What's in the (cable) box? Possibly the future of television
Edward Markey and Richard Blumenthal, Democrats on a Senate subcommittee that oversees technology and communications, found that the average household spends about $231 a year on box rental fees.
The new rules would force TV suppliers — companies like Comcast, DirecTV and Verizon Fios — to make available video and channel information to outside companies like Google, Apple and TiVo.
[...] cable companies initially had to install them for customers and had no incentive to make sure they were easy to get and activate, says John Bergmayer, an attorney at the public-interest group Public Knowledge, which supports the government's cable-box initiative.
New gadgets might let you do a single search for both TV channels and online services, which could help you find niche online video that cable companies don't carry.
Cable companies already have apps that let you watch TV on phones and tablets, and newer Internet-only offerings deliver channels through a streaming-TV gadget rather than a set-top box.
WHY ARE CABLE AND ENTERTAINMENT COMPANIES RESISTING?
Besides losing fees from renting boxes, the cable industry doesn't want some intermediary in charge of video its customers get.
An analysis by bond-ratings agency Moody's says new set-top boxes, if successful with consumers, could pressure cable companies to deliver smaller, cheaper packages.