Arris' TG1682 residential voice gateway is now part of Comcast's XB3 home Wi-Fi service, Arris said Monday. The companies began jointly working on new broadband modems last year, it said. XB3's aim includes gigabit wireless speeds, IP video technology and integration of home automation and security, Arris said. Its TG1682 combines 24DS channel bonding, two analog voice lines, a 4-port gigabit router and a dual band 802.11ac wireless access point into the device, said the vendor.

TV cord cutting is widely talked about but rarely done worldwide, said survey data from Rovi released Friday. Globally, 3 percent of pay-TV customers have cut the cord, though 57 percent of those surveyed had given "a lot" or "some" thought to doing so, Rovi said. Cord cutting is more prevalent in the U.S., where 7 percent of respondents had done so, compared with roughly 2 percent in China, France, Germany and India, the company said. Searching for content looks to be one of viewers' chief sources of dissatisfaction, Rovi survey data said, since close to 73 percent of respondents said they're “extremely” or “somewhat” frustrated when they can’t locate enjoyable content, and those surveyed average 19 minutes a day looking for something to watch. Of those surveyed, 67 percent said they would be likely to extend their contract, upgrade their service, or sign up with a provider if it offered better search or recommendations, while 51 percent said their content provider should focus on better customer experience with an easier and more effective means of searching for content. In China and India, 90 percent of respondents said they would opt for a provider offering more effective searches or recommendations. Rovi said survey respondents also desire natural language voice-based searches -- 54 percent said they would “definitely” or “probably” spend an additional $1.99 a month for access to a voice command search feature. The survey data came from an online survey of 4,000 pay-TV and over-the-top subscribers in seven countries, with 1,000 interviews in the U.S., and 500 interviews each in the U.K., France, Germany, China, Japan and India, Rovi said. The company announced the survey results at the IBC Show in Amsterdam. It also unveiled new offerings, such as its own natural language search interface, Rovi Conversation Services; its Fan TV software that bundles live TV, VOD and streaming services; and additional capabilities of its metadata product, Rovi Metadata.

As the connected refrigerator continues to search for a place in the smart home, it has “one heck of a challenge ahead of it,” said NPD analyst Eddie Hold in a blog post. LG launched the “Internet refrigerator” in 2000, promising to let consumers know when they’re about to run out of food staples and place an online order to the grocery store. The use case seemed far-fetched then and still does, said Hold, but the smart icebox concept hasn’t gone away. At IFA last week, a smattering of refrigerators showed that appliance becoming smarter because use cases were more relevant, said Hold. The new smarter fridges learn a family’s usage patterns and can “prepare accordingly, pumping up the power before we begin to raid the fridge” allowing the unit to stay cooler during peak periods, said Hold. A family going on vacation can set a reduced power mode to save energy, he said. Hold compared the function to that of a smart thermostat, which can similarly save consumers money, the third reason consumers cited in NPD’s connected home automation report for embracing home automation solutions. Energy monitoring is a “far more compelling reason for purchasing an 'advanced’ refrigerator than some dream about managing your shopping list,” said Hold. That is key because awareness is low, with only 10 percent of consumers having heard of a smart refrigerator and only 4 percent being “somewhat or very” familiar with the devices, he said.

The FCC Downloadable Security Technical Advisory Committee, which has faced some legislator and pay-TV industry scrutiny, undertook a transparent process, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler wrote legislators who inquired about DSTAC. In letters posted online Wednesday and now unavailable on the FCC website because of the partial IT shutdown, he addressed criticism of the committee for going beyond the law that required the agency to form it. Wheeler said he asked DSTAC to include in its report how to meet the obligations of Communications Act Section 629 and Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization Act Section 106, which directed the commission to form the group. He also responded to the worries of Reps. Gene Green, D-Texas, and Bob Latta, R-Ohio, that the body was going beyond its mandate (see 1506190057). The group contained "representatives of all parties in interest," Wheeler wrote. Its meetings were public and any nonmember could comment at the gatherings, and it was "an open and transparent process," he said in letters to Green and Latta dated Aug. 11. He also wrote similarly that day to Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., who had said consumers want an alternative to renting set-top boxes from cable operators. Green and Latta had feared the committee wouldn't stick to security issues and would instead pursue what's known as AllVid, which could allow a sort of video device portability among competing pay-TV providers. Since the letters were exchanged, DSTAC completed its report (see 1508280035).

The end of being forced to rent a set-top cable or satellite box could be at hand, Comptel said Monday as the FCC Media Bureau said it sought comments on the Downloadable Security Technical Advisory Committee report submitted that day. "The FCC comment period marks the beginning of an effort to bring creative competition to the video device marketplace," Comptel CEO Chip Pickering said in a statement. "In an age where television consumers are cutting the cord and breaking the bundle, unlocking the box is an important step in the evolution of video and competition. The movement to free customers from the shackles of cable set-top boxes will open the door to consumer freedom and more competition." The deadline for comments in docket 15-64 is Oct. 8, with replies due Nov. 9, the Media Bureau said. The DSTAC report contains a pair of technical proposals on security for content flowing into set-top boxes, and two accompanying proposals on other aspects of the proposed systems such as navigation (see 1508280035). The CableCARD technology that was to be an alternative to renting a set-top box "has been beset by technical and logistical problems" like not being compatible with VOD and a lack of uniformity in CableCARDs, said Public Knowledge Senior Staff Attorney John Bergmayer, a DSTAC member, in a blog post Monday. While DSTAC was too split to make a single recommendation, both of "these approaches are inspired by technologies that have been used elsewhere," Bergmayer said. "The relevant question at this point isn't which of these proposals will work technically, but which of them will achieve the desired outcome: a market for devices that can access pay TV content," he wrote, saying that under the cable industry-backed proposal "third-party devices won’t be able to be significantly better than the cable-provider ones."

Set-top boxes should be an off-the-shelf item available from any manufacturer and compatible with cable lines or satellite dishes "as long as they meet basic technical standards," The New York Times said in an editorial Monday. The editorial referenced the possibility of new set-top box rules following the FCC Downloadable Security Technical Advisory Committee's submitting its final report Friday (see 1508280035). "The virtual monopoly that cable companies have over set-top boxes is reminiscent of the way AT&T used to require customers to rent phones from the company and prohibited them from using other devices," the Times said. "Consumers might be more inclined to pay for cable if the industry stopped trying to nickel-and-dime them." Pointing to the booming use of mobile apps that reduce reliance on set-top boxes, and such emerging technologies that will further the trend like whole-home connectivity and TVs being manufactured to access pay TV content without set-top boxes, an NCTA spokesman said Monday the cable industry disagrees "that there's a need for new federal regulations of the video device marketplace."

The Home Gateway Initiative (HGI) released a document Monday that extends its quality of service (QoS) architecture to cover the home network. RD012 outlines requirements for QoS functions such as classification and queuing within powerline or Wi-Fi adaptors that carry Internet data between home gateways and connected smart home devices. The HGI document also explains how multicast content such as Internet TV should be handled by home network adaptors. HGI Chief Technology and Business Officer Duncan Bees said the technical requirements were developed with input from service providers, and HGI has considered a range of technical requirements for the home network that provide guidance for manufacturers. Another recommendation published this month: RD031, which sets requirements for power management of home network devices for energy savings by allowing devices to enter a quiescent state when not actively processing data traffic or performing primary functions, HGI said. The energy savings could be either customer-initiated by turning off a set-top box when not in use, or it could be automatically initiated, HGI said. RD031 defines two functions: network connectivity proxy and the energy controller that controls the power states of connected devices, taking into account the latest European Commission Regulations about power consumption limits for networked standby products, HGI said. “Power saving has been a major focus of service providers for some time and the new work extends beyond consideration of a single box to define coordination among different devices,” Bees said. “It supports energy-saving Smart Home services" and HGI hopes to see a "unified approach to power management of connected devices in the home based upon this architecture.”

D-Link bowed Thursday what it called the first Wi-Fi water sensor, a device that plugs into a power outlet and alerts users by siren when it comes in contact with water. Users can also receive push notifications on a mobile device with the mydlink Home app to receive alerts when outside of the home. The water sensor comes with two cables: a 3.3-foot extension cable and a 1.6-foot sensing cable that detects water along its full length, said D-Link. When water is detected, a 70dB alarm sounds and an LED flashes, it said. The mydlink Wi-Fi Water Sensor ($59) and Wi-Fi Siren ($49) are available through D-Link’s retail network, including Amazon.com and Bestbuy.com, it said.

A Parks Associates report released Tuesday said 40 percent of U.S. broadband households showed interest in receiving medical alerts via smartphone or another connected device. The Supreme Court’s decision in King v. Burwell “has provided stability to the healthcare industry, making it an attractive market for smart home player,” said Parks. Currently, about 10 percent of U.S. broadband households have a smart home product or service, and the industry is looking for new growth opportunities, said analyst Harry Wang. The smart home could enable new “value propositions” in home-based health and wellness and independent living solutions, he said. Parks will hold the Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers in San Diego Sept. 9-10.

Nexia Home Intelligence is now compatible with Z-Wave multisensors that detect various inputs -- including light, vibration, motion, temperature and humidity -- and communicate with other smart products such as lights or video cameras, said Nexia parent company Ingersoll-Rand. A light sensor could turn on indoor lights when storm clouds reduce the amount of sunlight in a home, it said. Smart home systems are differentiated by their ability to integrate features and “seamlessly work together,” said George Land, head-Nexia Home Intelligence. The Z-Wave multisensors connect to Nexia and the product ecosystem through the Wi-Fi-connected Nexia Bridge, bringing all Nexia-compatible smart products together on one network, Land said. The bridge enables the user to wirelessly connect and control “hundreds” of Z-Wave smart home products through a Nexia account, it said.