Broadband Definition in U.S. is Too Slow

February 18th, 2010 No Comments

I just read an article about the FCC’s new broadband competition map on GigaOm, where they say that it’s pretty much useless. I agree that the U.S. defines broadband as way too slow. According to old FCC rules, broadband is defined as under 200Kbps.

New rules say broadband is 768Kbps. Still pretty slow, and not enough to handle IPTV or even some HD Internet video sites.

Recently, Google announced that it was looking to supply 1Gbps broadband connections to communities that apply for assistance. This has spurred many to say that a) it’s too expensive and b) Google is trying to be a last mile provider.

I think if Google is trying to increase the bandwidth speeds in the U.S., it’s not a bad thing. Sure, current broadband providers might howl, but I think competition drives lower costs and faster speeds.

As I wrote last month, the U.S. has one of the slowest broadband speeds in the world.

The Broadband Stimulus program is trying to change this, but many programs have been focusing on under-served areas. Yes, there are some communities that will get higher speeds, but I think Fiber is the key to moving forward. Fiber really resonates with consumers, and provides Service Providers higher ARPUs and ROI.

Currently, only Verizon has gone full steam ahead on its Fiber strategy. AT&T is still using DSL, and doesn’t plan on switching to FTTX in the near-term.

The U.S. government needs to step up its commitment to providing super-fast last mile connections into the home, or be left behind by other countries.

Why IPTV? It’s About Interactivity

February 11th, 2010 No Comments

I’ve already discussed what is IPTV last year, so I wanted to follow-up with a series of articles on Why IPTV?

In other words,  why should anyone care about IPTV? Speaking about the why’s of IPTV also means talking about the many benefits of IPTV over technologies like Cable and Satellite TV.

Essentially, IPTV enables much more interactivity than other TV delivery methods, because it uses IP-based technology. That means that IPTV is more web-like which means that it can use some of the same technology, software and equipment for Internet video delivery or streaming. Interactivity via IP is what makes IPTV special. Now, it should be noted that we are just in the beginning stages of interactive TV applications. Providers like AT&T and Verizon are using IPTV in very cool ways.

Twitter on FiOS TV

For example, Verizon allows users to use Twitter on their TV screen via FiOS TV. It’s not the full Twitter experience, but subscribers can tweet about what show they are watching, or read messages from friends while watching TV. This is the start of Social TV–the fusing of social media and TV. It’s going to be big.

In Portugal, local telecom company Sonaecom has Wikipedia on its IPTV service. It calls the service Clixopedia, named after its service called Clix TV. Accedo Broadband, a provider of interactive services like video games, was the vendor for Sonaecom.

And these are just the tip of the iceberg. Other telcos around the world have enabled things like interactive ads, TV shopping, multi-screens TV, video games, remote DVR programming, TV widgets, and lots more. Cable and satellite providers don’t have the infrastructure and back-channel IP support to handle these features easily.

But as a whole IPTV service providers aren’t using interactive elements to their full advantage.  Primarily, that’s because these telcos are spending lots of time and money to roll-out these TV services, and aren’t putting much attention to adding new interactive features–yet.  Larger providers, like AT&T and Verizon are leading the way, especially with the addition of Twitter and Facebook.

So far, IPTV brings with it the promise of the future of interactive TV. Cable technology, like DOCSIS 3.0, Tru2Way and EBIF have been slow to come to market and don’t bring the richness that IPTV allows. The future, it seems, is with IP.

YouTube on Tivo Doesn’t Show Favorites

February 10th, 2010 No Comments

Ever since Tivo enabled the ability to watch YouTube videos on its DVRs, I’ve been a big fan. You can read an article I wrote for Technologizer last year, about my experiment where I tried to watch YouTube one evening rather than regular TV.

What I really like is being able to sing in on Tivo HD with my YouTube account, so I can watch my favorite videos, or my YouTube playlists.  Having YouTube on the biggest screen in the house is great. When people come over, I can call up YouTube and show them the latest hit viral video, rather than post it e-mailing them a link, or posting a link on Facebook.

Tivo's YouTube Feature Doesn't Work

However, I’ve been noticing a problem recently accessing my favorites. In the last few months “YouTivo” said that I had no favorites, which of course, I do. So, somehow there’s a problem in trying to access favorites, and playlists.

While troubleshooting this problem, with copius amounts of Google searching, I found that others had this problem too. Apparently, the issue is that sometimes videos are deleted or removed by YouTube, or have some other error where they aren’t playable anymore.

The only fix for this problem is to go through your YouTube favorites, and carefully look for any videos that now say “unavailable” and has red text with no link. In my case, I have over 400 favorites, so I have to look at each one individually to ensure that the link isn’t broken.

Once you switch back to YouTivo, your favorites should appear. This worked for me for a few months, but it stopped working recently.

Maybe I missed something, because I still can’t access my YouTube favorites on Tivo. I’ve re-booted the Tivo, signed off and signed on again, and done other things that might blame the Tivo itself. I’ve also used my laptop to go through my YouTube favorites a few times.

But I still can’t access them. So maybe there’s something else going on.

Has anyone else been having this problem? And if so, what did you do to fix it?

The iPad Ushering in the Cloud

February 2nd, 2010 No Comments

There were a lot of mixed reviews when Apple introduced its new iPad device. Some people liked it; others hated it. After initially believing that the iPad was nothing new, upon reflection I think that it will bring about a few things that will change computing and technology forever.

For starters, there are cloud-based services. Remember Apple’s acquisition of Lala? I think it’s fairly obvious, that Apple is going to be putting your music in the cloud in a future iTunes update.

All your media, anytime, anywhere.

For example, when you buy a song from iTunes, you’ll be able to download it to your device, but also access it over the Internet. So it won’t really matter if you have an iPhone or iPad with just 8 or 16GB of storage. You will be able to access all of your music over the Internet. And hopefully, even all your videos, photos, etc., through MobileMe.

All of your media, anytime, anywhere. That’s the promise of Internet-based services.

The second thing that will change is the availability of Internet-enabled Computers. Having Wi-Fi on a laptop is great, but it’s not the same as having 24/7 access to the Internet.

I learned this after visiting my parents in NYC two weeks ago. I had my iPhone and my MacBook Pro but my parents don’t have broadband Internet. So I had no Wi-Fi network and no Internet on my laptop. I was able to access the Internet via my iPhone, but my laptop felt pretty useless. I never realized how small my iPhone really was compared to my 15″ laptop.

In fact, I’ve found myself constantly searching for Wi-Fi hotspots, whereever I go. If I’m driving in a new neighborhood, I always look for cafes and wonder if they have free (or even low-cost) Wi-Fi. Looking for a Wi-Fi hotspot is a lot like looking for a phone booth. It’s inconvenient, hard to find, and you need to pay extra. Having 24/7 Internet on my iPhone is great, but I also want it on my laptop. Sure, it would be better if AT&T allowed me to tether my iPhone with my laptop, but having a built-in 3G connection is even better.

I’ve been pricing broadband USB cards for my laptop, and they generally are the same price no matter which provider you choose (Sprint or Verizon). In particular, I think the Mi-Fi device is the way to go, since it uses the wireless 3G signal and creates your own personal Wi-Fi zone for up to 5 devices. Prices for the Mi-Fi box is anywhere from free, to $99, while monthly service is about $60.

Conceivably, the price of computers may come down if they are subsidized by wireless carriers like AT&T and Verizon. Plus, paying for your laptop’s 3G service can be expensive, but I think prices will come down over time.

So, I think the iPad is beginning the trend of Internet-enabled computers. The iPad’s usefulness drop about 50% without an Internet connection. Same with any other laptop.

Apple Tablet Should Be TV Centric

January 27th, 2010 4 Comments

With today’s Apple tablet announcement it’s clear that content will be the big story. What is a new gadget without content? Just an empty shell.

Amazon’s Kindle launched with lots of content. And it appears that McGraw Hill’s books will be at least one book partner. Plus the rumors are that Barnes and Noble will be the e-book provide for Apple. This will renew the battle between Amazon and B&N. Books are making a comeback.

However if Jason Calacanis is to be believed, the Apple Tablet will come with an HDTV tuner and a PVR to program and record TV show.

This is a big deal and I hope it’s true. I believe video should be the real killer app for the Tablet. If Apple announces a TV subscription service today then it will come a long way to making it th best device since the iPhone.

Although there have been no credible leaks about a TV announcement it’s still a possibility. If not then it signals that Apple just couldn’t strike a deal with Hollywood the way it did with the music labels. Content owners have not hesitated to license their content to many providers so if they play delay tactics that could mean they want to retain more control.

If a TV subscription service is not announced today then I think it’s still possible that a deal can be made as an update at a future Apple announcement.

In the end, look at the tablet as a fourth screen in the home. It can be a way for families to share media since I don’t think the tablet will be like iPhones. They will be too big and too expensive to carry it around in your pocket. One per family seems reasonable until the price comes down.

One more thing: the Tablet will bring about changes to Internet connected computers since this will come with it’s own Internet service plan. With most laptops you’re stuck with WiFi or you have to buy a USB broadband device for an Internet connection. Having it built in, like an iPhone is crucial and the way all PCs should be sold in the future.

Family Ties Theme Song

January 26th, 2010 No Comments

This week’s Video of the Week.

Broadband Speeds Very Slow in U.S.

January 22nd, 2010 1 Comment

One of the biggest arguments that people have about watching TV over the Internet is bandwidth. Especially last mile connections. Everyone seems to think that there’s no way that we can watch HD programming over the Internet. “There’s too much buffering!” people say. Or they claim they can barely watch a YouTube video without pausing.

Well, these are arguments that worked about 10 years ago when I was working with streaming media. Today, AT&T and Verizon are delivering HD programming over a managed connection. AT&T is delivered over regular DSL lines. Verizon, of course, uses fiber, but they also are a hybrid service that still uses cable technology (QAM) to deliver live TV to subscribers. (Verizon’s VOD is IPTV based, however.)

Anyway, the reality is that last mile connections have improved dramatically since the early days. When I wrote my book on streaming media in 1998, there wasn’t much broadband at all. Dial-up was the norm. Think about it. 1998. That was pretty early. I understood the concerns then.

Today, consumers have a lot more bandwidth coming into the home. However, the U.S. is still very far behind other countries. An article from TeleCompetitor shows that the average broadband in the U.S. is 3.9 Mbps. The fastest average speed is from South Korea with 14.6 Mbps. (These numbers come from Akamai.)

Of course, Akamai only measures traffic over the open Internet. IPTV providers use closed, managed networks, so it’s hard to compare the two. Still, South Korea has a very high penetration of fiber broadband connections, which means they are ready for IPTV.

One live HD stream can be delivered in about 8 Mbps, while SD streams can be delivered in about 2 Mbps. I think MPEG-4 encoding can take it even lower, depending on encoding streams, so the last mile is critical.

The U.S. needs to catch up to the rest of the world when it comes to broadband speed. This news story from Ars Technica says that the U.S. ranks number 15 in the world for broadband speeds, and that was written in 2008. That’s too slow. Telcos and Cable providers need to work on improving this. Verizon is banking on its fiber deployments to carry it into the future. And cable companies are looking to DOCSIS 3.0 to carry broadband speeds faster.

However, fiber is still a long way off here in the U.S. Most consumers here get broadband via cable. But fiber really resonates with consumers. They understand what it means and what it can give them. But most consumers don’t even know how slow their broadband really is.

I’m Number 164!

January 20th, 2010 No Comments

I am happy to report that I’m number 164 of the top analysts on Twitter.

Thanks to Jonny Bentwood and his Technobabble analyst blog. He’s been doing some pretty good stuff, such as his Top Analyst Bloggers list that he started doing first.

I think getting to 164 is a pretty good achievement considering I really don’t market my reports or business on Twitter. (Well, just a few times.) I started blogging just as myself, but realized I enjoyed following the latest technology news and rumors on Twitter. So I started tweeting about IPTV and my day job.

Yet I didn’t stop writing about my personal life. Sometimes I write about the latest “24″ episode I’m watching, and other times I’ll be updating you on who’s suing who (*cough* Microsoft suing Tivo *cough*).

I haven’t been blogging much lately but I’ve discovered I need an outlet.

I’m a technology junkie. And I love to write. And talk about the latest tech news. So I plan to do a lot more blogging here in the future. Twitter has been my outlet for the last few months, but blogging is not dead.

Sometimes 140 characters is not enough.

But I don’t mind being 164.

Cord Cutters

January 20th, 2010 No Comments

PC World has an article today looking at the phenomenon of the “cord cutters” or those that want to drop their cable or satellite TV provider and just get their entertainment from Internet-based providers, like Hulu.

I think it’s an interesting look at all the different options available for getting rid of your IPTV, Cable or Satellite Provider. There’s Vudu, Hulu, Roku, Boxee, NetFlix, Amazon, iTunes, Sezmi and lots more. I just know lots of them have pretty weird names. Which gives you  lots of options, which is great.

I do know some people that cut the cord already, and don’t seem to miss their old life. Earlier today, Harry McCracken from Technologizer asked his readers whether he should dump his cable provider. He’s even thinking of hooking up a computer next to the TV to get some added functionality.

Sure cutting the cord is a great way to save money, but you give up a lot. First of all, there’s live TV, since the Internet is really great for catching up on episodes you missed. That means giving up watching live news and sports, primarily. However, if paired with over the air (OTA) HD signals, it doesn’t mean giving up much since you can receive all the major local stations in HD, while getting the rest of your content from Internet providers.

But I think the real thing that you give up is convenience. Getting all your content live (or even on-demand via DVR) delivered to the big screen in the living room is very convenient. And it works. If you get rid of your Service Provider then you have to go out and hustle for your programming. You have to buy DVDs, or go to your PC, or buy a new set top box, or do something else to get you out of the mood to watch TV. And take you out of your comfort zone. (Of course, after reading this article about watching too much TV, it may be good to cut back on TV time.)

Other than news and sports, it probably is possible to get a lot of the content you want, over the Internet for free or just a few dollars an episode from iTunes or Amazon. Or even streaming instantly from NetFlix, like your own virtual DVR in the sky. (I’ve been watching 30 Rock  Season 1 for the first time this week via NetFlix streaming on my Tivo.)

I guess what it really comes down to is that the Internet is great for on-demand content. TV is great for live.

I don’t plan on cutting the cord. In fact, I think the number of people actually doing it are low. I’ve heard that most Service Providers have seen customers drop some premium channels and services, but not too many outright cancellations. American consumers are cutting back, not cutting the cord–at least not in any big way.

Personal and Business

November 25th, 2009 No Comments

In some manner or another I’ve been blogging for about 10 years. In the last year, I’ve mostly used this website as a place for posting my mobile photos however I think it’s time for another change.

I’ll be using this blog to write about personal and business matters. It will essentially be a place where I post just about anything. I hope it’s not too annoying to mix some business with personal writing but as an independent web worker I find the two sides intersect often.

While many people believe that blogging isn’t very useful anymore, I think it’s important to have a place for longer form writings and ideas.

I’ve been using Twitter regularly for the last few months–also mixing personal and business matters. So I figured it’s OK to do so on this blog also. If you’ve been following me on Twitter you probably know this already.

Speaking of Twitter, if you’d like to follow me I’m @jalvear.

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