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Look ma, no box! Panasonic's TH-PZ80Q plasmas are the first Tru2way TVs available.

(Credit: Panasonic)

Panasonic has announced limited availability of two Tru2way plasma TVs. The two plasma flat-panels, the 42-inch TH-42PZ80Q and the 50-inch TH-50PZ80Q, become the first products available to consumers that are Tru2way compatible, making good on Panasonic's pledge to have the debut products in stores by year's end.

Tru2way is a new technology that allows full interactive ("two-way") access to digital TV and HDTV cable systems without the need for a standalone cable box. That's an improvement on the earlier CableCard technology, which couldn't be used to access interactive services (such as pay-per-view and video-on-demand) via third-party devices such as the TiVo HD DVR.

The Panasonic Tru2way models will be priced at $1,600 and $2,300 for the 42-inch and 50-inch model, respectively. Compared with their non-Tru2way predecessors, the TH-42PZ80U and TH-50PZ80U, it looks as if the new technology will cost consumers a premium of $500 to $670.

For now, distribution will be limited to the Denver and Chicago areas, where the cable systems have been certified to be Tru2way-ready. That area should widen as more cable operators around the country add the capability. Additional manufacturers--including Sony, Samsung, and RCA--are planning to release Tru2way products in 2009 and beyond.

So my prediction that we don't see (Tru2way TVs) until sometime in 2009 was dead wrong. But, to my mind, the technology still needs to address three key points before it's truly ready for the mass market:

Despite reports of setbacks, Panasonic is still aiming to have its Tru2way TVs on store shelves by the holidays.

(Credit: Panasonic)

Panasonic has confirmed to CNET that it still intends to deliver Tru2way TVs to the market before the end of 2008. A company representative e-mailed us with the following statement:

Panasonic's Tru2way-enabled VIERA HDTV is in the certification process at CableLabs. Panasonic expects to deliver Tru2way-enabled VIERA HDTVs to the market in time for the holiday season.

Of course, the company's expectation does not equal a guarantee that we'll see the product on store shelves before the end of the year. But it does represent an affirmation that Panasonic is actively working to address the alleged issues that cropped up during the CableLabs certification process. That's certainly a contrast from the "no comment" we received Thursday.

Previous Tru2way coverage:
The rocky road to Tru2way
Can Tru2way succeed where CableCard failed?
Sony commits to Tru2way

(Credit: CableLabs)

Update: Subsequent to the publication of this story, Panasonic has released a more detailed statement on the status of its Tru2way TVs.

CableLabs' Tru2way got a big boost last month when Sony signed on with a pledge to design and deliver TVs that incorporate the standard, bolstering an already impressive list of backers. The Web was flooded with optimistic reports of a post-cable box Valhalla where you could simply buy a Tru2way TV, screw in your coaxial cable, and have plug-and-play access to your 1,000-channel universe. Before those miracle TVs hit the market, however, they need to be certified by CableLabs--and there are rumors that the initial trials aren't going well. According to IP Democracy, the initial certification tests for Panasonic Tru2way TVs were unsuccessful--to say the least. The post cites "folks close to Tru2way" as calling the Panasonic tests a "'disaster of spectacular proportions'" that resulted in "'dozens and dozens' of bugs."

In an attempt to verify those dire--but anonymous--quotes, we contacted Panasonic and CableLabs for their responses. ... Read more

If the industry press is to be believed, Tuesday's announcement that Sony would be producing TVs with Tru2way compatibility was a watershed event--the electronics world equivalent of the Magna Carta or the Treaty of Versailles. But let's step back a bit and examine what this really means.

Tru2way is a digital cable technology developed by CableLabs that's designed to be built directly into TVs, eliminating the need for an outboard set-top box. In theory, you'd be able to buy a Tru2way-compatible TV, bring it home, connect it to your coaxial cable, and instantly be able to receive your entire lineup of digital cable and high-def channels--including all the interactive video-on-demand and pay-per-view channels that currently require a cable box.

(Credit: CableLabs)

If this sounds familiar, it's because many of the same promises were made several years ago with a technology called CableCard. TVs that shipped with a CableCard slot were called "Digital Cable Ready" (DCR); they required a smart card, provided by your local cable operator, to receive digital and HD channels. The problem with CableCard was that it was an interim solution that satisfied nobody. Everyone--cable companies, hardware manufacturers, government regulators, and consumers--found CableCard technology lacking. Among the problems:

• CableCard was effectively a one-way technology, so it was incompatible with any interactive services, including video-on-demand and pay-per-view services that customers have grown to like, and cable companies depend on as a major revenue stream.
• CableCard was incompatible with Switched Digital Video (SDV) technology, which more cable providers are--or will soon be--utilizing to deliver more HD channels despite bandwidth limitations. As a result, CableCard devices such as the TiVo HD DVR need an outboard tuner (basically, a second cable box) to receive those channels, which often include the newest and most desirable HD stations.
• The CableCard installation and setup still required the cable companies to "roll a truck" to the customer's home--so it didn't save the company any time or money versus a cable box setup.
• Original CableCard setups were limited to just one tuner, so dual-tuner applications--such as picture in picture and the ability to record one show while watching another--were unavailable. (This issue was addressed with dual slots on the TiVo HD, as well as the multi-stream "M-card," which allowed for dual tuning--it was rarely deployed by cable operators.)
• CableCard setups are notoriously finicky, and often require one or more follow-up visits from the cable technician.
• The electronic programming guide (EPG) interface on most CableCard TVs was either bare bones or nonexistent. That was bad for users who've grown used to increasingly sophisticated EPGs (on TiVo and satellite DVRs). It also frustrated cable providers who were used to controlling that interface on their own boxes, where--for better or worse--they could add advertisements, customized graphics, and other "branding" that so excites multimillion dollar corporations.
• TVs with CableCard support often charged a slight premium over their non-CableCard counterparts--meaning that consumers were often paying more, but (as evidenced by the laundry list of issues above) getting less.

Not surprisingly, there was an immediate clamor for "CableCard 2.0" to address all of those issues. And that's effectively what Tru2way is: the next-gen CableCard, without the physical card. (You may have heard it mentioned during its years of development, when it was alternately referred to as "OpenCable" or "Open Cable Application Platform (OCAP)".) And--on paper, at least--it seems as if CableLabs and its partners finally got it right this time.

Tru2way is designed from the ground up to be interactive, customizable (for the cable provider), and plug-and-play. Switched digital video, video-on-demand, pay-per-view, HD channels, dual-tuner support--it should all work without a hitch, and deliver an identical experience on your local cable system, no matter which Tru2way TV you're buying.

There are plenty of other potential advantages. Tru2way TVs should be able to offer additional functionality, such as built-in DVRs. (A handful of CableCard DVR/TV combos were released, but they never took off, thanks largely to the problems outlined above.) And including the tuner inside the TV would offer the potential for better picture quality, since a TV signal native to the TV would no longer be reliant on the so-so video processing found on most set-top boxes.

Beyond the TV, Tru2way functionality could be built in to third-party DVRs (TiVo is already said to be working on a "Series4" DVR that utilizes the technology) and accessories. Among the other possibilities: a Tru2way Slingbox with a built-in tuner; an adapter that turns the Xbox 360 or PS3 into a cable-ready DVR; true home theater PCs; and portable TV viewers (such as the Comcast/Panasonic player shown in January).

So what's not to like? Nothing--except that none of this yet exists in the real world. Until you can actually buy one of these Tru2way products at Best Buy, Circuit City, or Amazon.com, it's all theoretical.

Sony joins Panasonic, Samsung, and RCA on the Tru2way roadmap, but whether any of these companies will actually deliver a real world Tru2way product before the end of the year remains to be seen. And even if they do, there are plenty of other questions. How much will cable companies charge you for the privilege of connecting a Tru2way product to their pipe? (Our guess: exactly the same fee they charge for renting the box you have now.)

And why will companies like TiVo bother developing Tru2way boxes if the consumer will be forced to use the drab cable company interface versus the far superior TiVo UI? Just imagine, for instance, if a future Apple TV offers Tru2way compatibility, but instead of its slick Apple home screen, you're stuck with a Comcast/Time Warner/Cox EPG the minute you toggle to live TV. For most users, that would eliminate the whole reason for upgrading in the first place.

Color us skeptical
The bottom line is this: Tru2way certainly looks to offer the potential for cable customers to return to the simple, halcyon days of "cable ready" TVs--just one wire, just one remote. But until we see the products hit stores in the real world, and see how--or if--they work as advertised on cable systems around the country, color us skeptical. In the meantime, we'll be waiting patiently in the downstairs rec room, sitting on hold with tech support, trying to get the CableCard PC up and running.

What do you think: Will Tru2way make for a better cable TV experience? Or will it be the latest consumer electronics scheme to overpromise and underdeliver?

Update (5/29/2008): Be sure to read the detailed comment below from reader MegaZone (who runs the Gizmolovers website). He offers some important corrections and expansions to my CableCard/Tru2way analysis.

It happens all the time.

Company X and Company Y get together and announce a broad partnership to do a whole bunch of things. Executives smile, shake hands, and talk about all the great things they are going to do together.

Then they go back to their respective cities, little comes of the deal, and everyone forgets it ever happened. Well, in our immense spare time, we're going to look back at some of those deals and try to figure out where things stand.

First up is a deal that Microsoft and DirecTV announced two years ago at the Consumer Electronics Show. According to the press release, the two companies were forming a long-term agreement that would allow digital content to flow between Windows-based PCs, DirecTV set-top boxes, Xbox consoles, and portable media players.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer offered a glowing forecast of what the arrangement would mean for consumers. "This agreement is a significant milestone for consumers and content owners, since it will greatly extend the reach and flexibility of digital entertainment in the home," Ballmer said in a statement at the time. "By integrating our Windows Media platform technologies with the DirecTV service, we have created a pipeline for an incredible variety of premium digital entertainment to move seamlessly and securely throughout the home to anywhere a DirecTV customer wants to enjoy it."

So what has come to market? Absolutely nothing.

In fairness, Microsoft has been working even longer to try to get CableCard support into Vista PCs.

Asked about the DirecTV deal, a Microsoft representative said the two companies are still actively working together but declined further comment on what the two might be doing or when anyone might be able to get their hands on it. Does anyone in Microsoftland want to share more?

Also, give us your thoughts on what deal should be featured in the next edition of "Whatever happened." There are a lot of deals that come to mind: Sun Microsystems' big partnership with Google. Sun's partnership with Microsoft. Heck, even Sun's deal with Enron--or maybe we should pick on someone other than Sun.

Update: Well, in this case my readers know more than I do. See the comments section for what DirecTV is apparently up to. I'll check into it and post more info when I get it.

To date, TiVo's CableCard DVRs weren't compatible with SDV channels.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

As of the most recent software update (9.2), TiVo's added quite a few fixes to its high-def DVRs: the Series3 and the TiVo HD now offer the TiVo To Go, Multi-Room Viewing, Rhapsody, and expandable storage features that were originally promised. Now it appears that TiVo has solved the other big sticking point: compatibility with Switched Digital Video (SDV) technology. The company announced today that it's developed (with the help of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association) an add-on USB adapter that will enable its two high-def DVRs to properly tune cable channels being broadcast with SDV technology.

Assuming it pans out, the SDV compatibility is something of a breakthrough because it removes a giant caveat from the buying decision for potential TiVo consumers. SDV technology has been hailed as something of a savior for bandwidth-starved cable operators, because it allows them to cram more digital and high-definition channels into their existing channel space as they struggle for "most HD channels" bragging rights with satellite and fiber competitors. The problem to date was that SDV channels--which effectively are delivered "on demand" when you tune to them--were not available on third-party cable boxes using existing CableCard technology. In other words, customers with standard cable boxes were fine, but anyone with a third-party CableCard device--such as a TiVo, some home theater PCs, and many "DCR" (digital cable ready) TVs--would be unable to watch any of the SDV channels.

With TiVo owners still in the minority and SDV technology not yet widely deployed, the incompatibility problem was a looming issue on the horizon. But with more cable providers set to roll out SDV in the upcoming months, it was set to bloom into a full-blown crisis, with TiVo owners suddenly finding themselves unable to watch new HD channels coming online on their cable system. With a solution now on the roadmap, TiVo's high-def DVRs look a lot more future-proof--and easier to recommend.

The press release specifies that the USB adapter will work with TiVo Series3 and TiVo HD DVRs, as well as "any Unidirectional Digital Cable Ready Product (UDCP) that has a USB connector and necessary firmware"--which, ideally, includes the forthcoming Digeo Moxi and aforementioned PC devices, as well as future third-party video devices as well. (With USB ports and upgradeable firmware still a relative rarity on TVs--plus the fact that CableCards are disappearing from the spec sheets of most current TV models--don't hold your breath for an update if you're one of the small number of HDTV owners using a CableCard.) The new adapters are scheduled to be available in the second quarter of 2008. No pricing was specified.

As with any first-generation product, CableCard has received its fair share of criticism. The cards are one-way devices, which means no pay-per-view or video on demand. The cards are also single-tuner devices, which means no recording one show while watching another unless you double up. There's no option for a DIY installation, and a visit from technician doesn't guarantee you'll be left with a signal.

I've been using Comcast's CableCard for a couple weeks now, however, and I've been pleasantly surprised. So much so, that I may turn in my cable box at the end of my trial instead of returning the CableCard loaners. Why am I so smitten? For starters, the installation went smoothly, and I've had a steady signal ever since (aside from the occasional Media Center hiccup, which I'll get to in a minute). Nvidia's latest drivers fixed the overscanning problem. The Velocity Micro system I have on loan accepts two CableCards, so I get the same dual-tuner experience I get from my Comcast DVR set-top box. And giving up PPV and VOD is easy when weighed against the advantages of a CableCard-equipped, PC-based DVR.

Before Nvidia's latest ForceWare release, I had to toggle back and forth between resolutions so that I could get a TV signal (at 1,280x720) and get the Windows desktop to fit on the screen (1,176x664). ForceWare driver 162.22 adds an option called "Resize the HDTV desktop," which let me adjust the size of the desktop via two sliders so it didn't bleed over the edges when set to my display's native (and HDCP-compliant) resolution. I wish the updated drivers just did away with the overscanning issue automatically, but it didn't take too much fine-tuning to get the desktop resized to where its edges matched those of my HDTV.

Even after a successful installation and correcting the overscan problem, I didn't expect to find myself favoring CableCard over my DRV cable box for the simple fact that I like my video on demand. Like a drinking buddy, it's just nice to know it's there when nothing's on TV. But the additional--and easily expandable--capacity that a PC provides lets me store a lot more HD content. A longer list of recorded shows means you don't need to wade into the VOD waters as often. I can't record more than a couple movies or sporting events in HD on my Comcast box without quickly filing the drive. I tried recording a six-hour block of Wimbledon one Sunday in June, and the recording got cut off in the third set of the Federer-Nadel match. Not an ideal user experience. With the ability to store more HD content, I don't miss Comcast VOD, the majority of which is standard-def content anyway. The last time I went trolling through Comcast's list of HD movies on demand, the titles were so few and uninteresting that I briefly considered watching Sly Stallone's Cliffhanger. Hang on, indeed.

In addition to having more shows in HD at the ready, I like the Media Center experience because it automatically switches the aspect ratio when I go from, say, Comedy Central in SD to the Food Network in HD. With my cable box, I have to hunt for my TV's remote and adjust the aspect. Media Center also doesn't charge me a monthly subscription fee, which is even nicer in light of a letter I received yesterday from Comcast that informed me that my monthly DVR charge will be increasing from $9.95 to $12.95. Media Center also lets me easily burn TV shows to disc, and watching photo slide shows on a 42-inch plasma is much more engaging than on a 13-inch laptop.

Although Media Center is stable for the most part, it's still more annoying when it stutters or freezes than when my Comcast DVR box gets tripped up. It's probably just because I spend most of my day sitting in front of a Windows PC, so I'm quicker to curse Windows when it acts up in the evening than Comcast's DVR application. To its credit, Media Center has a slicker, better-looking interface compared with Comcast's, but that might change whenever Comcast finally comes out with its TiVo interface.

I'll be setting up an Xbox 360 this weekend for some CableCard HD media streaming. Look for a report next week on that endeavor.

After repeated attempts to get CableCard up and running with Time Warner in Brooklyn failed to produce a signal, we decided to shift our CableCard operations to CNET's northern outpost in Concord, NH. We sent back Velocity Micro its CineMagix Grand Theater for some fine-tuning, and it then turned around and sent the system up here.

Those green lights mean CableCard is working.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

New Hampshire is Comcast territory. I called Comcast and scheduled an installation last week. The technician had done a handful of installations on CableCard-equipped TVs and DVRs, but this was the first time he had seen a CableCard-equipped PC. After complimenting me on my strong signal (why, thank you), the technician popped a CableCard into each of the two ATI TV Wonder Digital Cable Tuner cards, called HQ to get the cards provisioned to my hardware and account, and then declared we were ready to roll. We fired up Media Center, ran through the setup screens, and selected Live TV, only to be met with nothing but snow. After some head scratching and rebooting, we decided to change cables. We swapped out the DVI-HDMI cable we had been using for a DVI-VGA cable. (My Vizio P42 plasma gives you only the option of HDMI, component, and VGA, and the CineMagix provides only DVI.) With the VGA connection, we were able to get a picture, which proved the CableCards were working. We were left staring at a standard-def picture, however, obviating the primary reason for a CableCard-equipped PC--HD cable TV via Media Center.

A call to Velocity Micro revealed the culprit: overscanning. When I set up the PC with my plasma, I selected an odd resolution of 1176x664 even though the Vizio P42 is a 720p set. At 1280x720, the Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS graphics card overscans the picture on HDTVs so that the edges of the Vista desktop are cut off. Since I like seeing the Start button and my task bar, I chose 1176x664, which Nvidia added as an underscan mode for 720p HDTVs (there's another underscan resolution for 1080i/1080p sets). While Nvidia is working to update its drivers to correct this overscan issue, I'd like to point out that Vista has been out for over six months now.

While running at 1176x664 solved the overscanning problem with the Vista desktop, it wasn't a resolution that HDCP supports. After I switched to 1280x720 and switched back to the DVI-HDMI cable (and wrestled with some Media Center stops and starts, and a hard drive failure), I had a beautiful HD picture. I have yet to find a way to correct the overscanning on this system, so I'm currently stuck switching resolutions when I hop between TV and the Vista desktop. Television--both HD and SD channels--are displayed correctly at 12870x720--no overscanning. And since most of the menu options in Media Center are centered, it's only when dealing with the regular Vista desktop where I feel the need to switch resolutions.

Since getting up and running, I've experienced a stable, stutter-free TV signal. As good as it is though, I still don't think I'd pony up for a CableCard-equipped PC. I've become too accustomed to my cable box's VOD programming to give up that feature. Seems like every week there's more free HD content on demand. (CableCard 2.0 promises two-way communication, but its release date is still unknown.) Still, my opinion might change later this week when I take delivery of an Xbox 360. I plan to set that up in the bedroom with a 22-inch LCD to test out Media Center's streaming capabilities. Perhaps then, I'll dub it Comcastic. Until that point, however, I'll keep banging away on CableCard and report back with anything interesting. And I'm taking requests--let me know what you'd like me to try out; I'll answer as many of your CableCard questions as I can.

Is this the new TiVo Series 3 Lite?

(Credit: Tivo Community)

While a cheaper Series 3 TiVo has certainly kicked around the rumor mill for some time now--and was essentially confirmed by CEO Tom Rogers earlier this year--the rumors have a new air of legitimacy, thanks to the posters at TiVo Community. While "Super Moderators" such as Mike Lang have been coyly hinting that the rumors are true since last Friday, yesterday posts containing images and detailed specs of the new Series 3 "Lite" showed up, along with links to the product page at Buy.com. This all adds up to pretty solid confirmation that we should be seeing a TiVo Series 3 "Lite" sooner rather than later, and according to the rumors, it's really not as much of step-down as you might think.

As far as we can tell from the leaked info, the biggest difference in terms of features between the current Series 3 and the Series 3 Lite seems to be the smaller hard drive, with the Series 3 Lite sporting only a 160GB drive compared to the 250GB drive of the current Series 3. The other differences, at least to us, are pretty trivial: no OLED front display, no THX certification, and just a standard TiVo remote.

With such minor differences, you might expect the Series 3 Lite to be priced only slightly lower, but the rumored MSRP is $300--a full $500 less than the current MSRP of the Series 3 (but both still require a $13 monthly fee). We think that's a trade-off a lot of TiVo fans are going to like, especially since if (as speculated on the thread) there's an eSata port to add hard drive space as on current Series 3--although you need to use a hack to get it working.

Of course, even a Series 3 Lite will still have to compete with the cable company's DVRs, which might not be a user-friendly as TiVo, but they usually offer most of the same functionality for a low monthly free and no upfront cost. And with the new rules requiring further adoption of CableCards by cable companies, we expect TiVo to see some additional competition from other third-party CableCard DVRs--we were impressed by Moxi's demo a few weeks ago. Either way, we're looking forward to getting the full details on the Series 3 "Lite."

Sources: TiVo Community via Engadget