milestone for big cable, as they want to prove the viability of the OpenCable platform to the FCC. You see the consumer electronics industry (think TiVo and Microsoft) is against the model and is pushing the FCC for what they call Digital Cable Ready Plus (DCR+) instead, because OpenCable would mean that the cable co's would have control of the software running on your TiVo. Either way, we hope that the FCC makes both options the standard, as we can see were TV manufacturers might prefer to cut costs and let the cable co' manage the code, but at the same time leave TiVo to continue to innovate.

















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
T-bone @ Oct 18th 2007 9:08AM
How is this news? My dad received one of these boxes from TWC about 8 weeks ago when he was having issues with the old box.
scott @ Oct 18th 2007 10:44PM
I guess I don't see the point of a CableCard in a CABLE PROVIDER's set-top box. The box can't do anything that the box without the CableCard can do. The market for CableCard should be actual TV sets. It cuts out the need for a cable provider's set top box, cuts down on monthly fees, and does everything the box would do with just a card in the back of your tv (except of course DVR).
The only other device that would justfiy a cablecard would be a third party box (ie consumer-owned). That way you aren't renting the box from the cable company and you can just rent the CableCard.
Can someone explain to me the purpose of renting the BOX and the CableCard from a cable provider? Its just stupid!
I have a plasma with a CableCard. I get all my highdef, premium channels, etc. I can't get ppv because its the old standard, but the new ones WOULD be able to do that. So why get the box?
Rich Love @ Nov 13th 2007 5:53PM
I have a TIVO series 3 and cannot watch many channels because of the cable card.
Time Warner will not let me watch MLB Extra innings baseball on my TIVO because the cable cards they provide are not bi-directional.