The FCC has effectively paused its AllVid proceeding, holding off finishing a rulemaking notice proposing to make all multichannel video programming distributors connect to consumer electronics sold at retail, said agency and industry officials watching the work. In what represents another new approach to the proceeding, industry officials said the Media Bureau and office of Chairman Julius Genachowski seem content for now to let CE companies and pay-TV providers work out more deals to integrate programming and Internet connectivity with various devices. That new approach was on display last week at the Cable Show, in public comments from bureau Chief Bill Lake and Genachowski aide Sherrese Smith (CD June 16 p2), said CE and cable officials who heard those remarks.
The Green Electronics Council, which manages EPEAT, isn’t sure how exactly the EPA’s proposal to add environmental attributes other than energy efficiency in Energy Star specifications is “all going to come together,” said Sarah O'Brien, the council’s outreach director. “It’s too early for us to comment.” The EPA’s move is “definitely of interest to our organizations,” she said. Energy Star compliance is one of several criteria for EPEAT certification. On the progress being made in developing EPEAT standards for TVs and imaging gear, O'Brien said it’s in the initial stages of comment and voting phase of the larger membership of the IEEE. Members are now being asked about their interest in participating in the process, she said. “So we are kind of in a pause while the various members of the IEEE standards development and other societies express interest in participating and then, when that phase is completed, it [the standards] will move toward comment and voting.” She said she didn’t know if the proposed EPEAT TV standard would address 3D TVs. That will be known when draft standards are released in the “next few weeks” before balloting, she said.
The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) updated the FCC on work by the consumer electronics’ standards group on video content, in a filing posted Tuesday to docket 10-91. It completed work earlier this year on requirements for delivery of commercial content to DLNA devices, including protected streaming and “comprehensive trick-mode support” for pausing, fast-forwarding and the like, the group said. “DLNA is finalizing a certification program for these guidelines, which we expect will be available in late 2011 or early 2012,” the filing said: “The certification program will enable testing for verified interoperability between devices” and the guidelines are a “a major step forward in enabling secure availability of commercial content offered by MVPDs to retail devices and interoperability of commercial video in the home."
The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) updated the FCC on work by the consumer electronics’ standards group on video content, in a filing posted Tuesday to docket 10-91. It completed work earlier this year on requirements for delivery of commercial content to DLNA devices, including protected streaming and “comprehensive trick-mode support” for pausing, fast-forwarding and the like, the group said. “DLNA is finalizing a certification program for these guidelines, which we expect will be available in late 2011 or early 2012,” the filing said: “The certification program will enable testing for verified interoperability between devices” and the guidelines are a “a major step forward in enabling secure availability of commercial content offered by MVPDs to retail devices and interoperability of commercial video in the home."
The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) updated the FCC on work by the consumer electronics’ standards group on video content, in a filing posted Tuesday to docket 10-91. It completed work earlier this year on requirements for delivery of commercial content to DLNA devices, including protected streaming and “comprehensive trick-mode support” for pausing, fast-forwarding and the like, the group said. “DLNA is finalizing a certification program for these guidelines, which we expect will be available in late 2011 or early 2012,” the filing said: “The certification program will enable testing for verified interoperability between devices” and the guidelines are a “a major step forward in enabling secure availability of commercial content offered by MVPDs to retail devices and interoperability of commercial video in the home."
LOS ANGELES -- As CE manufacturers flood the market with TVs with 2D/3D conversion chips, ESPN continues to deliver 3D programming despite a top executive strongly hinting a year ago that such action might “soften” the network’s support for the technology (CED March 10/10 p1).
Boxee is sending out a test version of a firmware update to “early access users” for feedback and comment, before issuing the update to all users in May, the company said on its blog late Wednesday. The update is part of a plan to issue quarterly updates for the media player, the company said. The May patch is slated to improve browser speed and video playback control, update the on-screen display, add languages including Arabic, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish, and add support for an iPad app. The fix will also address bugs frequently reported on the company’s user forum, including a “signature failed” message that appears when users try to install and download applications. Other issues addressed in the fix include glitches in the USB IR receiver that result in duplicate button presses, lack of access to HTTPS URLs, stuttering in Flash-based video, and a prompt that appears when video is paused saying users need to perform an update. Users currently have no way of deleting the prompt overlay, the company said.
Boxee is sending out a test version of a firmware update to “early access users” for feedback and comment, before issuing the update to all users in May, the company said on its blog late Wednesday. The update is part of a plan to issue quarterly updates for the media player, the company said. The May patch is slated to improve browser speed and video playback control, update the on-screen display, add languages including Arabic, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish, and add support for an iPad app. The fix will also address bugs frequently reported on the company’s user forum, including a “signature failed” message that appears when users try to install and download applications. Other issues addressed in the fix include glitches in the USB IR receiver that result in duplicate button presses, lack of access to HTTPS URLs, stuttering in Flash-based video, and a prompt that appears when video is paused saying users need to perform an update. Users currently have no way of deleting the prompt overlay, the company said.
ILECs will get a chance to pursue “just and reasonable” pole attachment rates through the Telecom Act’s Section 224 complain provisions under a draft order that commissioners will take up next week, agency officials said. Chairman Julius Genachowski’s staff is still revising the order and it may well change, but a draft circulated earlier this month (CD March 9 p5) would lower CLEC rates to that of cable companies and let ILECs pursue lower rates through the complaint process. Genachowski and his staff are thought to be worried about the public relations implications of the order, FCC officials said. Utility companies have accused the commission of bailing out ILECs in the draft order, and the accusations have given Genachowski and staff pause, agency officials said.
Electronic Arts plans to reduce the amount of printed materials in packaged products by 40 percent as part of a global green initiative, it said Tuesday. It’s “committed to a healthy and sustainable environment,” said Chief Operating Officer John Schappert. The move follows similar initiatives by companies including game maker Ubisoft and camera maker Olympus.