Sony Electronics and the six largest U.S. cable companies have signed an agreement that paves the way toward allowing consumers to view interactive digital and high-definition video services on “two-way” devices without a set-top box, the companies announced Tuesday. The agreement lays the groundwork for a competitive retail market for two-way digital cable-ready devices and addresses how such products will be brought to market with interactive services like video-on-demand, digital video recording and interactive programming guides.
