To DT_DC: Could you help?

[TiVoPhish]

You seems to have a great amount of knowledge on a lot of the technologies that all play with each other recarding HD, Analog, Digital, mpeg 4, multistream, bidirectional support etc... and you have a good way of describing things, so I wanted to ask you some questions that I know I'd benefit from... and maybe some others :)

Feel free to correct me or expand on any point.

Dish Network starts rolling out mpeg4 on February 1st. I think DirecTV has already started. The way I understand it is that mpeg4 will eventually replace mpeg2 for both SD and HD signals.

From what I know, one of the goals of mpeg4 is to reduce bandwidth requirements... but also from what I know, some current DVRs and equipment aren't compatible. DirecTivo will not be compatible.

If I had a Series 2 hooked up to my new mpeg4 compatible Dish Network box, would I be able to see mpeg4 content and/or record it? I know Series 2 isn't HD compatible, but what about mpeg4 SD compatible? If I had to guess, I'd say "No", but I'm really not sure. (My guess would be based on current CODECs in the Series 2).

Originally I thought maybe the answer is "Yes" because if it's just coming in as a video signal, what prevents Series 2 from seeing it... but the TiVo is actually always slightly buffering and ready to record at the touch of the pause button... so that made me lean towards no.

Whatever the answer, can you explain why?

Okay, so moving on to the Series 3. I did read that it would be able to play mpeg4. Would it also be able to record it? I ask because some of the things I read weren't clear, and it could just be a matter of how the articles were worded. If I had to guess, I'd say "Yes" (the codecs will be in place) -- Considering the big move to mpeg4 I figure TiVo planned well :) -- but clarify that if you will.

And onto CC 2.0...

Multistream format is what allows one line coming into you box, but the ability for the box to split the signal. In other words, it allows one cablecard to support two (or more) tuners.

Bidirectional data allows incoming and outgoing information, as required by something like PPV. HBO though, is only one way (incoming) and is unidirectional.

The Cablecard 2.0 spec provides for decryption of the incoming signal to the box/TV, but it is up to the BOX to decode the stream (like mpeg4) through it's own codecs.


Now this is where I think I get lost (or more lost if I've been way wrong in anything above)...

Multistream is supported by cablecard 2.0 spec.

Bi-Directional data flow is supported by the cablecard 2.0 spec BUT the host box must also be able to understand and interact with the incoming data -- and a standard hasn't been agreed upon yet for the format of that incoming data.


Do I have all that right? There's a lot of conflicting information around about mpeg4 and more so about CC2.0, so I kinda hope you'd help out with some clarification. I feel as though I'm on the right track and understand the basics, but I wanted to be sure.

Thanks!

[chain777]

I'll chime in on number one, hope you don't mind. ;)

The compression technology used by your satellite provider doesn't mean anything to your series2 Tivo. It doesn't record the raw digital stream. It records an analog signal coming from your satellite boxes S-video or composite output.

As to the bandwidth savings, yes it saves bandwidth. Unfortunately the excess usually ends up going to cramming in more useless channels instead of improving picture quality. :rolleyes:

[gastrof]

Yeah, Phish.

Even I know that if your TV can make use of what's coming out of your Direct box, your TiVo would be able to.

Remember, the stand alone TiVo would be getting the video (and audio) from the A/V lines (most likely). Those lines have to work with "old style" TV equipment, and so will do it for either a TeeVEE or a TeeVoe. (I just know someone's gonna chew me out for spelling TiVo that way. :) )

[Stanley Rohner]

Unfortunately the excess usually ends up going to cramming in more useless channels instead of improving picture quality. :rolleyes:

I hate to be a thread stealer, but since you mentioned picture quality......
I was watching STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION on the G4 channel last night. I don't know if it was just me, but the quality really sucked. It was so bad that as someone walked around in a scene quickly it would pixelate a little. I ended up changing to another channel and watching something else.

I'll answer this question in advance - It had nothing to do with the TiVo recording quality setting.

[Justin Thyme]

It is like the following photo transfer process: 8MegPixel photoshop file (satellite digital signal- mpeg2, mpeg4- whatever)
having a 5x7 printed (satelite box output via analog connectors- rca or svideo cable)
Photographing with a macro lens in low light. (real time conversion of analog back into Tivo's format- mpeg2).


Just because the 5x7 came from a Tiff or a PICT, or a Photoshop file has no bearing on what the Tivo's internal format uses.

Up until DirecTivo and later, Cablecard, all non-carrier provided DVRs recorded shows this way.

Cablecard and carrier provided DVRs are analogously like transmiting the original 8 megapixel file to the user's box. Because of this, the box must use the same formats that the Carrier is sending.

Obviously, this method is vastly superior to taking picture of a photo in motion. If you look at any Tivo image closely- especially washes of color, you will see all sorts of artifacts. The reason why is that you are doing the redigitizing in less than ideal conditions (taking a photo of a photo, rather than a flatbed scan of it with a full spectrum light at slow speed and highest res). These effects are not as noticable on a smaller CRT Televsion because they tend to soften the effects. But on a digital screen, the degradation is obvious to anyone with any visual acuity.

To anyone who has dealt with photography, obviously the best way is to just get a copy of the original file- then there is no degradation.

But's its not like the third party vendors had that option because the carriers refused access to their networks in the same way that Ma Bell refused to allow anyone to plug any non MaBell phone into the wall. The phone company had a variety of concerns that they exagerated, but it the end the government forced them to open their network.

Third party vendors really want to skip the redigitizing so they can record the original file but carriers protested that they could not let third party machines connect to their network and make such direct copies. In 1996, Congress said the carriers had too allows such access. The FCC was allowed to tell the satellite companies didn't have to comply "for now", but the "for now" has stretched to one decade. The cable companies have taken nearly a decade to design and create a half solution which is the current cablecard support.

If you live in Canada your cable company won't allow you to use a cablecard device.

[TiVoPhish]

The compression technology used by your satellite provider doesn't mean anything to your series2 Tivo. It doesn't record the raw digital stream. It records an analog signal coming from your satellite boxes S-video or composite output.

Makes total sense to me.

I think part of my confusion came from a conversation I had recently with someone who insisted TiVo couldn't record Pay-Per-View shows (which I've never given any thought to). I couldn't understand how that was possible if it's just connected through composite cables sending an analog signal. I kept telling him he was wrong.

BUT, then hooking up my S2 to cable recently, Series 2 is capable of acting as a cable box. I have it hooked up to one of my TVs as one right now... and it DOES NOT pick up/receive any of the digital channels at all. It only receive analog channels.

Is it more correct to say a Series 2 will no longer work as a fully functional cable box (will not receive digital channel signal directly), but if you hook it up via S-video or composite through a cable or satelite box it'll be just fine?

(ps. my fault for focusing too much on satellite and less on mpeg4 in the question -- I should have included a cable example as well.)

It's can't receive the mpeg4 streams directly (like through an RF connection), but it just sees it as analog when hooked up that way -- that makes sense to me.

Of course, we could vere totally off topic about the DRM TiVo could implement in future software -- but that's nothing to do with the ability to see the signal as much as the boxes willingness to cooperate ;)

As to the bandwidth savings, yes it saves bandwidth. Unfortunately the excess usually ends up going to cramming in more useless channels instead of improving picture quality. :rolleyes:

Yeah, it's was the first thing I notice after switching away from Dish... the amount of compression on some the channels is unbearable.

[dt_dc]

If I had a Series 2 hooked up to my new mpeg4 compatible Dish Network box, would I be able to see mpeg4 content and/or record it?
(...)
Is it more correct to say a Series 2 will no longer work as a fully functional cable box (will not receive digital channel signal directly), but if you hook it up via S-video or composite through a cable or satelite box it'll be just fine?

(ps. my fault for focusing too much on satellite and less on mpeg4 in the question -- I should have included a cable example as well.)

It's can't receive the mpeg4 streams directly (like through an RF connection), but it just sees it as analog when hooked up that way -- that makes sense to me.Yes ... you're getting the idea here (the other responses to this are also all on-target).

When a Series 2 Tivo is hooked up to a Dish STB (or DirecTV STB or cable STB) ... it's hooked up via the analog SVideo (or composite) connections. SVideo and composite are ... SVideo and composite. It really doesn't matter if the signal gets to the STB as MPEG2 or MPEG4 (or QAM or QPSK or 8PSK or 8VSB or whatever). The box outputs an analog video signal via SVideo or composite ... and a Tivo Series 2 can record it.

Easy as that. The key here is that these boxes provide a (standard) analog video output. Tivo can record that output.

Allowing for recording from those analog connections (and controlling those boxes) gave Tivo a very nice "universal" solution they could use with alot of different platforms ... DirecTV, Dish, digital cable, whatever ... you could use a Tivo with any of them ...

As far as hooking a Series 2 Tivo directly up to cable via the coax coming out from the wall ...

Yes, when you do that the Tivo can tune, recieve, and record all the analog channels your cable company sends out. Analog cable channels and the analog over-the-air channels use (basically) the exact same RF signals (NTSC). So, by providing an RF connection (coax) that could tune and record NTSC channels ... Tivo came up a solution that could be used with analog cable OR over-the-air analog channels (without a seperate box).

A Series 2 Tivo can not tune any digital cable channels (QAM) directly (without a box) ... or order PPV ... or order VOD ... or any of those other functions of a cable box. Without a cable STB ... it can only tune and record the analog channels.

Although, as noted above ... if you want to record digital channels (or even PPV and other content) ... you can get a cable box and connect it via SVideo or composite and record that analog output from the cable box.Okay, so moving on to the Series 3. I did read that it would be able to play mpeg4. Would it also be able to record it?Well ... that would be up to Tivo. :) Seriously though:
1) I wouldn't try reading too much into the S3 stuff
2) I'm not sure what you're askingAnd onto CC 2.0...

Multistream format is what allows one line coming into you box, but the ability for the box to split the signal. In other words, it allows one cablecard to support two (or more) tuners.

Bidirectional data allows incoming and outgoing information, as required by something like PPV. HBO though, is only one way (incoming) and is unidirectional.

The Cablecard 2.0 spec provides for decryption of the incoming signal to the box/TV, but it is up to the BOX to decode the stream (like mpeg4) through it's own codecs.

Now this is where I think I get lost (or more lost if I've been way wrong in anything above)...

Multistream is supported by cablecard 2.0 spec.

Bi-Directional data flow is supported by the cablecard 2.0 spec BUT the host box must also be able to understand and interact with the incoming data -- and a standard hasn't been agreed upon yet for the format of that incoming data.

Do I have all that right?I would call that reasonably close to correct (I'd quibble with a couple of the terms but the general idea is correct).

[lajohn27]

Let me ask this question..

When I hook my Motorola DCT-6408 firewire up to my PC, I can record a MPEG2 Transport Stream (.ts) file .. so that does that mean all the QAM tuned channels on my cable box are being encoded in MPEG2 for digital transmission?

And if so.. is it likely that cableco's will switch from an MPEG2 stream, to an MPEG4 stream...

And if THAT's likely.. it shouldn't matter, because the S3 in theory can play either?

[ZeoTiVo]

The TiVo Series 3 as reported on at CES, So this is not a final official thing, will record in mpeg2 only through the tuners. I saw no report of it being able to record Mpeg4. Now we do not know yet what hardware is inside the TiVo so we can not comment on what it may be capable of.
The signal comes in via cable, antenna or cable card
if the signal is Analog
- that signal is sent to the correct tuner that can understand the signal
- the tuner gets the correct "channel" as given to it by the guide data and record request
- the "channel" from the tuner is passed to hardware that encodes that signal into a fornmat that is digitally written to a hard drive
(mpeg2) that encoder hardware has the "codec" that knows how to write mpeg2, if the hardware is also capable of mpeg4 then it can write that as well but it typically takes more time/processing to do mpeg4 so is not done to allow more resources for playback of recordings or whatever else is needed with less powerful and thus less costly hardware, but we do not know what hardware is inside the series 3 yet so we have no idea about its capabilities.

again TiVo said the series 3 will record everything as mpeg2, but that is not the final official released spec. I see no reason they would hold back mentioning such a feature as recording in mpeg4 though.

now for a digital signal I am not sure if the TiVo is going to do any conversion of it to some TiVo standard format or just write it to the hard drive. The digital signal is a professionally highly compressed mpeg2 or mpeg4 format so it could be written directly. Again no official specs or knowledge of hardware inside the series 3 yet.


for playback there is hardware** with the "codecs" that will decode the digital file written on the hard drive into the proper signal given the output being used by the TiVo. The unofficial specs call for mpeg2, mpeg4 and some others related to mpeg4 I forget right off but equally important for playing back downloaded content.

so mpeg4 playback is imortant for playback of downloaded content without having to convert it and for archiving. I am very likely to get a series 3, stay on analog cable and for shows I have archived off to a harddrive store them as mpeg 4 which can be 1/2 to 1/10 the size of mpeg2 I currently have them in.

** the hardware for the encoder and decoder is typically the same piece of hardware

[ZeoTiVo]

now for the satellite DVRs they also need the hardware to decode mpeg2/4 but it is solely for inside the box to send the proper "signal" depending on the output.

if it is composite or S-video it will be an SD output and anything capable of understanding that SD output will have the corresponding composite or s-video input. There is a small enough amount of data in SD that on the fly a series 2 can recieve that "channel" and send it to the encoder that will write it as mpeg2 on the TiVo hard drive.

ignoring security of HD signals for now
if it is a HDMI output from the Satellite box or cable box then it is HD and has 10 times the data of the SD stuff. For a TV there is little to do with that "signal" but display it on the screen and the viewer enjoys the 10 times the detail goodness.

for a Digital Video recorder it will have to take that HD "signal" and send it to the hardware encoder so it can transform to the format used by the recorder and write it to the hard drive. the 10 times the data would overwhelm the current hardware encoder in ANY digital recorder in a consumer product.

so getting a final full HD "signal" from anywhere is out for consumer products unless they want to spend thousands of dollars on encoder hardware that can handle the massive amount of data - also it means a lot more data on the hard drive and dramtically smaller record times.

what consumer HD recorders do is get the professionally compressed already digital signal (either in mpeg2 or mpeg4) from the broadcaster and write that directly to the hard drive without having to do any encoding of any sort.
for playback the recorded digital file (either in mpeg2 or mpeg4) is sent to the decoder that will decode it to SD or HD depending on the output to be used.

this is why TiVo has had a hard time putting an HD recorder on the market. Without something that will decrypt the direct digital signal and send that digital signal to the hard drive directly there is just no way to do it.

for cable there is now cable card (either single stream or multistream) that will do this inside the TiVo as it needs to be. It has the added benefit of being able to directly control the card to "change" to the channel needed via the tuner. No wires outside the box and the time that takes and all the remote commands to gather and troubleshoot on timing etc.. Since this is made possible by the cable card, TiVo inc. made the decision to not include SD inputs like s-video or composite and make it a nice DVR for cable and reduce the cost and complexity by whatever amount the inputs and outside wires and all that remote command data would add otherwise.

this decision makes sense to me in part because if they added the inputs you would not record anything better than SD on a series 2 anyway which already has the codebase to work with the outside wires to change the channel on the external tuner of the satellite receiver. So for satellite you are stuck in the series 2 world unless the satellite broadcaster will make available in some agreed upon way the decrypted direct digital signal.

[Justin Thyme]

Since the only analog to record in the S3 is Analog Cable, mpeg2 is probably just fine. Is the S3 the successor to the S2? I don't think so. An S2 would have dual encoders and be able to do HD content.

The first set of HD video Camcorders settled on the mpeg2, so maybe that's the sweet spot between PQ (mpeg4 is harder to do in realtime), cost of hardware encoders and storage cost.

But the $799 Sanyo HDTV Palm Camcorder records 20 minutes on 1 gigabyte, so 1 hour in just 3 gigs? Heck- that is definately an mpeg4 in there. But maybe they gave up a lot of PQ. If the Sanyo is an indication that cheap mpeg4 hidef encoders are here, but I suspect you could give up PQ. If that is the case, they could offer best quality recording in Mpeg2, and Good in mpeg4.

My wild ass guess is that the next generation analog Tivo will use the BCM7401 (http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-15-2005/0004088160&EDATE=). If this chip has the hardware grunt to do Mpeg4 encoding of HD.

[dt_dc]

If this chip has the hardware grunt to do Mpeg4 encoding of HD.Ever hopefull eh?

Anyway, no.

http://www.broadcom.com/collateral/pb/7401-PB01-R.pdf

Edit: Original 'poorly worded' ... err, or just plain wrong
The BCM7401 can only encode SD (NTSC or PAL). No HD encoding ...

Fix: As noted below by Dennis ... the chip in question is a decoder. No compression of any kind. It can do HD DAC (for analog HD output).

[lajohn27]

Following that link it says..

"HD analog video encoder with simultaneous SD outputs..
- NTSC etc etc
- 480i/480p/576i/576p/720p/1080i output formats..
- component RGB or YPrPb Output
- HDMI 1.1 bla bla"

Umm.. isn't that HD encoding.. ?

[Dennis Wilkinson]

Following that link it says..

"HD analog video encoder with simultaneous SD outputs..
- NTSC etc etc
- 480i/480p/576i/576p/720p/1080i output formats..
- component RGB or YPrPb Output
- HDMI 1.1 bla bla"

Umm.. isn't that HD encoding.. ?

Nope. You'll note that nowhere does it say "MPEG encoder" under the encoder heading. That part is a DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) that takes uncompressed HD digital input and creates simultaneous SD and HD analog outputs in a number of different formats.

[TiVoPhish]

Yes ... you're getting the idea here (the other responses to this are also all on-target).

When a Series 2 Tivo is hooked up to a Dish STB (or DirecTV STB or cable STB) ... it's hooked up via the analog SVideo (or composite) connections. SVideo and composite are ... SVideo and composite. It really doesn't matter if the signal gets to the STB as MPEG2 or MPEG4 (or QAM or QPSK or 8PSK or 8VSB or whatever). The box outputs an analog video signal via SVideo or composite ... and a Tivo Series 2 can record it.

Easy as that. The key here is that these boxes provide a (standard) analog video output. Tivo can record that output.

If cable companies stopped producing/providing STBs with analog outputs, it would be completely accurate to say that my Series 2 would no longer be "compatible" with digital content from Cable or Satellite (without maybe converter boxes)... correct?

Allowing for recording from those analog connections (and controlling those boxes) gave Tivo a very nice "universal" solution they could use with alot of different platforms ... DirecTV, Dish, digital cable, whatever ... you could use a Tivo with any of them ...

Agreed :)
Now the new Series 3 provides no analog inputs (or I should say the one shown at CES didn't). So it would be completely true to say that it will only be compatible via Cablecard and not at all with Satellite (which I already knew, just not exactly why).

I would IMAGINE that cable companies (at least) will provide boxes with analog output for at least a while.
Any thoughts on that?

Yes, when you do that the Tivo can tune, recieve, and record all the analog channels your cable company sends out. Analog cable channels and the analog over-the-air channels use (basically) the exact same RF signals (NTSC). (...)
A Series 2 Tivo can not tune any digital cable channels (QAM) directly (without a box) ... or order PPV ... or order VOD ... or any of those other functions of a cable box. Without a cable STB ... it can only tune and record the analog channels.

And it's still up in the air whether Series 3 will be able to interact with PPV and VOD. If it were released today, it would not be able to. Correct?

Although, as noted above ... if you want to record digital channels (or even PPV and other content) ... you can get a cable box and connect it via SVideo or composite and record that analog output from the cable box.

Yes, assuming the cable box provides the S-Video or Composite outputs (which yes, they do at this point). Is it required they continue to do so? It is likely they will (I think so, at least for a little while).

1) I wouldn't try reading too much into the S3 stuff
2) I'm not sure what you're asking

Regarding Series 3 and mpeg4 -- I think Zeo (thanks Zeo!) went on after you to help me really put the pieces together. Tell me if you agree...

The signal coming in is decoded and can be played back on the Series 3, whether it's mpeg2 or mpeg4, because it has the codecs in place to decode both types of content.

But it will only record to it's own hard drive in mpeg2.

I think that is where the information I read confused me. When I read it could "play back mpeg 4" (without any further clarification) I took that to mean it cannot record mpeg4. It can... but it is already converted to mpeg2 by the time you're viewing it through your Series 3. It cannot records IN mpeg4.


I would call that reasonably close to correct (I'd quibble with a couple of the terms but the general idea is correct).

Thanks for the confirmation -- with all the info flying around about it (and a lot of it mixing up the terms), I'm glad to know I understand the basics.

[petew]

If cable companies stopped producing/providing STBs with analog outputs, it would be completely accurate to say that my Series 2 would no longer be "compatible" with digital content from Cable or Satellite (without maybe converter boxes)... correct?


As would all but the latest HD TV's. The Cable Co's may stop transmitting Analog signals over the wire, making direct connection of an analog TV impossible. But it's going to be a long long time before they stop providing STB's with Analog outputs. Essentialy the new converter box that will be required in 2009 is a STB for OTA channels.





The signal coming in is decoded and can be played back on the Series 3, whether it's mpeg2 or mpeg4, because it has the codecs in place to decode both types of content.

But it will only record to it's own hard drive in mpeg2.


No.

Incoming digital contents will most likely be saved as is with no conversion. It's already in MPEG2 or 4 and can just be written to disk. It will be decoded on output. Incoming analog signals will most probably be recorded in MPEG2 in the same format as today.

[petew]

One further thought. While a Bi-Directional cable card would be required for PPV and VOD. Digitial copy protection would most likely prevent recording of such material anyway, so having the functionality is probably a waste of space.

[ZeoTiVo]

Regarding Series 3 and mpeg4 -- I think Zeo (thanks Zeo!) went on after you to help me really put the pieces together. Tell me if you agree... your welcome. Sorry I was so abrupt in the rant thread.
However I have to disagree somewhat with the following ;)
The signal coming in is decoded and can be played back on the Series 3, whether it's mpeg2 or mpeg4, because it has the codecs in place to decode both types of content.

But it will only record to it's own hard drive in mpeg2.

I think that is where the information I read confused me. When I read it could "play back mpeg 4" (without any further clarification) I took that to mean it cannot record mpeg4. It can... but it is already converted to mpeg2 by the time you're viewing it through your Series 3. It cannot records IN mpeg4.

the analog signal coming in on the cable or antenna is not in any type of mpeg format and always needs to be encoded to put on the drive. TiVo is using mpeg2 for all of this as far as reports by Megazone and others from CES have shown.

if the cable card is being used for digital cable - that signal is the highly compressed mpeg2 or could be mpeg4. I do not know what cable companies use, I assume it is all mpeg2 right now, and so the mpeg2 is written direct to the hard drive.

the part I nor others that have not seen inside the box can say
is if the TiVo can put a digital mpeg4 signal from a cable company direct on the hard drive and play it back or if they can convert the mpeg4 to mpeg2 and put it on the drive. We just do not know anything about this part yet, but technically it could be in there.
The mpeg4 is definitely there for playback anyway but I saw that as more there for internet downloads of content and perhaps the HD that Netflix wants to do with downloading movies to a box for playback.

[TiVoPhish]

As would all but the latest HD TV's. The Cable Co's may stop transmitting Analog signals over the wire, making direct connection of an analog TV impossible. But it's going to be a long long time before they stop providing STB's with Analog outputs. Essentialy the new converter box that will be required in 2009 is a STB for OTA channels.

But with the CC2.0 spec, lots of equipment could have a Cablecard. Trust me, I'm not making the argument that they WILL stop providing analog outputs anytime soon... just for what will happen if/when they do.

No.

Incoming digital contents will most likely be saved as is with no conversion. It's already in MPEG2 or 4 and can just be written to disk. It will be decoded on output. Incoming analog signals will most probably be recorded in MPEG2 in the same format as today.

Hmmm... that's not how I understand it. Incoming digital content is already in mpeg2 or 4 and the host it goes to needs to have the codecs in place to play it. This is why the DirecTivo will not be compatible when DirecTV starts rolling out mpeg4.

What it records IN is mpeg2 (or at least that is what's we know so far). So the recordings on the TiVo harddrive with NOT be mpeg4, but mpeg2.

One further thought. While a Bi-Directional cable card would be required for PPV and VOD. Digitial copy protection would most likely prevent recording of such material anyway, so having the functionality is probably a waste of space.

Not necessarily true at all. We have several on-demand channels that provide "different" types of content, of which it's possible they are not copy protected (I do not know either way). For example, we get one called Anime On-Demand. I completely hear you on PPV or HBO-On-Demand, but it's possible not everything OD would require it.

If/As more and more channels offer the OD option, a box like TiVo Series 3 would need to address bidirectional data implementation. Now you could make the argument that if it's on-demand, why do you need to record it? Well what if you want to archive it for your own use, or transfer to a laptop or portable device to watch on-the-go?


the analog signal coming in on the cable or antenna is not in any type of mpeg format and always needs to be encoded to put on the drive. TiVo is using mpeg2 for all of this as far as reports by Megazone and others from CES have shown.

Yes, I know analog isn't in any type of mpeg format and that it is encoded TO mpeg2 when recorded on TiVo...

if the cable card is being used for digital cable - that signal is the highly compressed mpeg2 or could be mpeg4. I do not know what cable companies use, I assume it is all mpeg2 right now, and so the mpeg2 is written direct to the hard drive.

Follow you... understand that already and agree... but let me add that mpeg4 is coming (and I think already being used) by both cable and satelite. I could be wrong about the "already being used" part, because I'm shakey on that info... but I am sure it's coming.

the part I nor others that have not seen inside the box can say
is if the TiVo can put a digital mpeg4 signal from a cable company direct on the hard drive and play it back or if they can convert the mpeg4 to mpeg2 and put it on the drive. We just do not know anything about this part yet, but technically it could be in there.

And that's where we veer off a bit from agreeing. The way I understand it is that mpeg2 can be played and recorded, and so can mpeg4... but the mpeg4 will be decoded (as received/at playback) and encoded (at recording) as mpeg2 and that is how it will be recorded. So the files on your TiVo will be mpeg2.

Totally possible (and that's the unknown) that it will have the capability to directly record the mpeg4 that's already been decoded... but all the speculation has only included the ability to record IN mpeg2.

The mpeg4 is definitely there for playback anyway but I saw that as more there for internet downloads of content and perhaps the HD that Netflix wants to do with downloading movies to a box for playback.

Mpeg4 is being used/going to be used by Cable and Satellite to open up bandwidth to allow more channels.

[petew]

Digital contents is a very loing stream of bits. Tivo can save those bits to disk whatever format they are in. However in order to display those bits as meaningful Video and Audio it needs a matching Codec.

No one know for certain how the Series 3 works, but it make no sense to me for Tivo to peform conversion on the MPEG4 unless it has to. It's unecessary overhead and could introduce a loss of quality. While playback of the original data is guaranteed to reproduce exactly what was transmitted.

[ZeoTiVo]

Digital contents is a very loing stream of bits. Tivo can save those bits to disk whatever format they are in. However in order to display those bits as meaningful Video and Audio it needs a matching Codec.

No one know for certain how the Series 3 works, but it make no sense to me for Tivo to peform conversion on the MPEG4 unless it has to. It's unecessary overhead and could introduce a loss of quality. While playback of the original data is guaranteed to reproduce exactly what was transmitted.


that is what I was trying to say as well and agree. To convert mpeg4 to mpeg2 takes processor time and you are changing what is received but not really adding any resolution or quality to it and could well make it look worse. There is no REASON for TiVo to convert a digital stream of mpeg4 to mpeg2 as it can play back an mpeg4 file anyway which takes up less room on the TiVo.

edit - now that I write this though - perhaps a reason is if the stream is SD resolution and TiVo writes it on the hard drive as TiVos mpeg2 format then it can MRV the stuff to a series 2 for the sries 2 to play it. Hmmm.....

I chose not to use the word digital stream in the posts above because I just wanted to use the generic term signal to speak of everything the same - but the digital cable will be streaming bits in an mpeg2 or mpeg4 format. Since mpeg4 can be played back it makes the most sense for TiVo to just take the mpeg stream of bits and put them on the drive. Still we do not know what TiVo is doing or what kind of hardware and what it is capable of is in there.

[Justin Thyme]

Nope. You'll note that nowhere does it say "MPEG encoder" under the encoder heading. That part is a DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) that takes uncompressed HD digital input and creates simultaneous SD and HD analog outputs in a number of different formats.
I stand corrected, and as someone else remarked- maybe I should just keep standing for the next few days EG the one today that the moto box software that MS did was an OCAP thing [in JAVA? Yeah right.]

Anyhow- yeah, "HD Encoding" as in, downresing HD and "Encoding" into NTSC or Encoding from digital into PAL. I forgot about this usage which is pretty common when outputting HD signals to analog displays. My bad- I should have studied broadcom's easily available datasheet myself to verify. It sounded too good to be true- sorry for not reading past the marketting level description.

Anyhow- Sanyo seems to have an inexpensive HD encoder chip- they are using something in the Sanyo Xacti HD1 (720P@30fps) camcorder ($799).

Have no idea which one they used, but this capability has been around a while, eg NTT/ Tensilica's HDTV MPeg2 encoder on a chip (http://www.tensilica.com/pdf/NTT_success_story.pdf)

Sure maybe Tivo wouldn't touch the HDTV analog conversion issue with a ten foot pole, but if Tivo generalizes support for USB peripheral devices that produce mpeg2 and mpeg4 streams, maybe such a thing would not be that unlikely.

[TiVoPhish]

Let's assume for a second it's licensing fees for mpeg4 that are the problem -- and I'm only guessing here.

Read this link and you see the type of wording that is a little confusing (started my inital confusion)

http://www.pvrblog.com/pvr/2006/01/hd_tivo_series_.html
"Other improvements include an SATA hard drive connection to add external storage, a display on the front that shows what's recording and a backlit remote. While it will still record in MPEG-2, the Series 3 will also be able to play back MPEG-4 video."

If this person is correct, as I understand what he's saying, mpeg2 or 4 content will play on the Tivo, but be recorded as mpeg2. If it moves anywhere from the TiVo box it's as an mpeg2.

But why would that be? If it's licensing fees (which wow, can give you a headache to read (http://www.mpegla.com/m4s/m4s-faq.cfm)) wouldn't the content require encoding anyway to get onto a portable device (ie., iPod) hence licensing fees for the encoder anywhere?

OR, is it the difference that a box like TiVo is seen as a "Stored Data Encoder" which requires additional licensing fees, vs. Software on a PC (TTG) that is seen as a one-off flat licensing fee where you are not charged per minute of encoding?

Does streaming from one box to another impose additional mpeg4 fees?


But thinking this out that doesn't make sense to me either (LOL) -- because if the content comes in as mpeg4 it would require no encoding to record it live in the format it's already been decoded from.... or does it... because once it's decoded is needs to be reencoded to record? (I really don't know).

and mpeg4 is pretty system-intensive to encode.


Oh f... I have a headache! LOL

Dt_dc... please help!

[megazone]

The Series3 can record analog or digital cable and analog (NTSC) or digital (ATSC) OTA.

Digital recordings are saved to the disc as-is. For ATSC that is always MPEG-2. For digital cable that is currently always MPEG-2 as well, though there may be some move to MPEG-4. That is actually problematic for the cable industry since going to MPEG-4 breaks compatibility with all those new CableCARD sets, etc, which only have MPEG-2 decoders. So this isn't likely to happen soon.

Analog recordings will be encoded on the box as MPEG-2. This is simple, reliable, and inexpensive.

The may source for MPEG-4 video on the TiVo will be broadband content. MPEG-4 allows for smaller file sizes and is better for online content. VC-1 is also to be supported. That's the standardized version of the Windows Media codec.

So you could have a mix of MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and VC-1 files on the TiVo's hard drive. There is no conversion done.

On a Series2 ALL inputs are analog, except the network. It doesn't matter what the original source is, the signal must be analog to enter the box. And all recordings are encoded as MPEG-2. So analog vs digital doesn't enter into it at all.

[ZeoTiVo]

Does streaming from one box to another impose additional mpeg4 fees?

a series 2 can not play mpeg4, any MRVed content to a series 2 must be MPEG2
Megazone has confirmed my assumption that all digital cable currently comes as mpeg2 so SD content can be MRVed to a series 2.

also note Megazones statement that for cable companies to move to mpeg4 would mean replacing many things including consumer TVs. They may do it but the cost for them is HUGE. Cable does not face the satellite problem of bandwidth in the same way. Cable can remove an analog channel and get a lot of room to add in multiple digital channels, while also rebroadcasting that analog channel as digital. There is not the smae need for cable to go to mpeg4 as their is for the satellite companies that just plain need to compress the signal more in order to provide more.

so to say the TiVo will record only in mpeg2 is to get hung up on the wrong part of the process. The TiVo records in mpeg2 becasue the only thing it needs to encode while recording is the analog signal and mpeg2 is easier and cheaper hardware and keeps more quality from the analog signal. All digital coming from the cable will be mpeg2 so it is just laying that down on the hard drive.

mpeg4 will come from internet download of content directly into the TiVo or else copied in from the PC via TiVoToComeback. That is a great place to have smaller files for quicker downloads and copies.
A series 2 just wont be able to use that content

[kjmcdonald]

Since the only analog to record in the S3 is Analog Cable, mpeg2 is probably just fine. Is the S3 the successor to the S2? I don't think so. An S2 would have dual encoders and be able to do HD content.

What have you read that makes you think there will be an improved series 2? What would an improved Series 2 have/not have that the Series 3 doesn't have/has?

Also the Series 3 has an NTSC tuner, so it can record (into MPEG2 I assume) analog tv signals from an antenna, or any other source I imagine. The only thing it can't do is tell that other source to switch channels.

Personally I wouldn't hold my breath for a improved series 2. There just doesn't seem (at least to me - maybe I'm out of the loop.) a market. Verizon's FIOS service is supposed to use CableCard when it's TV delivery service ramps up. That should be good competition for the Cable companies, and should be worrying the Satellite companies quite a bit.

My wild ass guess is that the next generation analog Tivo will use the BCM7401 (http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-15-2005/0004088160&EDATE=). If this chip has the hardware grunt to do Mpeg4 encoding of HD.

The report from CES was that Tivo was asked if the Series 3 had a broadcom chip in it, and the response was 'That would be a good guess'. That's a little cryptic but not that cryptic. ;)

Again, I doubt the vast majority of DirectTV customers will really hate the new DirectTV DVR. I personally think it's a little ironic that it maybe Tivo that gets a bunch of satellite customers to go back to cable (or to Fiber) and not the providers themselves. I really doubt the DirectTV Tivo fans will be a large enough group for Tivo to make a seperate box (It would really be a Series3 w inputs and IR/serial control wouldn't it? not a better sereis2.) for them. And the Dish people have been happy with their own DVR for a while (Does Dish use ReplayTV?)

-Kyle

[petew]

Personally I wouldn't hold my breath for a improved series 2. There just doesn't seem (at least to me - maybe I'm out of the loop.) a market.

Aside from the regular refresh of the design to take advantage of newer chipsets I could see the posibility of a Single Tuner, SD box with cablecard. Basically a current Series 2 with equivalent of Moto DCT 700 built in. There also the option of adding ethernet, more memory and an MPEG4 decoder for broadband content.

Tivo will most likely want to sell the Series 3 at a profit and keep the Series 2 at $49 to tempt new customers.

[TiVoPhish]

Zeo and Megazone,

I have no idea of timeline with cable and mpeg4, but Satelite is already doing it. Dish is going to start rolling out all new boxes Feb 1st to support mpeg4.

Cable COULD absolutely start doing the same thing. I don't know the specifics of how it works, but they could, in theory, roll out premium channels (for example) in mpeg4 and it would NOT require anyone buy a new TV. And that part of the argument isn't really all that valid anyway since HD will essentially do the same thing (make people's equipment not work)... but apparently, they're following a timeline to do it anyway.

Regardless, we already KNOW that Series 3 can do mpeg4 playback -- that was never at issue :)

What was confusing to me was the wording on what I've read, which it will still record in mpeg2 and be able to playback mpeg4. Could all just be a matter of semantics. I just wonder if we know FOR SURE that TiVo S3 will be recording mpeg4 content as mpeg4 content (and ultimately, it's certainly not an issue for me either way -- just a matter of understanding it).

[kjmcdonald]

What was confusing to me was the wording on what I've read, which it will still record in mpeg2 and be able to playback mpeg4. Could all just be a matter of semantics. I just wonder if we know FOR SURE that TiVo S3 will be recording mpeg4 content as mpeg4 content (and ultimately, it's certainly not an issue for me either way -- just a matter of understanding it).

I think the thing that is confusing people here is the word 'record'. It is being used differently for content that comes into the Tivo as analog vs. content that is already digital. 'record' doesn't always mean 'encode'.

For analog signals, The tivo must digitize them into digital data, and then encode/compress them, and write them to the disk drive. For analog tivos (both current and S3) this encoding of analog signals is done only in mpeg2.

For digital signals, the signal is already encoded/compressed by the content provider. The Tivo doesn't have to do anything but write the data to the disk drive for playback later on. If the content provider is sending a mpeg2 formated stream, it's written to the disk as mpeg2. If the provider sends mpeg4, then that's writeen to the disk.

This is why Tivo only had to add the capability to *play" mpeg4 data streams. It can play several different formats of video streams, so whatever gets sent to the box will be playable. It's only the analog inputs that are 'encoded' locally. And they are all done in on encoding that the box can also play back... naturally.

-Kyle

[Dennis Wilkinson]

Cable COULD absolutely start doing the same thing. I don't know the specifics of how it works, but they could, in theory, roll out premium channels (for example) in mpeg4 and it would NOT require anyone buy a new TV. And that part of the argument isn't really all that valid anyway since HD will essentially do the same thing (make people's equipment not work)... but apparently, they're following a timeline to do it anyway.

People who have bought existing CableCARD-capable devices that only know how to play back MPEG2 would have to buy new equipment (remember, the host still does the tuning and video decompression), not to mention all the cableco-owned boxes out there that may not be up to the task of handling MPEG4 that would need replacing. Switching codecs isn't a simple proposition for cable, any more than it was/is for satellite.

What was confusing to me was the wording on what I've read, which it will still record in mpeg2 and be able to playback mpeg4. Could all just be a matter of semantics. I just wonder if we know FOR SURE that TiVo S3 will be recording mpeg4 content as mpeg4 content (and ultimately, it's certainly not an issue for me either way -- just a matter of understanding it).

The statements I've seen in other threads indicate pretty clearly that MPEG4 is playback only, and it'd have to come in via broadband. It was more fuzzy when things first started getting reported, though.

[TiVoPhish]

People who have bought existing CableCARD-capable devices that only know how to play back MPEG2 would have to buy new equipment (remember, the host still does the tuning and video decompression), not to mention all the cableco-owned boxes out there that may not be up to the task of handling MPEG4 that would need replacing. Switching codecs isn't a simple proposition for cable, any more than it was/is for satellite.

Maybe not a simple proposition, but Dish Networks starts replacing equipment February 1st... and broadcasting new channels in mpeg4... so if you're going to want those new channels, you'll need mpeg4 STBs (which they are offering).

I agree, it won't be an overnight thing... but it is coming. I'm the type that likes to have those new channels (especially if they're in HD).

The statements I've seen in other threads indicate pretty clearly that MPEG4 is playback only, and it'd have to come in via broadband. It was more fuzzy when things first started getting reported, though.

I think this is where the disagreement here lies, and no one is quite sure. From what I read above, some seem certain it will record in mpeg4 if that's how the signal comes in. Could well be. But I read it the same way you did... playback only.

[petew]

Maybe not a simple proposition, but Dish Networks starts replacing equipment February 1st... and broadcasting new channels in mpeg4... so if you're going to want those new channels, you'll need mpeg4 STBs (which they are offering).

To offer a six local channels to each of the top 100 markets Dish needs 600 channels. Your local cable co only needs 6 so they don't have the same capacity problems.

[DocNo]

I think part of my confusion came from a conversation I had recently with someone who insisted TiVo couldn't record Pay-Per-View shows (which I've never given any thought to). I couldn't understand how that was possible if it's just connected through composite cables sending an analog signal. I kept telling him he was wrong.

Well, if the person you were talking with has a DirecTivo, he is correct.

With DirecTivo, the tuner is integrated with the Tivo - it is recording the digital stream from DirecTV. It also respects copy protection set by DirecTV, and one of those copy protections is the prohibition of recording PPV (and music channels).

The S3 cable card Tivo will probably be subject to similar (or more) restrictions.

[Justin Thyme]

The basis of this particular doubt is that Cable companies can break Cablecard devices by switching formats from Mpeg2 to Mpeg4.

If this bit of misinformation were true, then consumers would be foolish to buy cablecard devices. Also, the CEA members would be foolish to make them if the specification had such a glaring weakness.

But it isn't true. Even the Cablecard 2.0 spec lists Mpeg-2 as the data format. Nowhere is it stated that Mpeg-4 is a permitted data format. This is not a spec created by the government and forced on the cable companies. It is a limitation they imposed on themselves in a spec they controlled.

http://www.opencable.com/downloads/specs/OC-SP-CCIF2.0-I03-051117.pdf

[megazone]

I think this is where the disagreement here lies, and no one is quite sure. From what I read above, some seem certain it will record in mpeg4 if that's how the signal comes in. Could well be. But I read it the same way you did... playback only.
Digital inputs are saved *as-is*. The digital inputs are ATSC and digital cable. Both are MPEG-2 only at this time and unlikely to change in the near future. So the ability to 'record' MPEG-4 is moot. I did ask the theoretical question of digital cable transmitting MPEG-4 and the answer was that it would be saved as-is to the disc, as MPEG-4. So the unit *could* record MPEG-4, where 'record' means simply saving the stream as-is, but, again, this is moot since this is no MPEG-4 source to record today. (Satellite won't matter - the Seires3 doesn't do satellite.)

Any analog inputs are encoded on the box, just as with the Series2, and these are always encoded to MPEG-2.

So the only way to get MPEG-4 onto the box will be broadband downloads or TiVoToComeBack transfers from a PC.

[megazone]

Cable COULD absolutely start doing the same thing. I don't know the specifics of how it works, but they could, in theory, roll out premium channels (for example) in mpeg4 and it would NOT require anyone buy a new TV. And that part of the argument isn't really all that valid anyway since HD will essentially do the same thing (make people's equipment not work)... but apparently, they're following a timeline to do it anyway.
Not really. Cable is regulated and cable MSOs are required by the FCC to support CableCARD, with future restrictions that *all* services be accessible via CableCARD. And the current CableCARD specification specifies MPEG-2 as the data format for all CC receivers. So an MSO couldn't use MPEG-4 without violating the FCC regulations.

First an updated standard would need be created, ratified by the industry, and accepted by the FCC.

Since cable isn't under the same bandwidth crunch as satellite, they have less incentive to switch. Satellite, being a proprietary, closed system, also has more freedom to make the switch without regulatory hurdles.

DirecTV is already using MPEG-4 for some spot beams and, as you say, Dish will be soon.

[TiVoPhish]

I agree the specs don't include an mpeg-4 data format... I also don't see where it was specifically prohibited other than in the HD VOD specs that said "other standards (e.g. MPEG-4, JVT) that are currently not ratified by SCTE are beyond the scope of this document."

But that's beyond that scope of this discussion ;) -- TiVo S3 is GOING to support mpeg4 playback (so it seems) and whether cable goes to it or not (and when/if/how/how quickly) is something that we'll all find out soon enough (or not so soon). I do believe it's not an "if" but a when -- but I also admit I could be reading things wrong.

Well, if the person you were talking with has a DirecTivo, he is correct.

With DirecTivo, the tuner is integrated with the Tivo - it is recording the digital stream from DirecTV. It also respects copy protection set by DirecTV, and one of those copy protections is the prohibition of recording PPV (and music channels).

The S3 cable card Tivo will probably be subject to similar (or more) restrictions

Wasn't a DirecTV user, but I agree with your last point completely.

[Justin Thyme]

I do believe it's not an "if" but a when -.But- you do understand what mega was trying to tell you that the cableco's do have to comply with federal law. -That it would require the Consumer Electronics Association to agree and say, yeah- we agree that you the cable companies can renege on the agreement and thereby all of our customers will suddenly have very expensive but useless devices that won't do what we and the FCC told them these products would do

You do understand that you "believe" in a very unlikely scenario, right? What is the basis for the belief?

[megazone]

Another indicator to consider is that the major digital cable boxes and cable DVRs are all MPEG-2 and don't do MPEG-4. They're deployed in huge numbers and continue to be deployed with no immediate replacements, the cable MSOs continue to order them. If they were planning to roll out MPEG-4 they'd first need to get new hardware into the field that supports it.

I do think that, eventually, they'll probably switch, but not any time soon. Consider, too, that HD content is all being produced in MPEG-2 today. ATSC is MPEG-2, and so is digital cable. The satellite operators need to transcode MPEG-2 to MPEG-4, which degrades the signal (even slightly), or they need access to a raw source to encode direct to MPEG-4. If you can transmit in MPEG-2 your life is easier, you can stuff the existing data down your pipe with no extra work.

[megazone]

And just to be devil's advocate and muddy the waters:
http://www.atsc.org/standards/candidate_standards.html

Both MPEG-4 and VC-1 are Candidate Standards for extensions to the E-VSB system used in ATSC. Of course, that would mean existing ATSC receivers would be unable to decode those broadcasts. Early adopters have all the fun. ;-)

[dt_dc]

FCC regs do not preclude cable companies from using MPEG4.

Tivo (and others) even brought this up in filings to the FCC:
http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6513783876
E. The POD Output Should Emit Standardized MPEG
The current MOU has a further weakness in that it does not completely standardize the output of a POD.

The FCC requires cable companies to follow ANSI/SCTE 54 "Digital Video Service
Multiplex and Transport System Standard for Cable Television":
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/12feb20041500/edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2004/octqtr/47cfr76.640.htm

This requires cable companies to use MPEG2 transport streams. However ... don't confuse a transport stream with compression. An MPEG2 transport stream can certainly contain MPEG4/H.264 compressed video (or VC-1 or whatever else you can think of):
http://www.scte.org/documents/pdf/ANSISCTE542004DVS241.pdf (Edit: Fixed URL)

Those are the requirements on cable companies. They are free to send MPEG4/H.264 compressed video via MPEG2 transport streams ...

The OpenCable Interface / Host Requirements that were brought up by JT:
http://www.opencable.com/downloads/specs/OC-SP-HOST1.0-CFR-C01-040629.pdf
http://www.opencable.com/downloads/specs/OC-SP-CCIF2.0-I03-051117.pdf
etc.

Those are requirements on CE manufacturers. A CableCard host must be able to decode MPEG2 compressed video via MPEG2 transport streams ... but there's nothing (technically) preventing a CableCard host from being able to decode other codecs (or cable companies from using them).

As noted above though ... there are plenty of business reasons keeping cable tied to MPEG2. But not technical / regulatory ones.

[dt_dc]

Another indicator to consider is that the major digital cable boxes and cable DVRs are all MPEG-2 and don't do MPEG-4. They're deployed in huge numbers and continue to be deployed with no immediate replacements, the cable MSOs continue to order them. If they were planning to roll out MPEG-4 they'd first need to get new hardware into the field that supports it.Cable has over 50+ million digital cable boxes deployed that are only able to decode MPEG2 and unable to decode MPEG4 (and keep oredering more). They are not exactly going to be eager to obsolete their own equipment.

Cable does not have a single major deployment of MPEG4 capable boxes.

It's going to be a long time before we see significant MPEG4 capable boxes out in the field ... and therefore a long time before cable starts looking seriously at MPEG4.

That being said ... Comcast has ordered 450,000 MPEG4 capable boxes that should start being deployed late this year (or early next).

[dt_dc]

you the cable companies can renege on the agreement and thereby all of our customers will suddenly have very expensive but useless devices that won't do what we and the FCC told them these products would doI wouldn't say 'useless' ... but exactly this situation is happening now. Not with MPEG4 ... but with switched broadcast.

Those 50+ million boxes cable has deployed that can't handle MPEG4. Most of them can handle switched broadcast. And while cable hasn't really done much with MPEG4 ... cable (especially Time Warner) has deployed switched broadcast and is actively rolling it out.

They are taking existing broadcast channels (and adding new ones) and making them switched.

Existing unidirectional CableCard products can not tune switched broadcast channels. The CEA has asked for (and suggested) a ('basic' bidirectional) way that would allow CableCard products to be made now that could handle switched broadcasts ... even if they couldn't handle PPV, VOD, and other advanced services. Of course, existing CableCard products wouldn't be able to take advantage of this (without a hardware upgrade). But ... at least they could stard making products that can handle (tune and record) switched broadcasts.

Here's where it gets even more fun. With the current specs under proposal ... even a full "bidirectional" CableCard Tivo would not be able to tune and record switched broadcasts with Tivo software provided directly to the consumer. OCAP software from the cable company would be able to tune and record switched broadcasts ... but not CE provided software.

So ... with the current specs ... regarding switched broadcasts ... Tivo can:
1) Make a unidirectional box that can't tune or record them at all
2) Make a bidirectional box that can tune and record switched broadcasts with cable-provided OCAP software. Unless Tivo has made a deal with the cable company to provide that software ... Tivo software would not be able to tune or record the switched broadcasts. Those channels would show up in the 'cable provided guide' ... but not in the 'Tivo provided guide'. Those channels could be recorded with OCAP based DVR software from the cable company (with an associated fee I'm sure) ... but not with Tivo's software.

Fun eh?

CableLabs says "we're looking at it."

http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6518185152
http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6518185151

[Budget_HT]

Well, if the person you were talking with has a DirecTivo, he is correct.

With DirecTivo, the tuner is integrated with the Tivo - it is recording the digital stream from DirecTV. It also respects copy protection set by DirecTV, and one of those copy protections is the prohibition of recording PPV (and music channels).

The S3 cable card Tivo will probably be subject to similar (or more) restrictions.
I think there is some misunderstanding about copying PPV channels from DirecTV on a DirecTiVo--whether SD or HD.

I have recorded PPV movies on both SD and HD DirecTiVos. The fact that there is no official method of outputing those recordings in a digitally-recordable format means the risk of pirating is minimal, except for hackers who are pulling program from their DirecTiVo boxes digitally. There may be some programs that have flags set for copy never or copy once or whatever, but there are also programs that can be copied within the DirecTiVo.

Now, at playback time, the DirecTiVo could react to whatever copy protection might have been identified for the program, and that might result in someone not being able to use an analog output of their TiVo (e.g., s-video or composite video) to make a 480i analog-based recording. I do not have experience in this area with PPV or premium channels, so I don't know what is actually implemented.

Now, further downstream, a VCR will react to Macrovision and potentially not record some programs that are protected that way. Also, DVD recorders react to another copy protection scheme (can't remember the name/acronym right now) that limits their capabilities as well.

I am NOT an expert in this area, and I could have some errors in what I just stated. But, I do know that I can still copy some PPV programs on my DirecTiVo boxes.

[TiVoPhish]

Thank you so much Dt_dc... I appreciate all the links and clarification.

FCC regs do not preclude cable companies from using MPEG4....

...Those are requirements on CE manufacturers. A CableCard host must be able to decode MPEG2 compressed video via MPEG2 transport streams ... but there's nothing (technically) preventing a CableCard host from being able to decode other codecs (or cable companies from using them).

This is how I read it as well. While I don't understand nearly as much as you, I know how careful the lawyer-types are with wording, and I specifically noticed the differences you point out, and the very generic use of just "MPEG" (not specifically MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 or MPEG-8976541 ;)

Cable has over 50+ million digital cable boxes deployed that are only able to decode MPEG2 and unable to decode MPEG4 (and keep oredering more). They are not exactly going to be eager to obsolete their own equipment.
Cable does not have a single major deployment of MPEG4 capable boxes.
It's going to be a long time before we see significant MPEG4 capable boxes out in the field ... and therefore a long time before cable starts looking seriously at MPEG4.
That being said ... Comcast has ordered 450,000 MPEG4 capable boxes that should start being deployed late this year (or early next).

And STB manufacturers seem to be announcing that mpeg4 boxes are coming (soon and not so soon). Samsung and Panasonic are obviously making them and in a deal with Comcast -- I would imagine that's not an exclusive deal (though it could be). The new Scientific-Atlanta box is going to be mpeg4 capable. Motorola and S-A are in a deal with SBC to make new STBs with mpeg4, so it sounds like Motorola is in the game too. We know TiVo is doing it. We know computer-based media center will support it.

I do agree we won't see any switch-over quick, but I do think we'll see it on the cable side of things.


I wonder if you could shed some light on this statement I read today in a CNET editor's blog....

As I suggested in my preview, while the main spotlight was on HD-DVD and Blu-ray, the real action was in the evolution of less sexy products such as the HD DVRs sold by cable and satellite providers, which have now switched over to MPEG-4 for their video-compression technology. At its booth, Scientific Atlanta had a steady crowd around its MCP-100, a Best of CES award-winning HD DVR that has a built-in DVD burner. And Dish trotted out its first MPEG-4 HD DVR, the trituner ViP622, which is due to be released in February at the discounted price of $299 to new subscribers. Probably the biggest surprise was that TiVo didn't make any significant announcements at the show. Rumors of a Series 3 machine turned out to be just that: rumors. Also, we expected an announcement about the next generation of CableCard, appropriately dubbed CableCard2, which would pave the way for two-way communications between your CableCard HD tuner and your cable company. But instead, we heard rumors that cable companies want to dump CableCard altogether in favor of a downloadable access system.
source: http://www.cnet.com/4520-11405_1-6415593-1.html?tag=cnetfd.dl

Rumors are rumors, but any thoughts?

[ZeoTiVo]

Rumors are rumors, but any thoughts?

yes, as usual the Cnet info is half right, half wrong and half @ssed. stopped using that site a good while ago for anything more than a price compariosn and actual user reviews/comments

[HDTiVo]

One thing to remember about the Satellite MPEG4 - these will be additional transmissions, not replacements. The existing MPEG2 transmission will remain unchanged so the existing "legacy" Sat boxes will continue to operate as before.

Cable would likely do the same in essence - use additional frequencies to transmit something else (like MPEG4) but preserve the legacy MPEG2.

At least until the year 2424, if man is still alive. :)

[TiVoPhish]

One thing to remember about the Satellite MPEG4 - these will be additional transmissions, not replacements. The existing MPEG2 transmission will remain unchanged so the existing "legacy" Sat boxes will continue to operate as before.

Cable would likely do the same in essence - use additional frequencies to transmit something else (like MPEG4) but preserve the legacy MPEG2.

At least until the year 2424, if man is still alive. :)

I agree... I wouldn't expect mpeg4 to replace mpeg2 transmissions (right away). But look at it this way... I'm hoping for the new SNY to be available in my area (fingers crossed)... and hopefully they'll offer it in HD (this year or next). New programming. If they rolled it out in mpeg4 I'd have to upgrade my box to get it.

So even with new channels they are going to run up against the replacement box issue... it will have to be dealt with... I don't think it's going to hold them back anymore than going to all digital and all HD. It will just become part of the transition (and being it seems like lots of box makers are now going to mpeg4 support, including TiVo, it WILL just become a part of the transition).

[TiVoPhish]

by CNET Editor David Carnoy
As I suggested in my preview, while the main spotlight was on HD-DVD and Blu-ray, the real action was in the evolution of less sexy products such as the HD DVRs sold by cable and satellite providers, which have now switched over to MPEG-4 for their video-compression technology. At its booth, Scientific Atlanta had a steady crowd around its MCP-100, a Best of CES award-winning HD DVR that has a built-in DVD burner. And Dish trotted out its first MPEG-4 HD DVR, the trituner ViP622, which is due to be released in February at the discounted price of $299 to new subscribers. Probably the biggest surprise was that TiVo didn't make any significant announcements at the show. Rumors of a Series 3 machine turned out to be just that: rumors. Also, we expected an announcement about the next generation of CableCard, appropriately dubbed CableCard2, which would pave the way for two-way communications between your CableCard HD tuner and your cable company. But instead, we heard rumors that cable companies want to dump CableCard altogether in favor of a downloadable access system.
source: http://www.cnet.com/4520-11405_1-64...l?tag=cnetfd.dl

I'm quoting myself from above, because I found another article:

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,124250,00.asp
"OCAP will also be the basis for the successor to today's CableCard technology, which lets TV makers dispense with digital cable boxes for receiving programming but does not support two-way functionality"

Dt_dc... (or anyone).... Does OCAP work in conjuntion with CC2.0 cards... or will it seek to illiminate them? OCAP is already rolling out (Samsung rolled out devices in NC I believe) -- and part of the announcement from Comcast recently included OCAP-ready (supporting mpeg4) boxes.

And how does the OCAP middlewear effect TiVo?

[classicsat]

This is my take:
(take it with as much salt as you'd like)


"Premium" and Cablecard content.

It will all get recorded to the TiVo HDD, except maybe for VOD, when that comes.

It being a cable card originated recording in and of itself will not limit playback, long term storage , and transferring, but will permit operator to place restrictions on what can be done to a program that does get recorded, or content in the buffer.

MPEG4

I think it is a misunderstanding that all cable programming will be converted to MPEG 4 any time soon, so SD programming, for some time to come, is destined to remain MPEG2, with current HD to stay MPEG2 for a while, so at least a lot of equipment will remain viable.

To play MPEG4, there will be a one time per box licensing fee, the same way you purchase one time licenses for the codecs on your PC.

To send MPEG4 over cable or ATSC, it will be sent in MPEG 2 transport streams, which the CC, even 1.0 single stream, will pass, since all it does is decrypt transport stream packets, regardless of what is in the packets.

There supposedly is a CC module that in addition to Conditional Access duties, transcodes MPEG4 into MPEG2 for legace devices with MPEG2 only decoders.

After CC decryption of the MPEG2 TS, it gets written to the HDD in a Tystream, and eventually played back to the video decoder, and/or if permitted, MRV or TTG trasnferred. The video decoder, being both MPEG2 and MPEG4 compatible, will just play it by ear.

For MRV of MPEG4 to "legacy" MPEG only DVRs, it will not be permitter, like other than 480i MPEG2 will be "prohibited" from being sent to the same sort of DVR.

Future of the S2
An American version of the TGC unit released, will have ethernet and MPEG4, but only for broadband or MRV SD. Maybe a tunerless unit for existing satellite or cable, to meet the March 2007 DT milestone, where devices with NTSC tuners must include ATSC tuners, or have no tuners. Or else a basic ATSC/analog unit to meet FCC requirements.

[DarthLister]

Man, nice box, but depressing for those of us who live in the boooonies and can't get anything except sat...


Rich the S3-less :(