Comcast’s X1 TV system and apps. (credit: Comcast)
Comcast has accused the Federal Communications Commission of violating the law with its new proposal for helping consumers avoid renting set-top boxes. But the cable company hasn’t explained exactly how it thinks the FCC proposal is illegal.
The FCC ditched its original plan for boosting competition in the set-top box industry in order to adopt one supported by Comcast and other cable companies. The commission’s original plan would have forced cable companies to provide video and programming information to makers of third-party hardware or applications, letting the third parties create their own software and user interfaces through which cable customers could watch the channels they subscribe to.
Cable companies pitched an alternative plan in which TV providers would build their own applications for third-party devices, and FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler yesterday took the cable companies up on their offer. But the cable companies are still mad because the FCC made a few changes to the cable industry proposal instead of accepting it as is.
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Source: Ars Technica – Comcast claims FCC set-top box plan violates law, doesn’t say how