Comments on: Mr. TiVo goes to Washington

By: A solution for Switched Digital Video on TiVo is coming in 2Q2008 | Gizmo Lovers Blog

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 07:30:18 +0000

[...] systems have been deploying SDV, this has been a growing concern for TiVo users.There have been several rumors and reports of a solution being in the works. Well, now it is official – the NCTA and [...]

By: dlcrow

dlcrow — Wed, 16 May 2007 17:24:40 +0000

I’m an S3 owner in the Austin, TX market served by Time Warner. They are rolling out SDV very heavily here.

Right now I get very few channels on my S3 with CableCARD. Since the HD locals are unencrypted QAM and are mapped appropriately to match the TiVo guide data, the only real reason I keep my CableCARDs installed is for the off chance that I want to record something on 5 or so encrypted HD channels. TWC has stated (and are following through) that all new HD channels will be SDV.

I record all SD content on my S2′s (some are analog cable only with a direct cable connection and others are driving a digital cable box). That way I can use MRV and TTG and don’t have to worry about SDV.

I’ve ended up with a pretty expensive upgraded S3 box being used for recording shows almost exclusively on the HD locals.

By: vincea

vincea — Fri, 11 May 2007 09:06:18 +0000

Cablevision is also using SDV. I think CV is the fifth or sixth largest MSO. Right now it’s limited to channels in their international packages so it wouldn’t really affect me when I get an S3 but they (CV) haven’t commented on further use of SDV.

By: megazone

megazone — Fri, 11 May 2007 07:23:37 +0000

Satellite *could* use CableCARD for decryption. It is really just a decryption token, it has nothing to do with the source of the signal. That doesn’t mean a standard CableCARD device could handle satellite, the tuners are different. You’d need a box with integrated satellite tuners.

The FCC could mandate it, but they haven’t been willing to do that to date. Dish Network and DirecTV are still closed systems with total control over who can build receivers. Neither is generally allowing 3rd parties, like TiVo, to produce tuners.

By: megazone

megazone — Fri, 11 May 2007 07:19:37 +0000

Well, the S3 supports antenna and cable, so I think antenna is safe. As for satellite, or people who still want to use a cable box for some reason, who knows how long the S2DT will remain in production. And there is no reason they can’t produce a box with CableCARD *and* A/V inputs.

By: maeglin73

maeglin73 — Thu, 10 May 2007 23:52:04 +0000

No, I’m saying that TiVo might have supported directly tuning satellite if they could… instead, the satellite providers stood in the way of that (DirecTV specifically, I think).

By: mhaithaca

mhaithaca — Thu, 10 May 2007 23:49:43 +0000

I’m talking satellite; there’s no OTA television here. Are you saying the satellite providers could support CableCard if they wanted to? If so, why wouldn’t the FCC mandate it for them as well as for the cable providers?

By: maeglin73

maeglin73 — Thu, 10 May 2007 23:44:11 +0000

The S3 is CableCard-based, and it works with OTA. If you’re talking satellite, well, you’re blaming the wrong party there. Blame the satellite providers.

By: mhaithaca

mhaithaca — Thu, 10 May 2007 23:40:22 +0000

Gah. Did Rogers just announce they are dropping all support for anyone who gets their TV any way OTHER than cable?

By: maeglin73

maeglin73 — Thu, 10 May 2007 23:36:33 +0000

If those words turn into reality, I’ll be a little less pissed about the fact that Comcast managed to bribe our uninformed HOA into giving them exclusive access for the next 10 years.