Mac News: Cable & Satellite

Cable Cos Eye Online Streaming for Subscribers
February 20, 2009

Cable operators Time Warner and Comcast are reportedly in talks with the owners of major cable television networks to organize a plan that will bring a large amount of cable programming online and made accessible only to the providers' subscribers. The cable companies have met with Viacom, Time Warner, General Electric and others.

Liberty Loan Lets Sirius XM Take Another Deep Breath
February 17, 2009

Liberty Media has thrown struggling Sirius XM Radio a lifeline that will keep it from falling into bankruptcy. The owner of satellite television service DirecTV has loaned Sirius $530 million, which it will use to pay off $171.6 million in debt that came due Tuesday.

Local News Could Save Satellite Radio
February 13, 2009

I hadn't intended to write about Sirius XM so soon after last week's column, but the satellite radio company's financial woes were sending me a clear signal -- one uninterrupted by tunnels, mountains, sunspots and more than US$3 billion in debt. I mentioned Sirius XM last week in reference to Congress' vote to delay the digital TV transition to June.

Is a Sirius Bidding War in the Offing?
February 12, 2009

Struggling Sirius XM Radio stock shot up nearly 30 percent to 7 cents per share in mid-day trading Thursday on rumors that a bidding war was about to ensue between rival satellite television players EchoStar and Liberty Media. EchoStar owns the Dish Network and Liberty Media owns a controlling interest in DirecTV.

Apple's Saber-Rattling, Capitol Hill's Ruckus, Big Blue's Silence
January 31, 2009

Apple may have just thrown a big bucket of cold water all over the Palm Pre love fest, courtesy of the U.S. Patent Office. The company has officially secured the rights to the technology behind the distinctive multifunction touchscreen found on the iPhone and the iPod touch -- it's what gives you the ability to pinch and spread your fingers to zoom in and out of a photo or a Web page.

Senate Votes to Delay Digital TV as Cable, Sat Companies Stew
January 27, 2009

The U.S. Senate voted late Monday to institute a four-month delay in the nation's switch from analog to all-digital television signals in a move meant to give millions of Americans more time to prepare for the transition. Television broadcasters are scheduled to go all-digital on Feb. 17, in effect tuning out anyone who has an analog television set.

Dish Network Thinks Inside the Slingbox
January 08, 2009

Let's say a Slingbox and a set-top digital video recorder meet during a very wild weekend in Vegas. After many drinks and much lascivious talk they decide to get married at 3 a.m. at the First Church of Elvis. Nine months later, you might end up with something like the ViP 922, which is being billed as the world's first "placeshifting" high-definition DVR.

Bundled Service, Unbundled Customer Service
December 30, 2008

Memo to telecom service providers: "We never thanked you, but you did a great job offering us consolidated billing. It is hard to remember now, as for the last few years you have been so aggressive in promoting bundled services, but five years ago, this was a major pain point. Three bills for ISP, cable and telephone, and usually three different due dates as well."

WSJ Story on Google's Net Neutrality Stance Raises Hackles
December 15, 2008

Google is either a major supporter of Net neutrality -- the concept that all Web traffic from all companies should be treated the same -- or is quietly working behind the scenes to set up its own Internet express lane with ISPs. The incoming Obama administration is either a big fan of Net neutrality, or its technology advisers are backing off their stances that no company's traffic should get preferential treatment.

Note to Obama: The FCC Needs Transparency
December 12, 2008

This week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee released a report accusing Kevin Martin, the chairman of the FCC, of being deceptive and opaque in his management of the agency's affairs. That a politician would pull such moves is no surprise, but the report should send a strong signal to the incoming Obama administration.

Comcast Revs Its Engine in Broadband-Speed Race
December 11, 2008

Cable giant Comcast said it will roll out new ultra-fast broadband services in Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore and Fort Wayne, Ind., by the end of December. The service, called "Docsis 3.0," boasts Internet connection speeds of up to 50 megabits per second. Docsis also allows Comcast to double speeds for most of its existing broadband customers without charging additional fees.

Bundled Services: A Great Big Ball of Consumer Angst?
December 05, 2008

Are cable "bundle" customers changing channels to wireless telecom services? A recent study by the CFI Group, which focuses on measuring customer satisfaction and CRM issues, indicates they are. That is, if they can. Some can't, either because the choice is unavailable, or they have signed the option away.

Cable's Customer Satisfaction Tangle
December 02, 2008

Cable company and customer satisfaction: The two terms are often considered antithetical. Through the years, these corporations have earned a reputation of being slow to respond to customer inquiries, inflexible and callous. Now as new competitors tread on their cash cow video services, will these providers change their ways, or will their rigidity cause them to lose business?

FCC Opens Gate to White Spaces Playground
November 05, 2008

Despite dissent in some quarters of the television and cable broadcasting community, the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday voted to allow the use of open broadcast television spectrum to provide broadband data and other services to consumers and businesses. However, the wireless devices needed to implement those services are not yet available.

Service Providers Compete on Technology - Why Not Support?
November 04, 2008

The competitive environment that characterizes today's broadband and value-added services landscape benefits the growth of many digital lifestyle products and services. Consumers are also primary beneficiaries of increased competition among carriers. When multiple service providers are directly competing in an area, the results tend to be 1) lower prices; 2) additional value-added offerings, and 3) improved customer support.

Cox Cable to Jump Into Cellular Fray
October 27, 2008

Cable television provider Cox Communications plans to roll out its own cellular network some time in 2009 in an effort to take market share from telephone companies and wireless operators. The Atlanta-based company has already spent $550 million to acquire wireless spectrum so it can offer cellular service to its customers.