Supreme Court OKs DVR-In-The-Cloud Concept

Hollywood apparently tried to make a federal case about Cablevision launching a virtual DVR, a cable box with no local hard drive that still lets you "record" shows to watch later, and even fast forward through commercials. Hollywood studios got mad because they deemed it unfair re-broadcasting of content. The Supreme Court looked at the case and took a pass—by not hearing it, they are allowing Cablevision and others to proceed with development unhindered. I like the concept of a driveless DVR, but I don't like the cable company keeping my shows—stuff I've already recorded—under lock and key. [NY Times]

Google on How to Change the Internet: You Should Own Your Broadband Pipes

Google policy analyst Derek Slater—who's so obviously related to Christian Slater—explains how to reshape broadband in the US. Step one: Own the actual pipes that run to your house. More »

Verizon: 'We Could Offer 400Mbps, We Just Don't Feel Like It'

Verizon decided to respond to Cablevision's new limited 101Mbps service, and, well, it's a bit contradictory. More »

Suck It, Fiber: America's Fastest Internet 101Mbps Delivered by Cablevision

Holy. I knew the fruits of cable's fiber-fast DOCSIS 3.0 standard would be delicious, but this is incredible: Cablevision's going to sell the fastest internet in the US next month: 101 blazing megabits per second. More »

Cablevision Scamming People Into Getting Converter Box With Basic Service

A Consumerist reader looking to hook up basic service to a cable-ready TV was told by Cablevision that a converter box would be needed "no matter what." He was also accused of being "disrespectful." More »

FCC Fines Big Cable for Ditching TiVo Owners

Ars reports that the FCC has bitch slapped cable companies that adopted the new switched digital video (SDV) CableCard protocol because, as we discussed in the spring, it totally left TiVo owners hanging. Cable companies say they should be free to do whatever they want with hardware; the FCC says, well, you still need to support companies that bend over backward to adopt to your existing technologies. More »

Court Rejects Studios and Networks' Copyright Beef With Cloud-Storage DVRs

Waaay back in 2006, Cablevision planned to roll out a DVR which stored shows on Cablevision's servers rather than on hard disk inside your set-top box. As they are wont to do, the studios and networks saw an opportunity to suck more revenue out of the system, citing obscure copyright conditions which call for fees when content is "retransmitted" in any way. Now, a judge has smacked down their suit to block remote-storage DVRs, meaning DVRs in the cloud could see the light of day after all. More »

Cablevision Launching Wireless Broadband Network

I guess Cablevision was feeling a little left out after the WiMaxMegaZord became official with Comcast and Time on board, because they're planning to drop $350 million on a wireless broadband network for New York. It'll basically be a big Wi-Fi network initially (free for customers), though Cablevision says "ultimately it will be a mobile voice-capable network." Which is the real peg: a quadruple play option with bundled wireless (now just to compete w/ TWC and Comcast, let alone wireless companies). At least hopefully, since a $350 million glorified Wi-Fi network isn't gonna get 'em very far. [Yahoo!]

CableLabs Responds to CableCard Screwjob Allegation

The good folks at CableLabs replied to today's piece about CableCard customers getting screwed out of HD channels. To their credit, they did not ask for a correction, because we didn't print anything inaccurate (though they do claim the HD Guru may have). They just wanted us to consider some "clarifications," arguments that go far to highlight the tension (hatred bordering on violence?) that exists between Big Cable and the consumer-electronics companies. The short version: Cable content is always changing, two-way CableCard exists in theory if not at Best Buy, the dongle could work on anything with a USB port and upgradeable firmware, and, oh yeah, you'll probably be buying all-new gear before this thing blows over. Jump for a more spelled out—but still excerpted—version of CableLabs' rebuttal argument: More »

Cablevision's Crazy New VOD Scheme: Send You the DVD Too

Same-day movies on demand isn't a new offering from cable providers. But Cablevision's new setup is entirely different, and just a little weird. You pay 10 or 16 or 20 bucks (depending on freshness) to watch the flick the same day it hits DVD, and then Cablevision sends the DVD to you in the mail. WTF? More »

Cablevision Offers TiVo To Mexico City, But Not To Me

Fulfilling a promise they made last November, TiVo and Cablevision are rolling out the first-ever Spanish-language TiVo, for cable customers in Mexico City. Mexico city? Who does a news release based on Mexico City? If this doesn't demonstrate the bizarre relationship TiVo has with cable companies, I don't know what would. The TiVos will have SeasonPass, WishList and the typical DVR functions, but probably not TiVoToGo, remote scheduling or any of the connected stuff. I am happy that the people of Mexico City are finally getting TiVo, but as a Cablevision subscriber in the New York area (Cablevision's home turf), I am pretty pissed that all the carrier offers me is a POS Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD. More »

500 HD Channels on Cablevision? No More Programming Until CableCard Is Easy!

Reuters today said that Cablevision would have "the capability" to carry over 500 high-definition channels. This would include the 15 channels that Lazarus-like startup Voom HD Networks (now owned by Cablevision) plans to introduce next Tuesday, along with the 20-some HD channels that are allegedly in the lineup now plus, I suppose, 460 more channels of come what may. (Never mind the fact that Cablevision doesn't even carry BBC America, the company itself acknowledges there are not yet 500 channels worth of HD programming.) More »