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back to article Comcast makes up with Boxee after cable encryption spat

The proliferation of third-party aggregation devices to combine cable TV with internet content in the home is set to continue in the US following a landmark deal between Comcast and Boxee. This is significant because Comcast is the largest US multi-system operator – with 22.5 million pay TV customers – while Boxee is the most …

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  1. Tom 38

    Good for Boxee

    But a bit shitty for anyone else who wants to come along and compete - no market share = no leverage = no agreement with comcast = no decryption goodies for any newcomer.

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  2. Tom 35

    It's already all encrypted in Canada

    "Cable TV makers have wanted to cut down on this trend because it threatened their own OTT and hybrid strategies"

    Once they make you use a set-top box for basic, it's a smaller step to get you to pay for extras.

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  3. Wile E. Veteran
    Big Brother

    Just an excuse to force set-top boxes

    Once a set-top box is in place, it is no stretch at all to expect the boxes to report your viewing habits back to the operator allowing yet more "targeted" advertising,

    We live in a society world where our every move is tracked for the benefit of the plutocrats who actually own the governments. It's not the "state" that is really interested in tracking people, it's their corporate masters.

    George Orwell simply had the date wrong.

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    1. Dan Paul
      Reply Icon
      Windows

      Re: Just an excuse to force set-top boxes

      And it won't be too long before we have Minority Report advertising as well.

      To my understanding, the cost of a complete point of sale register system for an entire supermarket chain can be almost completely defrayed by the worth of the buying habits of the supermarket customers.

      Nielsen used to pay people to fill out surveys, now it's time that I get $1,000 per year for my viewing habits.

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  4. 2cent

    Boxee helps put Comcast back in Box

    I am hoping this means that when the technology of "Vortex radio waves could boost wireless capacity “infinitely”".

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/03/02/radio_breakthrough/

    Direct download over the air will displace Comcast wired control.

    No doubt Boxee will be among the first to make an easy reciever.

    Who knows, maybe uploading network resources will become a Comcast specialty.

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