Microtune Touts The Use Of Their Tuner In TiVo HD

Posted on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 by MegaZone

It seems a little odd, coming months after the product launch, but today Microtune issued a press release touting the use of their MT2131 3-in-1 tuner chip in the TiVo HD. Honestly, I think the language of their press release is a bit over-reaching.

As part of the system electronics, Microtune’s tuner chips enable the TiVo set-top’s TV entertainment, multimedia and interactive services capabilities, including superb HD pictures and sound.

And:

The two tuners, when integrated into the new TiVo dual-tuner set-top box, deliver the robust, reliable radio frequency (RF) performance required for enabling off-air TV broadcasts, hundreds of different cable channels, video-on-demand programs, recording and playback of TV programs, interactive advertising and the high-quality video available for download through the TiVoCast(TM) service

I realize they couched it with “As part of the system electronics” and “when integrated into the new TiVo dual-tuner set-top box”, but it sounds like they’re implying their chips are involved in more than what they really do – tune cable and broadcast signals. Picked up from Business Wire.

About MegaZone

MegaZone is the Editor of Gizmo Lovers and the chief contributor. He's been online since 1989 and active in several generations of 'social media' - mailing lists, USENet groups, web forums, and since 2003, blogging.    MegaZone has a presence on several social platforms: Google+ / Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / LiveJournal / Web.    You can also follow Gizmo Lovers on other sites: Blog / Google+ / Facebook / Twitter.
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  • James

    I called TiVo about this MT2131 Chip and asked if this is the same chip they have been using all this time or if it is a new one to replace the chip they used to build the models with?

    As you have probably guessed I got a yes and no answer to this questions as well as some information out the chip used in the TiVo DT model which I didn’t ask for…All of which left me wondering why I even bother to call TiVo with any questions at all.

    So MZ maybe you know if this is the same chip they have been using in the TiVo HD all this time or is it a new one? I asked because from the different TiVo boards I have noticed alot of people having tuning issues with the TiVO HD from a 3-5+ second delay searching for signal to a tiling issues (or what some call pixelation. Wondering if this chip is going to resolve some of the issues that people are having with tuning problems.

    Also MZ I have been looking for a picture of the dongle design that is going to attach to cable cards to allow switched digital video. Trying to figure out if I am going to have to fabricate a new front panel for a TiVo HD. I’m assuming the front door will no longer close once it’s attached to the back of the cable card not to mention the issue of running the USB cable to the USB port in the back of the unit. The last thing I would want is to have to leave the front panel open with the dongle hanging off the card with the USB cable then just being dragged around to the aback of the unit. Do you know of any plans from TiVo to make a new front face plate that will hide all of the mess from having to attach the SDV adapter to the cable card? I really believe it is something they should develope and of course offer to customers free of charge that are on systems that will require the use of this add on.

    I’m currently on BrightHouse Newtworks in Orlando Florida and they are curently in the process of changing some HD channels over to Switched Digital signals. Where as this is not so much an issue on my Series 3 since the cards are in the back of the unit, it is a concern on the New Tivo HD I’m planning on adding to my home.

    Thanks

  • http://www.gizmolovers.com/ MegaZone

    I think it is the same chip they’ve used the whole time. See this photo. Unfortunately, I didn’t take the RF shields off when I took the internal photos of the TiVo HD I had for review. But in that photo you can see part of one of the chips through the holes in the RF scree, including the start of the label ‘MT’ – which would be a Microtune chip.

    As for the Tuning Resolver – it doesn’t connect to the CableCARD at all. It connects to one of the USB ports on the back of the unit. The Motorola prototype is about the size of their DCT700 digital cable box. It would connect to the USB port as well as the cable coax. Most likely it’ll have a coax-in and coax-out. The cable would connect to the Tuning Resolver, then from there to the TiVo. And it will also connect to the USB port.

  • James

    Thanks For clearing that up for me, When I first read an article about SDV back about 1 1/2 years ago it showed a dongle that attached to the back of a Cable Card and USB not one that attached into the Coax and USB. That certainly makes things easier to deal with.

  • James

    MegaZone
    Sorry this is off topic for this thread, but I have a question I think you might be able to help with…

    I personally live in Oviedo outside Orlando and I am only a few miles from the Towers so after brighthouse wanted to charge me $8 for 2 cards for my series 3′s I decided to try an antenna for my HD channels which has worked great since my furhtest Tower is only 3.5 miles away.

    However and this is where my question comes in, I set up my sisters TiVo HD today with a Mcard which took forever but is working great and I am not having any problems with tiling or the dreaded “searching for signal” that some people have. Years ago when I tried the cards in my Series 3 I received all of my digital channels and HD Channels, I understand that some channels have been pulled and changed to SDV which for a couple of months until the tuner resolver comes out is not really a big deal to me.

    My question is…Have all the digital channels been pulled to SDV (ie 134,135,172 ect…)because where I get the channel banner for all of them I do not actually get any signal at all…I do of course get the major HD’s 1020,1060,1090,1180 etc. without any problem at all. Everything I read about primarily talks about the new HD channels and some of the original HD now being SDV. Should I be getting the regular Digital Channels or am I missing something? Might my card be bad? I noticed after installing the card I had to get updates and restart a couple times for things to start working properly, like the channel guide and such. Maybe I need more updates or something? Any help is greatly appreciated I haven’t used a cable card in over a year.

    I ask because as you know BHN customer service is sub-par at best, I had to battle them today because one of the tech’s I delt with had no idea that they even had a MCard or what I was talking about, fortunately my tech at the house took me at my word and found someone else to get a different card from. I searched tivocommunity but everyone their seems to be just complaining about how they lost some channels for a couple months instead of understanding that with any thing new there are always growing pains. I’m know if I had the channels and lost them for 2-3 months I wouldn’t be pleased, but I certainly wouldn’t let a couple months of missing a channel or two pull me away from my TiVo’s with how great the features are.

    FYI anyone on BrightHouse in Central Florida if you have a tech come out and they know nothing about what CableCards BrightHouse has, Tell them the Blue Labled Card is a Single-Stream and the Green Labled Card is the Multi-Stream. And When you order a Tech through customer Service make sure to mention to them to have the Tech bring a Multi-Stream Card (they won’t know what your talking about, but they will make the note on the service request and luckily you’ll get a tech that knows the difference.

    Again thanks for any help you might have on this topic I know your more of a provider of information thena question an answer guy, but I believe I’ve read about you being here in central Fl and on BHN so I thought your answer would be better than the”well ummm I think blah blah blah” I would get from Bright House

  • http://www.gizmolovers.com/ MegaZone

    I don’t live in the area, I currently live in Worcester, MA. I am in Orlando right now, at Walt Disney World. I’m on a two week vacation – visiting my folks, who live in Jupiter, FL, and spending a few days here in the middle of the trip.

    From what I’ve read online only a handful of HD channels have been pulled from CableCARD. You should still be able to receive nearly all of the digital channels with CableCARD. If they’re not coming in then odds are something is not configured correctly – such as the card(s) not being authorized correctly. That’s presuming the account is subscribed to the digital tier and eligible to receive the channels, of course.

    I did post about the situation with Bright House.