UpdateLogic provides a service called UpdateTV which allows manufacturers to deliver software patches to consumer’s digital television receiver devices such as High Definition Television (HDTV) sets, cable boxes and digital-to-analog converter boxes. These patches will fix software bugs, allow the sets to support new standards, and even improve the audio and/or video display on the television -- increasing the reliability of the Digital Television (DTV) device and improving the overall viewing experience for consumers. 

Best of all, UpdateTV is provided by the manufacturer at no charge to the consumer!

Already, six major manufacturers have signed evaluation level contracts with UpdateLogic, including Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Samsung, and Sharp.  What’s more, four of the six have already participated in field tests of UpdateTV. In the field tests, four PBS broadcast stations (in Boston, Denver, Indianapolis, and San Diego) and four cable operators (Comcast, Cox, Insight, and Time Warner) worked together to
prove-out the technology.  

UpdateTV provides a seamless delivery mechanism from the manufacturer all the way to the DTV consumer. Because the integrated receiver solution is intelligent, the consumer does not need to be involved in the update process. And, the fact that updates can be delivered proactively, quickly, and efficiently leads to a very good consumer experience which allows the DTV transition in the U.S. to continue unfettered.

Unlike analog-based television sets, today’s digital televisions are chock full of complex software. Like computers, digital televisions have high-speed processors with operating systems and system-level software to make them run. While the digital and high-definition technology advancements result in ultra-crisp picture quality and sound, digital televisions are a lot less stable than analog televisions. And also just like a computer, digital televisions will inevitably require software updates to fix bugs and support the latest changes in the still maturing DTV products.

Take, for example, the soon-to-be available advanced digital cable-ready television sets which have integrated hardware and software capable of receiving video/audio from a bi-directional cable network.  These sets have complex software that has taken many years to develop. Of course the software has been thoroughly tested by quality assurance teams but like any software technology, there will be bugs.  Furthermore, the lack of commercially deployed bi-directional networks to test against limits the scope of the testing possibilites. Unfortunately, this could cause products to ship with unknown and untested bugs.

Even in the digital sets which do not include bi-directional capability, such as today’s popular LCD and Plasma DTV devices, there are software issues. Several manufacturers have been forced to deliver firmware updates to their customers already. Today, manufacturers deliver updates to a consumer’s television by mailing out media devices, such as USB drives, or by sending technicians to a person’s home.  These methods are costly - $30 for a mailing and $150 for a visit - and result in negative brand image for both manufacturers and cable companies. They also require user interaction – plug the media device into the television or wait for a technician to arrive.