TVSquad

While the world waits with baited breath for the outcome of the Cablevision networked PVR trial, xchange magazine went and looked at the implications the trial could have for other cable television providers.

Comcast and Time Warner Cable executives say if Cablevision succeeds in its bid to overturn a ruling blocking the company's remote-storage personal video recorder service, those companies could offer their own networked PVRs.

Remote storage devices offer several benefits for cable providers. Customers get to record the programs they want to watch, but the cable company doesn't have to send a box to each subscriber. This cuts down on hardware costs, as well as maintenance.

A Comcast exec told xchange the company would definitely launch a network PVR if the courts rule in favor of Cablevision. A Time Warner executive wouldn't go that far, but he said the company does see the benefits of a networked system.