IP Democracy: Terrible Troubles with Cable's Tru2Way Initiative?

(Still light blogging this week as a big household move gets underway. I've been sitting on this scoop, however, for far too long, so here goes.)

Less than two weeks after the blogosphere and press erupted with stories that the cable TV set-top faced extinction as a result of Sony signing onto a major interactive TV initiative by cable operators called Tru2Way, folks close to Tru2Way say the first certification test of the technology is a "disaster of spectacular proportions." Among the many benefits of Tru2Way technology is the inclusion of set-top technology inside the TV set units themselves, thereby obviating the need for an external box.

Panasonic, which was slated to introduce Tru2Way TV sets at selected retail outlets in test markets in September (more on that below), recently submitted its units for Tru2Way certification testing at the industry's R&D consortium CableLabs. Panasonic failed the tests, with observers reporting "dozens and dozens" of bugs, so many that they doubt a Panasonic Tru2Way TV set will be available by Christmas, much less September.

Although details are sketchy, the glitches of Panasonic's Tru2Way set were so severe that some even violate Federal broadcasting laws. For example, under the Emergency Alert System, the FCC has established technical procedures for radio and television broadcast stations and cable systems that bar viewers from tuning away from disaster alerts. Panasonic's Tru2Way technology, however, currently permits viewers to do precisely this, according to those close to the testing.

No one, however, will go on the record about this reported certification failure. The industry's chief lobbyist, NCTA CEO Kyle McSlarrow, touted Panasonic's technology yesterday during a speech at the National Press Club (PDF) while announcing three new signatories to the Tru2Way spec -- Intel, Digeo and ADB.

A CableLabs spokesman said that his group would have nothing to say about the Panasonic test. "We don't announce who has entered a cert wave, nor do we announce test results, other than a 'Certified' or 'Qualified.' And we have no further comment on this."

In his speech McSlarrow said that Tru2Way TV sets will be ready by holiday season 2008. However, sources say the next testing wave is in August and it's unlikely that Panasonic, the first electronics equipment maker slated to go out of the gate with a Tru2Way HDTV set, will come anywhere close to fixing the problems with its device by then, making a holiday season release for Tru2Way sets virtually impossible. It takes months to gear up manufacturing processes once certification has been achieved.

This development will likely all but destroy rumored plans by Comcast to unveil Tru2Way TV service in Denver and Chicago in August. According to sources, Comcast was readying a test of the innovative technology in those two markets and Panasonic was gearing up to sell its Tru2Way sets in area Circuit City, Best Buy and Sears stores.

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on June 10, 2008 11:41 AM to IP Democracy