CableLabs Issues RFI to Define Elements of Common Technical Approach to "TV Everywhere"

US cable industry research, development and standardization body, CableLabs, last week issued a request for information (RFI) in order to define elements for a common technical approach that would enable consumers to have secure online access to subscription-based video services delivered by any provider (i.e. a common approach to the so-called "TV Everywhere" distribution model which seeks to make programming that pay-TV customers have already paid for through their cable, satellite or IPTV subscriptions available to those customers on multiple platforms, and thus aims to head off the threat posed to pay-TV services by the increasing availability of over-the-top programming--for some background on TV Everywhere, see the articles published on itvt.com, April 30th, May 14th, June 25th and July 15th). The deadline for responses to the RFI is December 11th.

The objective of the RFI, according to CableLabs, is to have suppliers provide the organization and its cable operator members with assistance in defining the technical requirements and architecture necessary to enable online access to subscription-based cable TV video services involving both multiple programmers and multiple multichannel video programming distributors (MVPD's). One of CableLabs' goals, the organization says, is to use existing standards and specifications. "We are issuing this RFI at the strong urging of our members," CableLabs president and CEO, Paul Liao, said in a prepared statement. "It is their belief that a common technical approach will offer greater choice to consumers, and will enable competition among technology providers to support the market." Added Comcast chairman and CEO, Brian Roberts, who is also chairman of CableLabs' board of directors (note: Comcast recently revealed that it expects to be able to launch a bare-bones version of Comcast On Demand Online, its implementation of the TV Everywhere model which it is currently trialing with around 10,000 customers, before the end of the year--see the article published on itvt.com, October 28th): "I am greatly encouraged that this RFI and CableLabs' efforts will provide the technical tools to our industry and other multichannel programming providers to offer high-quality video online." And added Time Warner Cable president and CEO, Glenn Britt: "This work by CableLabs will be consistent with the high-level service goals that we at Time Warner Cable announced last June. Our intention is to make this technology open and non-exclusive."

Key components of the RFI include broad areas such as service architecture, technical interface specifications, resource attributes specifications, infrastructure components and security. According to CableLabs, the guiding principles behind the RFI for online content access include "providing technology solutions with the highest level of security possible to enable consumer choice and convenience, while protecting consumer privacy, protecting copyright, and to enable both ad supported and pure subscription programming online."