Broadcasting Industry

Incomplete DVB standard is not only stuck with radio and television operators in China, the birthplace of the DVB standard?? Europe is the same in some cases even more serious.

Online has a very high click-through rate the article “incomplete DVB Standard lock-in radio and TV operators in China “, said the lack of interface standards as DVBCA, resulting in the proliferation of private CA standards, all broadcasting standards after using this thing stuck. Is not only Chinese carrier is stuck in the DVB standard cradle?? Europe too, in some cases even more serious, to Lyngsat website to see some of Europe Satellite Operators and even with the close of the eight kinds of CA, the confusion is evident.

Do not look at the first European to carry out Digital TV Radio, until now, people in Europe also depends on encrypted TV programs, mainly through set-top boxes, digital integrated terrestrial TV is mainly used to receive free programs, one can see the encrypted television machine mainly through the PCMCIA calories, and then plug a small card . The calories in Europe, the price is relatively low, ordinary people can afford, more affluent in the Nordic countries have a certain currency, but in general not the mainstream, accounting, or set-top box market is still very much so far can not get rid of operators set-top box binding.

2007 7 1st, the U.S. FCC to enforce “Cable Card” (CableCARD or POD card, PCMCIA card, the U.S. title) regulations, the cable operators will no longer have absolute control of the set-top box. U.S. 65 million Cable television Users can purchase a variety of retail channels, the set-top box with a CableCARD slot or one machine and operator is renting from CableCARD can watch digital TV signals. Prior to this, users must provide a set-top box rental operators, otherwise the normal reception of digital television signals.

CableCARD module to CA was spun off from the set-top box, this module is the user to exercise control operators a key technical means, but does not cost much cheaper than the set-top box. Americans, and we also have the same vision: to ensure operators in the basic rights are not violated, the set-top boxes to become fully universal consumption Electronic Terminal, terminal manufacturers are no longer acting as the operator faces the consumer is free to obtain a purchase. In China, this practice is called ” Machine Card Separation . “U.S. industry attaches great importance to this legislation, serious was that on July 1 Independence Day for the digital television. Two years later, the actual implementation is not satisfactory, and the situation before this legislation is almost, this is reason.

With Europe, China, like in the United States, private CA standards are also monopolized the market, many operators make CA the company shares to strengthen this control to form a closed business and technology environment, hardware and software bundle is also very serious . U.S. digital TV fee is high, a common set-top box with a cost of nearly two months of the ratings, the cost of buying set-top box for the burden on U.S. carriers is not heavy, so this tied to the rising cost carriers can bring operators within the tolerance range. Operators are most concerned about is the control set-top box can be a way to improve the security of encryption systems, control the user or the user paying the money earned through the set-top box in the second. Another reason is that U.S. cable operators are using the free card CA, also do not need “Machine Card Separation.”

High level of U.S. hackers, machine card separation reduces the security of CA is CA the company would like to see even more operators do not want to see. Therefore, in the U.S. digital television software and hardware bundle is also very close. The United States, “Machine Card Separation” is also not just a sub-carrier industry market share that part of this cup were the noise of it, the United States, like ordinary people and Chinese people probably do not know, “Machine Card Separation” is what matter. From this perspective, as long as the dominant market operator, set-top box market, there should be a long-term, this exists from the DVB standard interface definition in the absence of the CA, the formation of numerous private CA standards and set-top boxes tied, then the private standards caused by control operators formed.

Habit of speaking from the user, one machine the most convenient, operators can not afford the cost of set-top box, should be a co-existence together beautiful things. But this ideal because of the various interest groups in the game, becomes illusory.