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DVR Bulletin is Not Mine

June 24th, 2010 No Comments

Over a year ago, I decided to move all my blog content from DVR Bulletin here on alvear.com. I also let my domain registration lapse.

So I just noticed that someone has already registered DVRBulletin.com and is using it as a blog, or perhaps a splog. I’m not really sure what they are doing.

When I first started the DVR Bulletin a few years ago, I had just come off writing for a blog network about DVRs (it was called AllPVR.com). But eventually, I realized that DVRs are just one piece of the puzzle. DVRs are really about making TV on-demand. So is watching TV on the Internet. The term just sounded out of date and not relevant as a single topic for a blog.

In any event, if you link to any old DVR Bulletin stories, feel free to link here instead. You can look at the archives or just search here to find some older articles. I may even pull out some of the less time-sensitive articles and re-post them in the future.

Posted in Administration

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.

Posted in Administration

Tags: Apple

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.

Posted in Administration

Tags: Broadband, fiber, FTTH, IPTV

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.

Posted in Administration

Tags: Cable, cord cutting, IPTV

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.

Posted in Administration