OpenIt! Initiative Set For Set-Tops
(01/30/98; 8:07 p.m. EST)
By Junko Yoshida , EE Times <Picture>SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Leonardo Chiariglione, the man who pulled together the development of MPEG specifications as MPEG Convener, is now trying to launch another cross-industry initiative called "Open It!"
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The new initiative is to develop specifications for an open set-top box that allows users to navigate through different offerings from different service providers, according to Chiariglione, who heads the Multimedia and Video Services Research Division at Telecom Italia.
The Open It! efforts are meant to remove the last roadblock preventing the proliferation of MPEG-2-based set-top boxes. In Chiariglione's view, the fate of MPEG-2 is compromised by proprietary access control systems imposed by different service providers.
Current set-tops are tied to a single service provider, putting the service providers in a position to subsidize the box. Meanwhile, consumers do not like their access to be constrained to a single service provider, he explained.
In a speech Jan. 27 at the Photonics West show, Chiariglione had a sobering assessment of MPEG-2. "In spite of all the hopes set on MPEG-2, this is not taking off," he said. "MPEG-2 is not a success."
Chiariglione pointed out that about a million satellite set-top boxes have been sold, but the growth is stagnating.
Meanwhile, mass deployment of MPEG-2 based set-tops for cable is "still an expectation." "Every Christmas DVD promises to become the 'big hit,' but it hasn't happened yet," he added.
Under the scenario of new Open It! initiatives, Chiariglione promised the development of specifications for an open set-top box. "A user sits on his/her armchair and needs not stand up, uses a remote control device, navigates through different offers from different service providers and selects a program, pays and watch the program."
The first Open It! meeting is scheduled for Mar. 6. Chiariglione said he has already spoken with key technology and management executives at about 50 companies, and has gotten their support for the initiative.
The initiative echoes new sentiments and serious concerns growing in Japan. "Look at Japan, for example," Chiariglione pointed out. "In rolling out DirecTV and JSkyB services in addition to existing satellite broadcasting services, Japan is further fragmenting the small market."
In a similar but separate move, the Japan's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) last week asked the country's related industries to provide the minimum compatibility among digital TV receivers and set-tops.
As the first step, MPT asked the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB), a cross-industry organization composed of broadcasters and equipment vendors, to develop specifications that would allow consumers to use the nation's communication satellite (CS) receivers for competing digital satellite services from PerfecTV (and JSkyB) and DirecTV. ARIB is an organization that has practically built formats relating to digital TV in Japan.
Last October, ARIB set a common standard for CS receivers. Receivers in the forms of set-tops and TV with a built-in CS receiver compliant with the ARIB standard will soon reach the domestic market. Those receivers will download a setting-up program and set itself to one of the two CS services.
"Thus, users can use a receiver for each of the two CS TV services. Whether the receiver can receive both CS services simultaneously or only one at a time depends on each manufacturer's product implementations," said an MPT official. "We at MPT intend to guarantee the minimum compatibility."
Based on the CS standard, MPT is now asking ARIB to have a similar compatibility in broadcast satellite (BS) and terrestrial receiver standards. "Front-end differs depending on CS, BS and terrestrial, but the core processing of digital TV is the same," the official said. "So if a common interface is defined, it should be possible to provide a common platform for receivers."
ARIB is working to finalize the standards by spring of next year.
The Open It! initiative has a very ambitious goal to get all the specifications done by Sept. 1999. Nevertheless, Chiariglione said, "This is doable and a lot of people I talked to also agree with me."
"Talk to anyone in the MPEG-2 business -- chip vendors are box manufacturers," he said. They are deeply disappointed in their business so far."
He added, "Technologies to make the Open set-top possible are here. This is a matter of a will of doing so."
Yoshiko Hara also contributed to this report. <Picture: TW> |
