4 ms·

That there are assumptions that they own and control the network end points is betrayed by the comment that you don't find credible. I agree that the comment is

by korethr 10y ago

That there are assumptions that they own and control the network end points is betrayed by the comment that you don't find credible. I agree that the comment is poorly worded, but to me, it indicates that the set-top boxes they're renting out are more complex than just than something that naively decodes whatever video codec stream(s) is/are thrown at it. I think it's a reasonable assumption that the set-top boxes that Comcast provides are loaded with at least some proprietary Comcast code that takes care of the various functions the TV box provides (scheduling/channel guide, on-demand, authorization, DRM-handling etc). I think it's also a reasonable assumption that Comcast's video distribution network (and related systems, like billing) are also built with the assumption that the endpoints will have Comcast's code running on them. It could well be that the set-top boxes for their new system are naive MPEG decoders running completely stock OEM firmware, but until presented with evidence of such, I think the former is more likely.

bogomipz 10y ago
"I think it's a reasonable assumption that the set-top boxes that Comcast provides are loaded with at least some proprietary Comcast code that takes care of the various functions the TV box provides (scheduling/channel guide, on-demand, authorization, DRM-handling etc)" In other words a web app? Why does that require dedicated and proprietary hardware? What am I missing?
- korethr 10y ago
  Maybe a web app, maybe not a web app. Whether the code running on the Comcast set-top boxes is a web app or not doesn't matter. What does matter is that is is that the code running on the Comcast set-top boxes is likely built with the assumption that it would only ever talk to Comcast's back-end, and Comcast's back-end is likely built with the assumption that it will only ever talk to Comcast's set-top box code. In other words, they're going to be tightly coupled. Sufficiently so that decoupling them enough to provide an API compliant with the FCC's proposed ruling is going to be an expensive engineering task that Comcast would rather not have to spend money on.
jwatte 10y ago
Maybe they even put "security through obscurity" in the endpoints. Certainly, their comment makes it seem like they assume their own client code is needed and they don't want to provide and document a stable API for third parties.

by korethr 10y ago

bogomipz 10y ago

"I think it's a reasonable assumption that the set-top boxes that Comcast provides are loaded with at least some proprietary Comcast code that takes care of the various functions the TV box provides (scheduling/channel guide, on-demand, authorization, DRM-handling etc)" In other words a web app? Why does that require dedicated and proprietary hardware? What am I missing?

korethr 10y ago
Maybe a web app, maybe not a web app. Whether the code running on the Comcast set-top boxes is a web app or not doesn't matter. What does matter is that is is that the code running on the Comcast set-top boxes is likely built with the assumption that it would only ever talk to Comcast's back-end, and Comcast's back-end is likely built with the assumption that it will only ever talk to Comcast's set-top box code. In other words, they're going to be tightly coupled. Sufficiently so that decoupling them enough to provide an API compliant with the FCC's proposed ruling is going to be an expensive engineering task that Comcast would rather not have to spend money on.

jwatte 10y ago

Maybe they even put "security through obscurity" in the endpoints. Certainly, their comment makes it seem like they assume their own client code is needed and they don't want to provide and document a stable API for third parties.