Sony to Market tru2way Products

June 3, 2008

The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and Sony Electronics announced that Sony has signed an agreement to market “two-way” digital televisions and other devices that can receive interactive digital and high-definition video services without a set-top box.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been negotiated by Sony Electronics and the six largest cable companies – Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Charter, Cablevision, and Bright House Networks – which serve more than 82 percent of all U.S. cable subscribers. Other consumer electronics companies have been invited to join the MOU.

Two-Way Products Offer Digital and HD Service with No Set-Top Box

The agreement will establish a competitive retail market for “two-way” digital cable-ready devices and how these products will be brought to market with interactive services like video-on-demand, digital video recording, and interactive programming guides. Consumers will have a choice of two-way products at through retailers or cable operators from a variety of consumer electronics and information technology manufacturers. The agreement includes safeguards to facilitate the development of a robust, two-way retail market and to ensure that cable operators can continue to develop and offer new competitive services.

As part of the agreement, the parties will adopt the Java-based “tru2way” solution as the national interactive “plug-and-play” standard, new streamlined technology licenses, and new ways for content providers, consumer electronics manufacturers, information technology companies, and cable operators to cooperate in evolving the tru2way technology at Cable Television Laboratories (CableLabs), the cable industry’s research and development consortium.

Groundbreaking Agreement GovernsTru2Way Technology

Representative Rick Boucher (D-VA), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and one of Congress’s leading advocates for new technology and consumer freedoms said: “I congratulate Sony and the major cable operators for achieving consensus on a set of core principles that will speed the introduction of new two-way plug-and-play devices.” Representative Boucher added: “With this groundbreaking compromise, these industry-leading companies and other major cable companies will ensure that consumers will have broader access to innovative competitive cable ready navigation devices from commercial retailers and will have expanded options to enjoy cable programming, including video on demand and other interactive programming options.”