Google, Sony and Tivo Develop Smart Televisions

Amplify’d from techland.time.com

    Google, Sony, Tivo Form Crusading Supergroup For Smart Televisions

    By Graeme McMillan on February 18, 2011

    Google, Sony, Tivo Form Crusading Supergroup For Smart Televisions

    It's like the Justice League of Technology: Google, Sony, TiVo, Mitsubishi, Best Buy and two lesser-known companies (NagraVision and SageTV - Think of them as the Martian Manhunter and Aquaman of the team) have joined together to support the Federal Communication Commission's AllVid proposal, calling themselves the AllVid Tech Company Alliance.

    AllVid is a proposed device that would act as a "gateway" adapter allowing all types of pay TV content - whether it's cable or satellite TV, internet TV or IPTV - to be viewable on the same device, without new technology forcing consumers to have to upgrade their equipment. Initially proposed almost a year ago, the subject was greeted with less than enthusiasm from cable companies and content creators, with the Motion Picture Association of America criticizing it as potential promoter of pirated material.

    Will the FCC rise to the occasion? Will content creation companies cry foul, and point out this is another front in the ongoing war over platform consolidation? And most importantly, will the AllVid Tech Company Alliance really turn out to be a Justice League, or a Legion of Doom for consumers?

    Read more at techland.time.com

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