FCCs New AllVid Proposal Ignores Growing Internet Streaming Trend

[admin]

As the world of Internet streaming expands, the FCC is focusing, astoundingly, on AllVid, a new proposal for creating a retail market for set top box. The industry would have benefited from that about a decade ago, but now the world seems to have moved on. As part of the National Broadband Plan, and in a subsequent Notice of Inquiry, the Federal Communications Commission is attempting to remedy its admittedly failed CableCard regime with a new "AllVid" device to promote a retail market for set-top boxes. In a new study released today entitled Wobbling Back to the Fire: Economic Efficiency and the Creation of a Retail Market for Set-Top Boxes, the Phoenix Center examines the economics of the set-top box market, and finds that the FCC's new AllVid proposal may do more harm than good.

Discuss "FCCs New AllVid Proposal Ignores Growing Internet Streaming Trend" here. Read the article.

 

[StuffOfInterest]

Stop believing the MVPD FUD

I'm highly suspicious of this "Phoenix Center" report. It sounds a little too much like MVPD trying to sow fear and doubt.

There is no conflict between AllVid and Internet streaming video. In fact, the two can play very nicely together.

The AllVid gateway (forget the "adapter" as it is a single TV solution) allows MVPDs to use any technology they want in their distribution infrastructure while standardizing an interface which consumer equpment can use to access this content. As the consumer side interface proposed is based on existing Internet standards the majority of Internet connected televisions out there have a big leg up on working with AllVid infrastructure. Streaming and AllVid are just two sources of content available to the end user device.

It gets better than this when you add a PC into the mix. When the AllVid standard is set it is a sure bet that there will be Media Center application created which will make a PC look like another AllVid gateway. This will allow the PC to repackage Internet streams with a front end interface and present it to every AllVid capable receiving device within one's home.

MVPDs are spreading as much fear and doubt as possible because they don't want to loose the end to end control of content. They would be far better served by working to make an effective AllVid standard instead of dragging their feet the whole time.

Anyone interested in the topic shouuld read the original FCC NoI and comments filed by various parties. There is a very clear difference in views between MVPDs and CE companies. You can read it all at the FCC website (can't post links yet). Do a search on "FCC proceeding 10-91" and you should be able to find it.

fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/proceeding/view?name=10-91