Written by Chris Albrecht
Posted Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 3:36 PM PT

 

Sony + Tru2way = No More Set-top Boxes?

Sony has joined forces with six of the top cable companies in the U.S. to adopt tru2way technology in its TVs, thus eliminating the need for a set-top box when accessing television and other interactive services. Apple, Netflix, Sezmi and anyone else working on a set-top box should be nervous.

Sony isn’t the first TV manufacturer to jump on the tru2way bandwagon. Samsung, Panasonic and LG have all signed licensing agreements to use the technology in TV sets that will go on sale as soon as the upcoming holiday season. Sony’s participation is a little different from those previous arrangements as it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Charter, Cablevision and Bright House Networks that commits everyone involved to using tru2way, sets certain milestones and even allows consumer electronics companies to be more active in establishing the tru2way standard.

Combined, those cable systems reach 82 percent of all U.S. cable subscribers. Now that is an install base.

An open java-based platform, tru2way allows developers to create all manner of interactive applications (like games, or eBay notifications, or interactive guides) for the television. The standard allows developers to write the application once, and have it run on any cable system.

The technology is being rolled out throughout the year on set-top boxes, but tru2way TV sets from Sony and other manufacturers means that cable boxes could become a thing of the past. Plug your connection directly into your TV and get your HD, DVR, programming guide, VOD and more all in one place.

I’ve written before that cable and satellite companies have a leg up in the set-top space because they are already in the home, and agreements with big, brand name companies like Sony will just accelerate their lead. TiVo is smart to move into licensing its interface as there will be no need for its box. And with studios like Warner Bros. releasing all of its movies on VOD day-and-date with DVD, what will you need an Apple TV for?

Of course, the cable industry could wind up being its own worst enemy, bungling the implementation, confusing customers or charging exorbitant fees. But if people are at all like me, laziness will trump all that and we’ll just use what’s already plugged into our TVs.

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Comments & Trackbacks

  1. [...] NewTeeVee Sony has joined forces with six of the top cable companies in the U.S. to adopt tru2way technology in its TVs, thus eliminating the need for a set-top box when accessing television and other interactive services. Apple, Netflix, Sezmi and anyone else working on a set-top box should be nervous. [...]

    Sony + Tru2way = No More Set-top Boxes? on May 27th, 2008 at 4:40 pm - Permalink

  2. All I can need to say is Web Enabled TVs and Consoles and a new version of Flash for devices and the party is over .

    Matt_ on May 27th, 2008 at 5:24 pm - Permalink

  3. [...] Netflix, Sezmi and anyone else working on a set-top box should be nervous. Read more about it here. Apparently, Sony isn’t the first TV manufacturer to jump on the tru2way bandwagon. Samsung, [...]

    When One Less Gadget Is Better — Set-Top Boxes Going Bye-Bye? | VoIP Newsly on May 27th, 2008 at 8:05 pm - Permalink

  4. [...] ponerle soporte Tru2Way a esos dos que montar servicios como iTunes o Netflix de cero. Fuentes: NewTeeVee, Ars [...]

    Tru2Way gana momentum - Foros de CHW on May 28th, 2008 at 6:31 am - Permalink

    1. it’s more likely that TVs will become peripherals for PCs/Macs, rather than TVs replacing a smart set-top box equipped with HDDs, multimedia streaming, internet, torrent capabilities (they are already like small PCs)

    2. replacement rate in TV sets is lower than in smaller peripherals (lets say set-top boxes), therefore the possibility for innovation (=adding new features) is limited with these ones :-)

    3. having your DVR/PVR java based is… no comment :-)

    Life Tester on May 28th, 2008 at 7:02 am - Permalink

  6. I’m glad to see the STB going away. However, I agree that the TV will become a peripheral for the PC. Sony already has the PC/TV combo unit, but this isn’t a good idea either (http://www.circuitcity.com:80/ccd/productDetail.do?oid=206163).
    All we really need is the built-in ability of PCs and TVs to communicate wirelessly. Quartics.com.

    geraldz on May 29th, 2008 at 5:13 am - Permalink

  7. [...] TVs obviating the need for a set-top box even for pay-per-view and on-demand cable programming. NewTeeVee is pretty optimistic though I found it — and almost all the media coverage, really — lacking the history and [...]

    Gravitational Pull - Tivo already connects your TV to the web content you want on May 29th, 2008 at 3:40 pm - Permalink

  8. [...] do this, Sony will incorporate a cable TV technology called tru2way in new televisions. Tru2way is an open java-based platform that allows developers to create all [...]

    Sony’s agreement to use tru2way technology will eliminate set-top boxes, but not right away | last100 on May 30th, 2008 at 1:20 am - Permalink

  9. [...] TV sets and other CE devices, eliminating the need for a set-top box. Sony recently signed on to adopt the technology, and it was subsequently given official endorsements from licensees including Panasonic, Samsung [...]

    Tru2way Screwed2way? - GigaOM on June 13th, 2008 at 1:38 pm - Permalink

  10. Color me extremely skeptical. Mostly because it’s the cable companies, the gang who couldn’t shoot straight, provide decent customer service or reasonable pricing. Next – it’s java based? That in itself is laughable and problematic. What about malicious attacks. Java is just not secure. As for internet use, what about ISPs placing caps on their bandwidth? You put untold thousands of cable subscribers on tru2way hogging bandwidth and the ISPs will have a fit.

    Finally, we have to buy new TVs enabled with tru2way??? We JUST upgraded to HDTV. Are they kidding? If I refuse, does that mean I have to buy a tru2way set top box defeating the tru2way “no set top box” business model?

    I’m a little tired of these technological flights of fancy from these format pinheads. First, it was DVD vs. Divx, then HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray, now tru2way – which, BTW, sounds like lame kitchen appliance. It also means little that Sony has signed on. Toshiba, Microsoft and HP tried to push HD-DVD on us unsuccessfully.

    “For cable TV, ditching set-top boxes won’t be easy” – MarketWatch
    http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/vision-cable-tv-without-set-top/story.aspx?guid=%7BDC97C23A-9B84-4753-BA41-A62D8BD75DD5%7D&dist=msr_1

    Carl Johnson on January 1st, 2009 at 4:23 pm - Permalink

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