The cable lobby proposal would require pay-TV companies with at least one million subscribers to build HTML5 applications for third-party devices, making it easier for consumers to avoid renting set-top boxes from cable companies. But while the proposed applications would have to provide all linear and on-demand programming, they wouldn’t be required to let customers record video.
Source: Cable lobby set-top offer: No DVR requirement, no more compromises | Ars Technica