http://www.multichannel.com/blog/BIT_RATE/26035-TiVo_Wants_FireWire_Waiver_For_Cable_Provided_DVRs.php

I guess Tivo wants to do this for RCN. RCN wants to offer Tivo DVR's for a slight premium and they want to not have the firewire interface as it would be more expensive.

Note TiVo already allows users to download recorded files (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=879469#A4) from the DVR using the network (ethernet) connection. I'm not sure what customers this would impact aside from those that use D-VHS.

I think that if a waiver like becomes passed other companies will start filing for waivers to not include firewire. Pretty soon all new cable boxes won't have firewire ports.

Yeah, the rule isn't transferability, but rather is specifically firewire. A waiver doesn't make sense -- if they're going to recognize and realize that transferability can be accomplished other ways, then they should change the rule itself to simply require transferability, and provide some criteria for such transferability, and let each service provider decide what mechanism or mechanisms they're going to support, in consultation with their supplier-manufacturers. I do suspect that once the rule reflects the need, instead of specifies a specific technology, many service providers will abandon firewire for something considered more generally useful by more of their subscriber base.