Ed has been trying to get me to do this for ages, guess I procrastinate far to much. Is the rental for the card costly?
Guess I have always wanted to control this with Mac Mini’s, it would be my first choice. IF the FCC comes through with Unlocking then it should be a door Apple walks through. > On Apr 7, 2016, at 9:59 PM, Chris Denny <[email protected]> wrote: > > I guess what I don't understand is for those who are unhappy about the cost > of a DVR from cable provider, why not buy a TiVo and just rent the cable > card? I set my dad up with two of them so his cable bill isn't higher. > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Apr 7, 2016, at 8:09 PM, John Robinson <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > >> >> >> >> >> >> Today I received my TimeWarner bill, they have increased the DVR set top >> boxes by $4.23 cents, to a total of $34.48, $413.76 for the year or in the >> 10 years we have lived here to over $4,000.00…. >> >> Times are changing, I sent a note on 2/9/16 about the FCC’s “Unlock The >> Box”….it’s gaining legs and the two article below give hope. The second was >> published yesterday and at the bottom is a link for us to send our approval >> or disapproval. Wouldn’t you think it would be in our best interest for >> cost as well as preserving a program of importance? >> >> John >> >> >> FCC votes to fight cable's reign over set-top boxes >> And you could see lower monthly bills. >> >> 02-18-16 >> >> <464526214.jpg> >> >> >> Last month, reports surfaced that the FCC planned >> <http://www.engadget.com/2016/01/27/the-fcc-is-going-to-war-over-set-top-boxes/> >> to pry set-top boxes out of hands of cable and satellite companies. Today, >> the Commission passed the "Unlock the Box" plan >> <http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2016/db0127/DOC-337449A1.pdf> >> that would do just that. The proposal aims to introduce more competition >> when it comes to the boxes you rent from television providers. As it stands, >> you have to lease the equipment from a cable or satellite company for a >> monthly fee that's added to your bill. You have little choice in the matter, >> and those fees earn service providers millions of dollars a year. With the >> FCC plan, opening up cable boxes to third parties would not only lower >> costs, but make it easier for pay-TV subscribers to tap into internet >> programming like Netflix and Hulu. >> >> Under the new rules, cable companies would have to give third-party device >> makers, like TiVo, the information they'd need in order to build set-top >> boxes. This would not only provide alternatives to the hardware that >> television providers tack on, but it's meant to drive better software >> interfaces as well. Of course, with billions on the line for cable and >> satellite companies, this issue is far from being resolved. >> >> Before today's vote, Republican Commissioner Ajit Pai noted that instead of >> increasing competition, the FCC should be trying to kill the set-top box >> altogether. "Right now we are en route to eliminating the need for a set top >> box altogether and apps can turn the iPad or phone into a navigation >> device," Pai explained. "The commission should be encouraging those efforts. >> But this proposal would do the opposite." Bob Quinn, AT&T's SVP of Federal >> Regulatory, agrees with Pai, calling the FCC's move "a missed opportunity" >> and expressing concerns over companies like Google being privy to consumer >> viewing habits. Quinn explained: >> >> The focus of that proceeding could have been how to eliminate the set-top >> box while protecting content creators' incentives to develop interesting >> programming, building upon and growing the base of minority programming >> which exists today, and ensuring that what consumers watch on television >> remains none of Google's business. >> >> Quinn went on to explain that the Commission would need to set up a >> regulatory process to oversee the whole thing, which will take time and >> money. "As an added bonus, the FCC will have to establish an enormous >> regulatory infrastructure to create and oversee this new technology mandate >> that involves the creation of new technology standards and standards >> bodies," he said. >> >> The AT&T SVP argues that the policy will stifle the very innovation it seeks >> to encourage. >> >> By "unlocking" the set-top box, the FCC also wants make it easier for >> independent and diverse content providers to reach their audience. In other >> words, the Commission wants to boost minority programming. "We hope that the >> two proceedings launched by the FCC today will ultimately result in better >> representation in the media for people of color and that representation >> matters," said Alex Nogales, president and CEO of the National Hispanic >> Media Coalition. >> >> >> >> >> <logo_full.png> <https://www.eff.org/> >> ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION <https://www.eff.org/> >> DEFENDING YOUR RIGHTS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD >> >> >> APRIL 6, 2016 | BY CORY DOCTOROW AND MITCH STOLTZ >> <https://www.eff.org/about/staff/mitch-stoltz> >> >> The FCC's Plan To Unlock Your Set-Top Box Is About Competition, Not Copyright >> >> The Federal Communications Commission is trying to open up the closed world >> of TV set-top boxes, with the goal of finally killing that dust-gathering, >> power-sucking box altogether. They’ve proposed a new rule known as “Unlock >> the Box <https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-337795A1.pdf>” >> that allows devices and apps from any manufacturer to connect with your home >> cable or satellite TV feeds. We think the FCC’s effort has the potential to >> unlock new competition, delivering cost savings and innovation. >> >> Imagine being able to search for shows and movies available on your cable or >> satellite TV service, online services like Netflix and Amazon, and even >> over-the-air broadcasts, all with the same search-box. Imagine being able to >> change and customize your cable's janky interface as much as you do with >> PCs, smartphones, and browsers, and to add new features from any source. Oh, >> and imagine not having to pay $231 a year to rent a set-top box that's >> really just a three-generations-stale PC in an ugly case. The FCC’s “Unlock >> the Box” proposal >> <https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-16-18A1.pdf> might >> achieve all this, if we nudge the agency to do it right. >> >> The set-top box is a frozen artifact of a bygone age whose features have >> been caught in a time-warp of innovation-through-permission. For the past 20 >> years, everyone who's had a cool idea for making the pay-TV experience >> better was sent packing. If the FCC's order comes through, they'll deliver. >> This isn’t about control over copying, but control over the entire >> experience of TV watching, from the studio to your eyeballs, and over search >> and discovery as well as viewing. Open competition could bring many more >> options, like new TV interfaces that present recommendations from various >> critics and tastemakers, or from your friends. New video devices could take >> you straight to those shows and movies in one step, no matter which of your >> pay-TV or Internet video services they appear on. This could be a boon for >> niche and non-mainstream programs of all kinds. >> >> So, when you hear from opponents that Unlock the Box rules will violate >> copyright, ask them: do you mean copyright, or the made-up right to tell >> people how they're allowed to watch? >> >> And consider sending a comment <http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/upload/display> to >> the FCC asking them to pass the Unlock the Box rules, before April 22. >> (Enter "15-64" in the box labeled "Proceeding Number"). >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> MacGroup mailing list >> Posting address: [email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]> >> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/>> >> Answers to questions: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup/ >> <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup/>> > _______________________________________________ > MacGroup mailing list > Posting address: [email protected] > Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/> > Answers to questions: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup/>
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