Comments on: CableCARD Continues To Struggle In Consumer Devices

By: MegaZone

MegaZone — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:15:32 +0000

tru2way has nothing to do with normal tuning as with CableCARD so it shouldn’t have any impact on the TiVo HD. The Tuning Adapter is only for tuning SDV channels, that’s its only purpose.

By: steve

steve — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:17:51 +0000

my concern is will my 2 tivoHD’s be useless bricks if and when tru2way pushed cableCard away? i just hope that cablevision will acknowledge the tuning adapter, instead of saying they have no idea what i’m talking about. i also hope tivo pushes hard for any means that will allow their customers to continue using their present tivo boxes. certainly no present tivo owner wants to replace their current tivo’s because of forced obsolescence as the cableco’s try to make their own dvr’s seem like a better option.

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:28:16 +0000

Thanks Megazone, I had visions of a $300 dust collector sitting in my audio rack.
Funny thing too when I asked Cablevision about when the tuner adapter would be available, the woman on the phone had no idea what I was talking about. All I got was “We don’t sell an adapter for the TiVo.” Yes I know it’s not out yet but can you tell me when it will be. Again I get “We don’t sell an adapter for the TiVo.” I explained that it clearly states in the CableCard section on thier support site that it’s on the way. Nope we don’t sell it.

HA! the Captcha for this post was “Street pride” Werd up son.

By: MegaZone

MegaZone — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:25:25 +0000

It would take all the directors at the FCC to vote on that, so it wouldn’t be trivial. It is possible, very very improbable for the near future.

CableCARD WILL be replaced at some point, probably by DCAS, but it will be several years at least. There is just too much momentum behind CableCARD, just within the cable industry. Everything being worked on right now is based around CableCARD.

By: Rabidamoeba

Rabidamoeba — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:27:00 +0000

But, Megazone: What’s to say that someday the FCC might actually do just that? They are just another government agency and a fickle one at that.

By: MegaZone

MegaZone — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:09:36 +0000

They can’t do that unless the FCC rescinds the mandate requiring them to support CableCARD.

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:52:28 +0000

I was using my a series 1 Tivo until February of this year, when I bought an HD TiVo. I would say that most people would be like “I can get a DVR from the cable company for an extra $10 a month or spend $250 to buy a TiVo and then an additional $12 a month for the service, um no thanks.” I do express to the people I talk to that a cable company DVR is not a TiVo, but they don’t care.
I may be paranoid thinking this but I hope the cable companies don’t one day decide they’re not supporting the cards, we’re taking them all back, and here’s our shi**y DVR box.

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:35:30 +0000

This doesn’t surprise me at all. Working in a cable market with the highest digital penetration, I hardly ever see cable cards used. By my own estimates, less than 1 in 250 installs include a cable card. Most of my customers with tivos are still using analog or a digital set top box hooked to a series 2. While the series 3 and HD tivos are wonderful products, I don’t see people rushing out to buy them.

Cable cards are almost secret. Many consumers with a cable card slot in their tvs do not even know they are there, or what to do with them. Cable MSOs don’t want to advertise that they can get the digital channels for free or cheap, compared to an expensive monthly fee for a converter.

Tivo has done a poor job of defining what a true Tivo is, as has been mentioned here many times. Consumers with DVRs think they are getting the Tivo experience, and they seem to be at least satisfied with it.

I hope tru2way does everything as advertised. Consumers will be happy when choices increase, and quality improves.