Archive for August, 2010
TiVo Has Joined the MoCA Alliance!
Like a stealth fighter cruising under the media radar, TiVo has quietly joined the MoCA Alliance according to the little logos on the MoCA member webpage. In addition, TiVo has entered at the same “Contributor” level as DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Intel that allows them to shape the specifications. From the MoCA FAQ:
There is also a Contributor class. At this level, companies participate in the development of the specification, have voting rights within the work groups and are entitled to participate in all work groups.
Without drawing too many conclusions from one tiny bitmap, this starts to connect the dots on earlier reports that TiVo’s new Whole Home DVR may be using MoCA technology and how it would be “easy” to modify the TiVo Premiere box for MoCA networking. In addition, distribution deals with Cox, RCN and Suddenlink may mean that more cable companies may be considering adding TiVo to their DVR lineups or supporting the Premiere from retail stores according to another recent article.
See the updated MoCA membership page here.
Brand New Blu-ray Players, Same Old WiFi Problems
Toshiba has came out with two new Blu-ray players, the BDX2500 (WiFi ready) and BDX2700 (WiFi-enabled), and they are also coming out with the new 3D model BDX3000 later this year. The players are equipped to stream videos from Netflix, CinemaNow, and VUDU. However, the reviewer found a glaring weakness with WiFi:
My network and the player could not connect reliably over a 50-foot to 60-foot stretch even in a one-story apartment. Then I moved the player into the same room as the wireless router—an instant fix. Netflix and Pandora streamed sans glitches… be sure you place the player within range of your network, or your entire experience with the BDX2700 will be marred by glitchy performance and, ultimately, frustration.
WiFi can be unreliable for audio/video streaming for a number of reasons: solid walls and floors, interference from other routers, or too many WiFi devices in the area. Most people aren’t going to be able to use their Blu-ray players in the same room as their wireless routers so they’ll need another way to connect. MoCA is filling that need for a solid wired connection from the TV to the router and supporting your Blu-ray, Internet TV, Game Console, and more.
To read the article click here.
August 25, 2010 at 11:54 am Smart Phone Dojo Leave a comment
Streaming Movies vs Blu-Ray: Who’s Winning?
Streaming movies from services like Netflix, Amazon, Blockbuster and others are becoming more popular every day. The Retrevo Pulse Report on consumer electronics trends shows that people are becoming more interested in connecting their TV to the internet and the demand for connected TVs are becoming stronger. About 23% of the household have their TV connected to the Internet, another 26% would like to be. In addition, over 45% of households either stream movies now or would like to stream movies on their connected TVs or Blu-Ray Players. The study also may indicate that Blu-Ray Player sales will slow as consumers use their TVs to connect directly to the Internet for movie and TV streaming. Either way, more and more Internet TVs and Blu-Ray Players will be connected through MoCA Home Networks for the most reliable video streaming quality available.
To read the article click here
Got a TiVo? See How MoCA Makes it WAAAAAYYY Better
Those guys on the AVS Forum are really smart. If they were stuck on a desert island, they’d probably find a way to get satellite TV using sand and a few coconuts and then display it on an HDTV make from fluorescent algae. That’s why we don’t dispute it when one of their members posts their own TiVo networking tests showing how MoCA performs almost identically to wired Ethernet and 2-4 times better than powerline or WiFi for basic TiVo activities like multi-room DVR. That means if you have a TiVo and you’re not using MoCA (or Ethernet), you are wasting double or triple the precious minutes of your life waiting for a download or stream, when you could be spending that time with your family, building the next Google, or finding a cure for the common cold. You would think that the major cable companies, Verizon, and DirecTV would all be using MoCA for THEIR multi-room DVR systems – oh wait, THEY ARE so shouldn’t you?
Read the posting here.
You Say MoCA, I Say DECA – Which Is It?
If anyone is slightly confused about the differences between MoCA and DECA, they may sound like they’re different but in reality they are the same standard. MoCA stands for Multimedia over Coax Alliance which maintains the standards for MoCA coax networking. MoCA has specified 2 frequency bands at which the network can be operated: High-RF MoCA for Cable MSOs and Verizon FiOS from 850-1500 MHz, and Mid-RF MoCA for DirecTV from 500-850 MHz. Our more advanced readers may recognize that cable TV broadcasts below 850 MHz on the coax and satellite TV broadcasts above 950 MHz, hence the need for MoCA to avoid interfering with current signals on the line and 2 separate RF bands. Both versions of MoCA are being deployed primarily to enable the Multi-Room DVR feature available from all the major Pay TV providers.
So what is DECA? DECA stands for DirecTV Ethernet-to-Coax Adapter, a simple network bridge with an Ethernet port on one side and coax on the other, and operates at Mid-RF MoCA frequencies. The DECA is used mainly to connect legacy (older) DirecTV DVRs to Whole Home DVR service but is also being used by some consumers to connect Xbox’s, Bluray Players, Internet TVs, etc… to the Internet (also requires a DECA at the broadband router). Some folks are incorrectly using the term DECA to mean Mid-RF MoCA (which is technically incorrect, but perfectly understandable since it SOUNDS like MoCA).
The DECA’s counterpart for High-RF is called the MoCA ECB which stands for Ethernet-To-Coax Bridge. The ECB serves the same function for Cable MSOs and Verizon FiOS as a way to allow Ethernet onto the coax cable. One of the advantages of an ECB is that the same ECB, currently available from NETGEAR, D-LINK, or Actiontec, can be used with any Cable TV or Verizon FiOS service. Today, DECAs only work in DirecTV households and are not compatible with ECBs.
In summary, Cable and FiOS use High-RF MoCA which supports ECBs to convert between Ethernet and coax. DirecTV uses Mid-RF MoCA which supports DECAs to convert between Ethernet and coax. When will we have a single Ethernet-to-Coax bridge that is compatible with all MoCA bands? What will DISH Network use? Stay tuned to MoCABlog.net for the latest MoCA networking news and information.
MoCA POE Filters from Soontai
Some folks are wondering where they can find one of these MoCA POE filters that’s been talked about on the MoCABlog. Soontai manufactures various MoCA compatible POE filters that can boost your MoCA network performance at your cable point of entry, or isolate a cable modem, TV, or set-top box on your internal MoCA LAN. Soontai also has a US distributor PT Supply, who can provide the devices for all your MoCA needs (leaf not included).
