NCTA, TiVo team on HD DVRs

Cable companies ramped up their presence in the home today with the National Cable and Telecommunications Association’s announcement that it will introduce a new external adapter to enable TiVo digital video recorders to access switched digital cable channels without a set-top box.

This switched digital solution is designed specifically for high-definition DVRs that use cable cards to ensure that TiVo customers can view channels on-demand despite network capacity constraints resulting from bandwidth intensive offerings. The solution will allow cable operators to transmit channels to customers on an as-needed basis, in a process that is seamless to the consumer.

The external adapter will attach to TiVo HD DVRs and will work on any unidirectional digital cable ready product that has a USB connector and necessary firmware.

The adapter is designed to improve consumer access to cable services, according to TiVo CEO Tom Rogers. The offering builds on TiVo’s strong cable push, which officially began in October when the television services company commenced a much-awaited rollout of its DVR software for Comcast customers in New England. Neal Goldberg, vice president and General Counsel for the NTCA, said that six top cable companies who cover more than 80% of the cable hubs are already committed to offering the switched digital solution, as they were involved in the development of it. This includes Comcast, Cox, Time Warner, Charter, Cablevision and Bright House.

“I think the fact that cable cards are out there is another way to compete, but it’s not necessarily against telecom providers,” Goldberg said. “Verizon provides cable cards as well, so it is a way to broaden the base of equipment devices that are out there. The more devices that are out there that can access our services…the better it is for the cable operator, or for that matter, Verizon, because the customer has these other options, and they still have to come to the provider for the service.”

Cable operators will make the new adapters available for TiVo customers in the second quarter of 2008, in time for the February 2009 digital TV transition, when the United States is slated to complete its transition to an all-digital system, thus marking the end of the traditional analog method of broadcasting over-the-air television. NCTA expects this event to entice more viewers to purchase HD sets that carry both a digital and analog signal of local broadcast stations.

“There is strong competitive pressure for all providers – that would include incumbent cable operators, the telco providers, certainly the satellite providers – to deploy increasing amounts of high-definition services and do it in a consumer friendly fashion,” said Bill Check, senior vice president for science and technology at NTCA. “Typically when you marry that with an exploding demand for DVR technology, so people can watch these programs whenever they want at any time of day or night, it certainly does continue to drive competitiveness in the marketplace.”