Toadman
Hypnotoad
join:2001-11-28
Medina, OH | Useless anyways!
The lack of support by both vendors and Cable operators have rendered cablecards useless. Why have one when the rental box costs the same? |
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morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000
clubs:
 ·Charter Pipeline
 ·AT&T Southwest
| covered in existing cablecard rules?
isn't compatibility already addressed in previous cablecard rulings? cable companies have to allow cablecards, hence, they can't render them useless by simply changing the technology. they have to make the technology compatible (somehow) with cablecards. |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | reply to Toadman
Re: Useless anyways!
Because the Series 3 TiVo beats the stuffing out of most cable provided DVRs? |
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NateDawg
@embarqhsd.net
|  reply to Toadman
said by Toadman  :The lack of support by both vendors and Cable operators have rendered cablecards useless. Why have one when the rental box costs the same? Cable cards are very useful. The answer to your question is TiVo. The latest "Series 3" TiVo requires two cables cards to operate, and has capabilities beyond ANYTHING that a cable box (HD DVR) could even dream of doing. I can stream video, photos, whatever, to my TiVo (and back) from my laptop, and the recording capacity is about 32 hours of High Definition recordings. You can download the majority of the HD shows you record to your PC, there is a web interface, etc.... Too much to list here....
The down side... the price. $599 is as low as I have seen it in the last week or so... usually $799. But if you can afford it...there is nothing better out there right now.
So, THAT is why I believe cable cards are very useful. 
fRoM dA dAwG pOuNd -------> nAtE |
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fcisler
Premium
join:2004-06-14
Riverhead, NY
| reply to Karl Bode
Except i really don't want to spend $799 on a TiVo.
And then have to rent two CableCards.
My SA 8300HD does just fine...i can record two HD shows and watch a third previously recorded (or one of the recordings live), for under $10 a month.
My reason for wanting TiVo back in the day was to install a NIC and rip quality recordings off of the TiVo's HD. With the 8300HD and FireWire - I can do that now. |
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ColorBASIC
8-bit Fun
Premium
join:2006-12-29
Corona, CA | reply to Karl Bode
Especially in price  |
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sporkme
drop the crantini and move it, sister
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-01
Morristown, NJ
·Optimum Online
| reply to fcisler
said by fcisler :My reason for wanting TiVo back in the day was to install a NIC and rip quality recordings off of the TiVo's HD. With the 8300HD and FireWire - I can do that now. Does that apply to encrypted content as well? Or does one have to "hack" the box like the old Tivos? |
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ninjatutle
Premium
join:2006-01-02
San Ramon, CA
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Tivo's days are numbered.....
Cable cards aren't the only thing they need to worry about.
-$17/month fees plus high upfront box fees 
-on screen ads
-selling customer data
Just to name a few reasons  |
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banditws6
Shrinking Time and Distance
join:2001-08-18
Naples, FL
·Comcast
2 edits | reply to Karl Bode
Re: Useless anyways!
Seriously, if not for the price tag, I would replace my SA 8300HD with a TiVo Series 3 for software reasons alone. In my Comcast market, our 8300s are powered by SARA software, which goes to a fair amount of effort to degrade the user experience significantly. To wit:
•There's no ability to record something that airs in the future if it doesn't appear on the schedule (i.e., no recording by title).
•The device only has a week's worth of listings at any one time (could be Comcast's fault).
•The "record all episodes" functionality isn't intelligent. Even if a show you've set to record stops airing, it will continue recording whatever airs in its place until you manually delete the "all episodes" program. The guide knows the show isn't on anymore, but the scheduled recordings list doesn't.
•No ability to search listings for a show. You get a standard grid, or a cumbersome "browse by title" feature (in which you have to page through a week's worth of shows -- across all channels -- in alphabetical order). "Browse by title" also misses some programs that the grid view finds, so you can't trust it anyway.
•No "suggestions" (a TiVo hallmark that I've enjoyed quite a bit on my TiVo Series 2 -- it records programs it thinks you will like, based on other recordings you've programmed and ratings you've given).
The 8300HD is a flat-out excellent piece of hardware that's hampered by archaic software. At least Comcast will (should?) eventually offer TiVo software to us according to their recent deal with TiVo, but since they concentrate on their Motorola markets first, we'll likely be waiting for years.
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"I'll follow the law until it's just stupid." -Ted Nugent |
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ib50MbSoon
Formerly TwoKDialup
Premium
join:2002-06-07
Coloma, MI
| Save the buggy whips!
Cable cards, DVRs and Tivos will find their final resting place right next to everyone's lava lamps in their attics.
OnDemand/SDV is more convenient anyway!
--
Meet Bill and Karolyn at www.theslowskys.com |
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b10010011
Whats a Posting tag?
join:2004-09-07
Bellingham, WA
·Comcast Formerly ..
3 edits | But won't the new cable cards fix this?
I can understand how this could effect analog Tivo's and the current one way cable card compatible devices.
But the two way cable card that are due to be released should take care of this.
Yes you will have to replace your current cable card devices, but that's the price you pay for being an early adopter.
I learned my lesson on early adopting back in 1993 when I paid $350 for a portable MP3 player that only had 48 megabytes of memory.
But I was the first person on Earth to own one!  |
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fcisler
Premium
join:2004-06-14
Riverhead, NY | reply to sporkme
Re: Useless anyways!
5C encrypted content will not stream - but I have not come across anything 5C in the shows I watch yet. |
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Anonymous
Premium
join:2004-06-01
IA
·Mediacom
| Cable cards are junk
I hope this will make them completely useless.
Suckers that wasted $800 on a Tivo 3 will be pissed off (another plus).
 |
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swintec
Premium
join:2003-12-19
Alfred, ME
 ·RapidVPS
·surpasshosting
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·VoicePulse
·RoadRunner Cable
|  Yea..
Thats the way to go, prevent advances in cable technology because a service that is used to piggyback on top of it won't work (TiVo)...cry me a river.
Damnit, my old IBM aptiva with 4 MB of ram wont run Windows Vista and I can't put the new Duo Core into it...congress can you help me please? |
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fcisler
Premium
join:2004-06-14
Riverhead, NY
| reply to banditws6
Re: Useless anyways!
Yes...I have come across these issues, and they are annoying....
-You can manually schedule for as far in advance as you want...although no replacement for further scheduling.
-Also brings in the first point - they SHOULD provide you with more than a weeks worth of programming. It's easily doable...but why they don't is beyond me.
-YES! Very annoying. And then - if you hit stop and try and erase - it tells you it will stop all FUTURE recordings!
The rest of those points I have to agree on. Except the suggestions. I know what I like, and don't want anything to "suggest" something i want...but YMMV.
Either way...i'm satisfied with the 8300HD. My favorite part is that when it dies (i'm on 8+ as of right now) - i bring it back to cablevision and swap it out on the spot. |
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GilbertMark
Premium
join:2001-05-02
Gilbert, AZ
·Cox HSI
| reply to Anonymous
Re: Cable cards are junk
said by Anonymous :I hope this will make them completely useless. Suckers that wasted $800 on a Tivo 3 will be pissed off (another plus). Sounds like you don't have any money. Who is the sucker now?
--
Got a V3 or a V3i or an L7? Want to get the most out of them? Check out my sites »hacktheV3.com and »hacktheV3i.com and »hacktheL7.com
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GilbertMark
Premium
join:2001-05-02
Gilbert, AZ
·Cox HSI
| reply to ninjatutle
Re: Tivo's days are numbered.....
said by ninjatutle :Cable cards aren't the only thing they need to worry about. -$17/month fees plus high upfront box fees -on screen ads -selling customer data Just to name a few reasons $12.95 a month for the 3 year plan.
I have no on screen ads. Do you actually use a TIVO?
If our family data has been sold I have no evidence of this confirmed by no junk in my mail box, email accounts or on my phone lines.
Sounds like someone who can't afford it and is mad to me.
--
Got a V3 or a V3i or an L7? Want to get the most out of them? Check out my sites »hacktheV3.com and »hacktheV3i.com and »hacktheL7.com
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Xela19115
join:2000-10-06
Richboro, PA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Clarification
SDV streaming is not a function of a CableCARD but a function of set-top box software client. CableCARD is a main element of a separable security. CableCARD does not tune to a broadcast or a SDV channel. Guide software in STB will tune to a linear channel, will stream VOD program or will join a SDV session. CableCARD will then provide decryption for the selected content. TiVO3 is a unidirectional host, i.e. it is not interactive on the cable plant. Not a CableCARD or cable company's problem. TiVO chose to build it that way.
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xela19115 |
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ElJay
join:2004-03-17 | I'm happy with analog cable and MythTV at the moment
I don't know how much longer analog cable is going to last, but I'll worry about that when the time comes. Worse case scenario I'll have to figure out how to use IR blasters. |
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DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
·Comcast
·Patriot Media
| reply to b10010011
Re: But won't the new cable cards fix this?
the new cablecards will fix all these issues, that the reason for the dragging on both sides. Comcast i understand has to sell there boxes retail now, because they did some much obstruction. Once cablecard 2 comes out, it will be like "cable ready" sets were. I just thing there shouldn't charge for cablecards monthly. The consumer already bought the equipment, and cant use cable service without it.
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Go courageously to do whatever you are called to do. fear nothing. - St. Francis de Sales
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