Verizon pushes VueKey as an alternative to CableCARDs

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Oct 30th 2008 at 2:59PM

At this point it's old news that Verizon is not down with tru2way, but we're glad that instead of just complaining about it, Verizon is pushing for another technology. So instead of a physical card that plugs into the back of your TV or TiVo, VueKey is a downloadable conditional access system that would be downloaded to your equipment. The thing that has us scratching our head is what does this have to do with tru2way? The way we see it is while CableCARD controls the access to the programming, tru2way is for the user interface. Either way, on one hand the idea of plugging a card into a device just to authenticate it seems silly in this day and age, but at the same time we don't want to go out and replace all of our CableCARD devices just of the conditional access of the month.

Filed under: Industry, Fiber

Tags: CableCARD, FiOS, OCAP, tru2way, Verizon, VueKey

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

jason @ Oct 30th 2008 3:45PM

Ben, I am fairly certain that tru2way replaces the need for a cable card or set-top box.

Neutral

darklighter @ Oct 30th 2008 3:57PM

tru2way IS CableCARD.

Neutral

palehorse @ Oct 30th 2008 4:05PM

from the article:
"Everything works the same, except that the key isn't owned by U.S. cable or CableLabs."

I'm not sure I quite understand what this is about, but would this somehow bypass the current requirement that forces HTPC owners to use CableLabs certified prefab PC's?

Could we, for instance, finally build our own HTPC's with VueKey Cablecards that would subsequently work with FIOS?

/confused

Neutral

David S @ Oct 31st 2008 10:45AM

In theory, Verizon customers could just have to download a VueKey application, which can decode/descramble the encrypted QAM signals. Also Verizon could release an API which is VueKey compatible, and SageTV, Myth, VMC, etc can plug into. Even tivo can hop in on this with a firmware update so tivo users won't need a cablecard.

Authorization can be handled on the Verizon side by with random keys, and the VueKey calls home to make sure that the customer has the OK to descramble the content, thus making it safe for Verizon to allow any HTPC owner to use (even Macs or Linux users). Also Verizon owns the wire going to the home and the ONT box, so any unauthorized person can simply be turned off from a physical standpoint.

Then again, Verizon doesn't have to do anything to make it easier for HTPC users, so while this might make it great, they could make it a greater barrier to entry than cablecard.

Neutral

Greg @ Oct 30th 2008 4:20PM

Just what we need: another incompatible standard so that 3rd party DVRs won't work.

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