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The cable box, a crucial part of home theaters for decades, might be on the way out. Casual TV watchers say it's easier to find something to watch through online services such as Netflix and Hulu than it is to flip through hundreds of channels in hopes of finding something interesting. Other viewers complain that the boxes are poorly programmed and difficult to use. Even Congress doesn't particularly like the cable box: Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) recently decried the high cost most customers pay to rent one from their provider.
Cable companies are of two minds about this trend. Some, such as Comcast, are trying to find ways to make cable boxes better. Instead of ugly units with clumsy remote controls, they're scrambling to produce sleeker boxes loaded with software that makes it easier to get straight to TV shows and movies.
Are the cable companies missing the forest for the trees?
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Tuesday November 10 2015, @01:33AM
cable companies aren't UI engineers and they want to keep costs to an absolute minimum, so they are never going to sufficiently fix this on their own. the only way to actually get this fixed for everyone is to require cable companies use a standardized protocol. there was no compatibility with cable modems until DOCSIS came along and everything got replaced. really all they have to do is make a spec and adhere too it but the problem is they are greedy bastards who would rather force their stupid proprietary shit on everyone and make their customers pay for the privilege of using it.
(Score: 0, Troll) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday November 10 2015, @01:52AM
Yes, we're all aware that your answer to everything is jackbooted thugs to enforce the glorious people's republic's edicts.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Tuesday November 10 2015, @03:03AM
I feel like there should be a happy medium between your "Jack Booted Thugs" and the Balkanization we currently have.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2, Interesting) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday November 10 2015, @03:17AM
Balkanization? We're talking cable boxes here. Let them stay incompatible and let the cable companies die by their own incompetence as they deserve.
Anyway, good luck finding a happy medium between liberty and oppression. There are always going to be times where no matter how good your idea, people do not want it. In the end you'll find that you're either willing to use jackbooted thugs to enforce your will or you aren't. Gravis is a socialist and lurves him some jackbooted thugs to make you do things for your own good.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Tuesday November 10 2015, @04:53AM
We're talking cable boxes here. Let them stay incompatible and let the cable companies die by their own incompetence as they deserve.
cable companies are making money off of forcing people to use their flavor of STB (set-top-box) for decades. making money isn't causing them to die, their non-compete agreements has kept prices high and their aggressive legal tactics have kept newcomers out of the market. why do you think their behavior will change? btw, the incompatibility is a software issue, not hardware.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 10 2015, @10:25AM
Most societies consider oppression of murderers by putting them in jail a good thing. Of course the murderers disagree because they'd prefer liberty like everyone else, but the vast majority of people agrees that this specific oppression is actually a good thing.