AllVid was a proposal to develop technology enabling smart broadband-connected video devices to access the content on the managed networks of cable operators, telcos, and satellite-TV operators. It was initially proposed in the U.S.Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) National Broadband Plan in 2010.[1][2] The AllVid hardware would act as a universaladapter for all types ofpay TV content such asvideo-on-demand andpay-per-view, as well as interactive programming guides, delivered through a wide variety of means, includingcable TV,satellite TV,VDSL,IPTV, andInternet TV.[3][4]
AllVid was intended to replaceCableCARD. Unlike CableCARD rules which only applied to cable operators, AllVid would apply to allMultichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPDs) including satellite and telco companies.
As of January 2017, AllVid was never adopted or developed.
The FCC has proposed several design aspects to AllVid while soliciting feedback from interested parties on a final specification before going forward forrulemaking. Major elements of the FCC's AllVid proposal include:
Gateway device capable of decoding six video streams and feeding through a home network to various devices.[5]
Adapter device capable of decoding two video streams and feeding directly to a television or consumer electronics device.[5]
Content encoding is proposed to support multiplecodecs to allow devices flexibility in choice of video formats without requiringtranscoding by the gateway.[7]
Google has supported the AllVid proposal,[8] stating that "Google supports an all-video ('AllVid') solution like the one put forth in the NOI. Consumers would be well-served by having such an inexpensive universal adapter available atretail, which would feature an easy-to-use, common interface, and employ nationwide interoperability standards to connect to televisions,digital video recording devices ('DVRs'), and other smart video devices. These navigation devices effectively would separate thenetwork interface from the device functionality, making video more 'portable' across platforms and devices."[9]
On February 16, 2011 several companies announced the creation of the AllVid Tech Company Alliance.[12] This group works to support implementation of the AllVid standard and specifically addresses issues raised by theNational Cable Television Association (NCTA). Alliance members include:
In January 2016, FCC chairmanTom Wheeler proposed rulemaking to "unlock theset-top box"[14] and the FCC voted to move forward with the proposal in February 2016. Critics claimed that this proposal was essentially AllVid which Wheeler refuted.[15] The FCC never had a vote to adopt the proposal because Wheeler could not get a majority of commissioners to support it.[16] In September 2020 the FCC closed the navigation device proceeding and eliminates CableCARD support and reporting requirements.[17][18]
^In the Matter of Video Device Competition, Implementation of Section 304 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Commercial Availability of Navigation Devices, Compatibility Between Cable Systems and Consumer Electronics Equipment, MB Docket No. 10-91, CS Docket No. 97-80, PP Docket No. 00-67, Comments of AT&T Inc. to Notice of Inquiry (Jul. 13, 2010).
