Re: Cable Card experience thread in Comcast Cable TV http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r13083873 en Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:53:35 EDT Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:53:35 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14207460 Stryker412 :
said by luquillo32 See Profile :

We have a lot of problems with sony kdf42we655 and kdf50we655.Tonight I spend 3 hours and two cards triying to make these cable cards work properly.I could watch Hbo for 10 minutes it would go away and say no sigal.These cable cards work well with 55 and 60 inch LCD but the smaller ones aways the same problems.
I also have a 42WE655. I have had 5 tech appointments in 4 weeks. I FINALLY got them to admit that my TV needs a firmware update. I called Sony and they're coming out on Friday.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14207460 Wed, 24 Aug 2005 08:19:52 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14206659 luquillo32 : We have a lot of problems with sony kdf42we655 and kdf50we655.Tonight I spend 3 hours and two cards triying to make these cable cards work properly.I could watch Hbo for 10 minutes it would go away and say no sigal.These cable cards work well with 55 and 60 inch LCD but the smaller ones aways the same problems.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,14206659 Wed, 24 Aug 2005 01:55:18 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13753348 guywithsony : do you get any program information when you select "display"? I sometimes see what show is on and how much time is left...but I'm not sure why it's not for every channel...do you have the same problem?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13753348 Sun, 26 Jun 2005 23:02:48 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13737521 Grey Alien : deleted by poster]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13737521 Fri, 24 Jun 2005 15:06:09 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13668242 crocker : i was wondering if anybody had a fix for the sony vega tvs i have had 2 cards and 2 different issues one they couldnt get there hbos and the other the couldnt get espnhd and the inhds in help would be useful]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13668242 Wed, 15 Jun 2005 22:16:07 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13668088 kdog41 :
said by Ryan24480 See Profile:

Does anyone know where I can find more info on comcast Cable Card? I would like to get one but can't find much info on them.
Thanks, Ryan
What do you want to know? There isn't much to say about them except they replace a STB and they can be difficult to get working due to their relative newness with the field. You will lose your graphics (i.e. guide)and features like On-Demand and automatic PPV. If you have a Toshiba or Mitsubishi you can use the TVGOS from Gemstar to replace the guide. Certain areas, like mine, do not charge a rental for the cable card but they do charge a installation fee. Analog broadcasts will get better PQ using the cable card and display tuners as opposed to the Motorola STB's.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13668088 Wed, 15 Jun 2005 21:55:38 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13666876 Ryan24480 : Does anyone know where I can find more info on comcast Cable Card? I would like to get one but can't find much info on them.
Thanks, Ryan]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13666876 Wed, 15 Jun 2005 19:23:44 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13664831 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

I am very glad that the CableCARD is working. The thing that I am a bit frustrated by is the amount of time that I have to spend fixing the channel listings. I wish that they would add a feature to allow you to save a backup of your TV Guide settings to an SD card.
Now, that would be a great idea. Maybe we should pass that suggestion on to Toshiba. It is very time consuming to have to keep on editing the channels. I had about 35 channels I needed to either enable or correct not including the ones I had to turn off that I don't subscribe to (i.e. Cinemax, Starz, Showtime, The Movie Channel).

I would like to know why this is happening and I passed this information on to Gemstar to see if they had any thoughts.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13664831 Wed, 15 Jun 2005 15:22:22 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13663839 morph3ous : Kdog41,

I am having that problem. Last night many of my channels showed up with No Listing. The listings were previously there, but somehow were lost.

I have added the channels on multiple occasions, and it takes quite a while.

Another problem that I have is that the some of the Game channels are enabled by default. When you are in the channel editor and go over those channels to disable them, the TV pops up with the call your cable company to enable service box and I must reenter the TV guide, and be very careful to quickly jump over that channel.

I also have to push the split button to lock the preview screen of the TV Guide, otherwise if I go over those same channels the TV Guide is exited and I get the message about calling your cable company.

I am very glad that the CableCARD is working. The thing that I am a bit frustrated by is the amount of time that I have to spend fixing the channel listings. I wish that they would add a feature to allow you to save a backup of your TV Guide settings to an SD card.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13663839 Wed, 15 Jun 2005 13:22:41 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13662734 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

Kdog,

My CableCARD is working perfectly. I initially had a problem with the TV Guide. Some channels would have proper listings; however, many channels would show 'No Lisiting'. I reset the TV back to factory defaults. The next day I selected the proper lineup, and enabled more channels. The following day everything was perfect.
Morph3ous, another user and I still seem to have a problem. I have to enable some channels turned off by default and correct some channels with the wrong listing in the channel editor and periodically the settings revert back to the original ones. Can you tell me if you are having a similar problem? I don't lose any listings but the channels that are turned off once you reenable them you need to wait for the next download to get the listings for them again.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13662734 Wed, 15 Jun 2005 10:45:55 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13657103 CableTool :
said by atkinj3 See Profile:

I have Comcast Cable in DC, and have my cable line coming in with a splitter. 1 line goes to the analog line and the other line goes to digital cable, nothing in digital air. When the comcast cable card (motorola) is plugged in, i can only search for channels on digital air. But, my problem is that 1 - I dont get TV guide to work, and 2 - my channels range from 15.1 to 130.2.
I just came across this. In the back of your tv is a reset button. You will need a pen tip or something narrow.
While your TV is on, hit the reset button. It should turn your TV off.
Turn it back on and press the "DIGITAL" button on your remote. It should then correctly map the frequencies. .
Let me know if this takes care of it.
--
The ScreenSavers PODCAST! TWIT
Everytime I post "SYSTEM" sends me a little "Thank You.."]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13657103 Tue, 14 Jun 2005 17:10:46 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13653272 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

Kdog,

My CableCARD is working perfectly. I initially had a problem with the TV Guide. Some channels would have proper listings; however, many channels would show 'No Lisiting'. I reset the TV back to factory defaults. The next day I selected the proper lineup, and enabled more channels. The following day everything was perfect.
After I installed the card I had to choose my cable provider again and lost the listings. Once I selected the provider I had to enable some channels and disable others I don't subscribe to. Since that time the guide has continued to populate and I now have almost all 8 days of listings. We'll see if the guide reset has been resolved with the new firmware but as you mentioned the cable card issue is gone.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13653272 Tue, 14 Jun 2005 08:07:51 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13648962 morph3ous : Kdog,

My CableCARD is working perfectly. I initially had a problem with the TV Guide. Some channels would have proper listings; however, many channels would show 'No Lisiting'. I reset the TV back to factory defaults. The next day I selected the proper lineup, and enabled more channels. The following day everything was perfect.

It's only been a short while, so I can't say with certainty that TV Guide is definitely fixed. The CableCARD issue on the other hand is definitely fixed.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13648962 Mon, 13 Jun 2005 17:35:46 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13645266 kdog41 : Morph3ous,

How's the cable card working? Mine has been flawless since the firmware upgrade. I'm waiting to see if the problems with the TVGOS listings where the listings reset due to corrupted packets being stored are eliminated. Typically after a week to a week and a half I would lose the listings. We'll see what happens.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13645266 Mon, 13 Jun 2005 08:57:43 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13631608 atkinj3 : I have Comcast Cable in DC, and have my cable line coming in with a splitter. 1 line goes to the analog line and the other line goes to digital cable, nothing in digital air. When the comcast cable card (motorola) is plugged in, i can only search for channels on digital air. But, my problem is that 1 - I dont get TV guide to work, and 2 - my channels range from 15.1 to 130.2. I have no clue where anything is and I am not getting all the right channels. I get primarily premium channels, which isn't bad , but they are duplicated, and also I dont have all my local channels, and I also getting a Baltimore FOX channel for some reason. How come the channels arent coming in as how Comcast sets the HD channels. What can I do? Is the problem with my TV? cablecard? or both?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13631608 Sat, 11 Jun 2005 02:53:06 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13631270 bcunningh : What is the issue you're having?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13631270 Sat, 11 Jun 2005 01:15:33 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13630475 anon : I live in DC using a Sharp Aquos with Comcast Cablecard. I have the same issue. Was this ever resolved?

jatkin@gmail.com]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13630475 Fri, 10 Jun 2005 23:00:53 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13616580 kdog41 : I installed the firmware when I got home last night and I am happy to report that my Motorola cable card is now working with Comcast. I didn't even need to acquire the channels. As soon as I put the card in the channels appeared. Thank you Toshiba.:D
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13616580 Thu, 09 Jun 2005 10:55:46 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13612101 CableTool :
said by Lucaso See Profile:

We have a Sharp Aquos with a Comcast Motorola CableCard. We get many HD channels but the channel numbers are different than the Comcast Channel numbers printed in its cable channel guide. For example TNT HD is 115.3; ABC HD is 86.3; PBS HD is 3.1, etc. So far I have been unable to locate ESPN HD, even though I think we're paying for it. We have had 5 cable guys out and so far no one has a clue how we can get our channel numbers in sync with Comcast's. The picture is brilliant.
Do you have TWO inputs going into the back or just one? There should be a splitter. One line going to ANALOG and one going to DIGITAL CABLW. The Digital Air port should stay open. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13612101 Wed, 08 Jun 2005 20:31:00 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13600662 kdog41 : My firmware arrived today but unfortunately I am out of town so I won't be able to test it until I get back in town tomorrow evening.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13600662 Tue, 07 Jun 2005 16:36:16 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13599757 Lucaso : We have a Sharp Aquos with a Comcast Motorola CableCard. We get many HD channels but the channel numbers are different than the Comcast Channel numbers printed in its cable channel guide. For example TNT HD is 115.3; ABC HD is 86.3; PBS HD is 3.1, etc. So far I have been unable to locate ESPN HD, even though I think we're paying for it. We have had 5 cable guys out and so far no one has a clue how we can get our channel numbers in sync with Comcast's. The picture is brilliant.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13599757 Tue, 07 Jun 2005 14:55:27 EDT Re: Toshiba Firmware: Seine 1.5.0 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13588764 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

I received the new firmware from Toshiba on Friday. Everything is working perfectly so far. The CableCard functions flawlessly. The TV Guide seems to be a bit better too. I am not sure if that is related to the new firmware, or an over the air software upgrade. Before, when I chose the proper lineup, most channels were disabled by default. Now the majority are enabled.

I hope this new firmware solves everyone else's problems with Toshiba televisions and Comcast's Motorola CableCard.
Morph3ous, I'm happy to hear about your success. I won't be getting mine until Tuesday or Wednesday. I don't know if you also had the problem with the TVGOS listings resetting after a week or so but supposedly the new firmware addresses that issue also. Let's keep our fingers crossed that our problems are finally resolved with this.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13588764 Mon, 06 Jun 2005 09:53:57 EDT Toshiba Firmware: Seine 1.5.0 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13576410 morph3ous : I received the new firmware from Toshiba on Friday. Everything is working perfectly so far. The CableCard functions flawlessly. The TV Guide seems to be a bit better too. I am not sure if that is related to the new firmware, or an over the air software upgrade. Before, when I chose the proper lineup, most channels were disabled by default. Now the majority are enabled.

I hope this new firmware solves everyone else's problems with Toshiba televisions and Comcast's Motorola CableCard.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13576410 Sat, 04 Jun 2005 15:25:21 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13542184 bcunningh : I had a customer who's Sharp Aquos Cable Card setup worked for 5 months no problem. Then it stopped. So I'd say even if it works at first there is no guarantee it will always work untill the compatability issues are ironed out.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13542184 Tue, 31 May 2005 17:14:20 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13539664 CableTool :
said by bcunningh See Profile:

Unfortunately there are known compatability issues between the Sharp Aquos line of televisions and the Cable Card that Comcast uses. At least that's what's happening here in Colorado.

If you have a Sharp Aquos they will send a tech to remove the Cable Card and set you up with a DVR or HD box. Normally they will also be willing to waive the charge for the box for a few months.
Im seeing this as well. I tried for two weeks straight to get one going. No go. If any one has a AQUOS with a working
cable card let me know...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13539664 Tue, 31 May 2005 11:57:48 EDT Re: The new firmware is shipping http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13539252 morph3ous : Kdog41,

I am not sure of the number. He only let me know that the next version is out. I am speculating that it may be SEINE 1.5 .
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13539252 Tue, 31 May 2005 10:49:54 EDT Re: The new firmware is shipping http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13538899 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

There was a message on my machine from earlier today that the working final version of the firmware is now shipping.
Morph3ous, do you know what the version of the firmware is? I spoke with Paul last week and he didn't have a date on the release.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13538899 Tue, 31 May 2005 09:38:31 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13520422 bcunningh : Unfortunately there are known compatability issues between the Sharp Aquos line of televisions and the Cable Card that Comcast uses. At least that's what's happening here in Colorado.

If you have a Sharp Aquos they will send a tech to remove the Cable Card and set you up with a DVR or HD box. Normally they will also be willing to waive the charge for the box for a few months.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13520422 Sat, 28 May 2005 18:28:18 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13520207 imrf : 1. What box did you have and how was it connected? I have seen both side by side and there is little to no difference between watching with or without a box, it's the whole component video vs. HDMI/DVI debate. It sounds like the set was hooked up to the cable box via s-video, composite or RF.

2. TWC uses Scientific Atlanta equipment in the majority of their systems, so I would have to guess you had a SA CableCard. You can only use the card that they use and supply.

3. Your signal is too hot for an amp, it would make things worse. TWC should pad(lower) your signal down some and see if it changes anything. Otherwise, your issue stems from a problem inside their network and the techs that come out don't know about it nor is there anything they can do except to pass your issue on to the engineers.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13520207 Sat, 28 May 2005 17:51:32 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13520108 anon : I recently purchased a Sony Grand Wega KDF-60XS955 HD ready TV. I got the cable card hooked up OK and most of the channels were absolutely beatifull! However, the reception on most of the HD channels (especially HDTNT) broke up (tiling) either occationally, or regularly, especially during prime time. This was bad enough to either make me stop trying to watch a show, or to change to the analog version of the channel.
I complained to the Time-Warner and they said that the problem was the cabling inside my house. I got this replaced, which helped a little, but the problem was still there. I had Time-Warner come again and they determined that the TV/cable card combination was not able to operate reliably with the signal level that I got, even though they claim that this signal is good enough (+1???) to meet federal regulations.

I ended up letting them hook me up to a cable box instead. This was a big mistake. While the "tiling" went away, the great image quality that I got with my expensive Sony tuner is gone, and replaced with the terribly blurry, poor color, reception from the cheap cable box!

I have 3 questions for anybody who can help me:

1. Could I get image quality as good as the cable card using a better cable box?

2. The cable company tried several cable cards with the same result, but I don't know what the brands were. Do you think that there is a card that can handle the marginal signal level better?

3. I asked the cable guy if they could put a signal booster on my line. They said that the only boosters that they had were too powerfull for my signal and would damage my TV. Is there a booster (amplifier) available that would work to improve my marginal singnal?

Thanks for any help.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13520108 Sat, 28 May 2005 17:35:12 EDT The new firmware is shipping http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13512367 morph3ous : There was a message on my machine from earlier today that the working final version of the firmware is now shipping. Those who are already on the list to receive the firmware should hopefully get it soon.

If you are new to this problem, you will need to call Toshiba and ask for the firmware upgrade.

Toshiba America Consumer Products (TACP)
(800) 631-3811
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13512367 Fri, 27 May 2005 17:17:01 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13490788 kdog41 :
said by Lucaso See Profile:

kdog41 - I am having similar problems with my Sharp Aquos and Comcast as you seem to be having with your Toshiba. Weird channels, no ESPN HD, no TV Guide, etc. I live in Port Huron, MI. The Comcast guy is coming to my house tomorrow a.m. Any suggestions?
Lucaso, unfortunately my problem is different in that I get no channels. My understanding is that it's a problem with the range of frequencies the Toshiba is looking for and it needs to be expanded via firmware. Hopefully when this is released my problem will be solved. I would suggest contacting Sharp to see if any firmware updates are available for your set. The only thing that Comcast can check is to make sure your incoming signal meets their specification for signal strength.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13490788 Wed, 25 May 2005 10:42:09 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13484663 Lucaso : kdog41 - I am having similar problems with my Sharp Aquos and Comcast as you seem to be having with your Toshiba. Weird channels, no ESPN HD, no TV Guide, etc. I live in Port Huron, MI. The Comcast guy is coming to my house tomorrow a.m. Any suggestions?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13484663 Tue, 24 May 2005 16:28:02 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13482534 morph3ous : Lucaso,

It sounds almost as if your TV does not recognize the CableCARD. When a CableCARD is working properly, the TV remaps those channels to virtual channel numbers. That way you will be able to use the same channel numbers as those with your cable company's digital boxes.

You may want to try removing and reinserting the card. Make sure that it slides all the way in. You do NOT have to push very hard, but there is a slight resistance before it goes in all the way.

That's all I can think of right now.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13482534 Tue, 24 May 2005 11:55:26 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13482452 Lucaso : I set up an appointment with the Comcast cable guy for tomorrow a.m. to address the fact that I receive unencrypted HD stations on odd numbered channels (1.1, 103.1, 115.3 etc.) and I cannot find encrypted stations that I am paying for - ESPN HD. Is there anything else I should tell him that would expedite things - in addition to what has been posted here? These guys aren't always up on the latest developments.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13482452 Tue, 24 May 2005 11:41:29 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13474549 Lucaso : What is TC?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13474549 Mon, 23 May 2005 12:48:59 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13461013 NR4P : I googled "TVGOS problems" and found this thread interesting. Although I am not a cable tv sub, I use off air antennas for local analog and digital with a new Sharp TV with TV Guide built in. What a bad system!
After getting a daily update from TV Guide OTA, the TV Guide system turns off my analog OTA inputs, switches me to Cable input and thus lose all analog channels. Keep just digital ones.

I have to turn off TVG to reset Analog channels as it overrides Sharp settings.
Sharp has no clue about this but I will reference them to this thread since they joing the TVG party after the others. My firmware is 8.01.41.
Obviously TVG problems are not related to Cablecard only.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13461013 Sat, 21 May 2005 12:01:45 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13460179 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

Paul just called today and took some diagnostic information from my TV. Toshiba is aparently getting close to having a final solution for this issue. They need to work on a few other issues and then it will be ready.
Morph3ous, thanks for the update. Let's hope the fix is quick in being released.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13460179 Sat, 21 May 2005 08:55:32 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13456029 morph3ous : Paul just called today and took some diagnostic information from my TV. Toshiba is aparently getting close to having a final solution for this issue. They need to work on a few other issues and then it will be ready.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13456029 Fri, 20 May 2005 17:13:08 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13454670 Smokey Joe : That is how the TV tunes in the channels when the cable card is not activated. A cablecard capable TV will tune any unencryped digital channel (that means HD channels too)in the manner you described (ESPN HD is typically encrypted). The Comcast channel map is supplied by the active card. So I would recommend setting up TC or having a refresh sent to the card to get it validated.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13454670 Fri, 20 May 2005 14:41:02 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13454291 Lucaso : I have Comcast cable in Michigan with a Motorola cable card. My HD channels are like
radio channels. NBC is 1.1, TNT is 115.12, Discovery HD is 103.1. I can't even find
ESPN HD. Can anyone tell me how to get a channel guide for this kind of channel numbering.
The first line at Comcast doesn't have a clue as to what I'm talking about.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13454291 Fri, 20 May 2005 13:53:56 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13452934 spoon13 : I've had a cablecard since last September and thought I'd finally get around to posting to this thread.

I've got a Mitsubishi DLP and I had problems with the TV losing association with the cablecard at first and would have to reset the TV for it to work again. Updated the TV firmware and since then all has been smooth. Picture quality is much, much better than my Motorola 6208, especially HD. The picture quality is very crisp and bright whereas the stb softens the edges quite a bit and the colors aren't as bright (even with all settings set to the exact same on both inputs).

All of that is standard fare, but here's why I'm really posting...Sometimes when I turn the tv on and it was previously on a different input and I switch over to cablecard it doesn't remember what channel I was on and takes me to some channel in the 1000's, usually 1025 but there's a few others. If you try to tune to this channel manually without this random magic happening it will say that the channel doesn't exist. But when my tv decides to do this on its own is where the fun begins. It looks like the cablecard is intercepting some other subscriber's VOD. I had no idea what it was for quite some time. Sometimes it's boomerang, once it was the cheesy guitar lesson show, and once it was an adult show and the person was fast-forwarding past the boring bits. It's always a mystery. You never know what it's going to be. I was hoping to somehow get the PPV boxing match last weekend, but alas it was just the Chronicles of Riddick. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13452934 Fri, 20 May 2005 10:44:45 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13435421 kdog41 : Morph3ous, that's great news. FYI, there is an update that will be coming from TVGOS for some of the problems with stability on the listings. From what I have been told it still won't have the fix for the corrupted packets being processed which eventually wipes out the listings but will correct some of the other problems.It should show up in Thursday's or Friday's download. If you remember how to access the diagnostics page you will know when the fix has been applied. In the Section System - System Info menu on the second line currently you see 08.06.07. When the fix has been applied this will change to 08.01.12. Here is a picture of the page I am referring to.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry
Click for full size
Section System- System Info Menu
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13435421 Wed, 18 May 2005 07:29:55 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13432118 morph3ous : Kdog41,

The CableCARD has been working perfectly. The TV Guide is also working. I have not heard anything from Toshiba since they sent me this diagnostic firmware. I left a message with one of the top Toshiba engineers the day that I installed the update asking him to call back. I was also promised a call back by the CSRs.

They will hopefully get back to me eventually as this firmware does not actually get written into the NVRAM, so if there is a power failure the TV will revert to the old firmware. I'll try to remember to call Toshiba tomorrow to find out if they have finalized a new firmware based upon the diagnostic firmware.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13432118 Tue, 17 May 2005 19:56:10 EDT Re: It works! http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13430919 kdog41 : Morph3ous,

Any update on the patch? Has your cable card been working? Let's have an update.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13430919 Tue, 17 May 2005 17:36:12 EDT Re: It works! http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13393032 morph3ous : Kdog41,

I did it and this time it works fine (most channels do not have listings, but as you explained they should show up tomorrow). I think the problem was that a very small amount of channels had the wrong numbers, so maybe there was some sort of clash between TVGOS and the CableCARD. The more likely explanation is that the two events are unrelated.

Thanks for your help.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13393032 Thu, 12 May 2005 17:16:44 EDT Re: It works! http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13392807 morph3ous : Kdog41,

It's strange because that is what I had done. I went into the edit channel and put all the channels that I receive on. The channel numbers that the system had were correct. After adding all the channels I was no longer able to view digital channels. It gave me the Digital Signal Strength is low message.

I'm going to try turning the other channels on in the guide again and see what happens. Maybe the two events were entirely unrelated.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13392807 Thu, 12 May 2005 16:49:54 EDT Re: It works! http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13392376 kdog41 : Morph3ous, Have you tried going into the "edit channel" section of the TV Guide and see if you can turn on the channels that are listed as disabled?

As a last resort I can walk you through a TVGOS reset that sets all guide data back to default. You will have to go through the setup again and select your zip code and type of connection. It only affects the guide and listings and you will have to get the downloads all over again from the VBI channel. If you are familiar with how the guide works it takes the first download to get the information of your cable company based on your zip code. Once this occurs and you select your provider the next download gives you DAY1, DAY2, and DAY8 listings. Each day thereafter, the DAY8 listing gets stored and you get the new DAY8 listing. It takes a total of 6 days before the guide is completely populated. The sequence is as follows:

DAY1,DAY2,DAY8
DAY1,DAY2,DAY7,DAY8
DAY1,DAY2,DAY6,DA7,DAY8
DAY1,DAY2,DAY5,DAY6,DAY7,DAY8
DAY1,DAY2,DAY4,DAY5,DAY6,DAY7,DAY8
DAY1,DAY2,DAY3,DAY4,DAY5,DAY6,DAY7,DAY8]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13392376 Thu, 12 May 2005 16:03:18 EDT Re: It works! http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13392326 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

Kdog41,

That sounds like what it is. I tried to figure out how to get into the TVGOS diagnostics, but was unable to. I'll google it and see if its out there on the net.
Don't bother if it's the same as my TV. Access the TVGOS screen and up arrow until the setup is highlighted and press enter. With "change system settings" highlighted but DO NOT press enter type "753159852" from the remote and you will be in the diagnostics mode. The up arrow will cycle you through the different menus and the right arrow will cycle you through the sub-menus for each menu. Some have only one or two and some have more than four. These menus are just informational and you can't mess anything up. When done, press "exit" to get out of the diagnostic menu.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13392326 Thu, 12 May 2005 15:58:14 EDT Re: It works! http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13392107 morph3ous : Kdog41,

That sounds like what it is. I tried to figure out how to get into the TVGOS diagnostics, but was unable to. I'll google it and see if its out there on the net.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13392107 Thu, 12 May 2005 15:27:45 EDT Re: It works! http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13391924 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

Edit2: I pushed the reset button on the front of the TV and it now works again except that the TV Guide now has most of the channels disabled. While annoying, I am still overjoyed that the TV works at all with the CableCARD.
Morph3ous, I would think that it may take a while for the guide to be in sync as it bases the information on the type of signal (i.e. cable card,direct cable, cable box, etc). In the TVGOS diagnostics there is a screen that shows the Lineup and there should only be entry for the active ones. The rest should indicate 0x0. See attached.

OTA = Antenna
CR = direct cable
CB = cable box
CC = cable card
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry
Click for full size
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13391924 Thu, 12 May 2005 15:05:37 EDT Re: It works! http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13391863 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

Now I only wish I knew what in the firmware was causing these problems.
Morph3ous, from the little information Paul gave me it sounded like something to do with the range of frequencies the TV accepts based on the incoming signal and that it had to be increased to allow a wider range. I don't know if this accurate or not.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13391863 Thu, 12 May 2005 14:58:44 EDT Re: It works! http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13390947 morph3ous : I just finished setting up the TV Guide, and now it is not working again. It started saying low digital channel strength on all of the digital channels. I waited a while, and then slid the CableCARD out and back in. Hopefully it will do what it did last time and get past the acquiring channel information screen. When it got past that screen last time, the TV screen turned black and then all was well.

Edit: TV came back. All digital channels still have the low signal strength message.

Edit2: I pushed the reset button on the front of the TV and it now works again except that the TV Guide now has most of the channels disabled. While annoying, I am still overjoyed that the TV works at all with the CableCARD.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13390947 Thu, 12 May 2005 12:50:58 EDT It works! http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13390531 morph3ous : I have a temporary firmware installed (does not stick after a power outage). The TV is working perfectly. The problem through this all is a firmware one. I have a feeling that Toshiba will have the new permanent firmware out the door very quickly.

Comcast through this all has done a great job and were very dedicated to getting this issue resolved.

The pictures I took of the TV only show the temporary version number, which will definitely change, so I will not post them at the moment. If Toshiba has me do some diagnostics, I will post those pictures.

Now I only wish I knew what in the firmware was causing these problems.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13390531 Thu, 12 May 2005 11:43:42 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13388562 AnClar : I just had a cable card installation done today for my Sony XBR960 set. Everything went as expected, my card was activated without a hitch so, along with my 6412, I can now use the PIP functions on my set. So far, I'm pleased. Neat and clean process. Now they need to get us a bi-directional card. I notice that my set seems to have provisions for two-way communications through the cable card.
--
When in danger or in doubt run in circles, scream and shout!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13388562 Thu, 12 May 2005 02:26:54 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13386197 morph3ous : Kdog,

That is wonderful news. My fingers are crossed. The tech is coming tomorrow. We do not as of yet have instructions on how to run the diagnostics, but I have some new contacts at Toshiba that may be able to lend a hand.

Can't wait to have a working CableCARD.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13386197 Wed, 11 May 2005 20:24:06 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13385031 kdog41 : Morph3ous,

I spoke with Paul at Toshiba today and it looks like we are getting close to a solution. The engineers think they have a fix for our problem and are trying to isolate the other problem with the users who can't get the digital channels before sending out a firmware update. Paul is hoping in the next week we will have that update but couldn't give me a confirmed date. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13385031 Wed, 11 May 2005 18:01:00 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13374907 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

Toshiba has sent me a debugging firmware that supposedly has some diagnostic programs built in. The Comcast Supervisor will come to my house on Thursday with a CableCARD and we will run the diagnostics and try to see if we can get a handle on what the problem is. I'll try to take some pictures of the diagnostic screens and put them up here.
Morph3ous, I look forward to your feedback and the pictures.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13374907 Tue, 10 May 2005 14:05:26 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13373786 morph3ous : Toshiba has sent me a debugging firmware that supposedly has some diagnostic programs built in. The Comcast Supervisor will come to my house on Thursday with a CableCARD and we will run the diagnostics and try to see if we can get a handle on what the problem is. I'll try to take some pictures of the diagnostic screens and put them up here.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13373786 Tue, 10 May 2005 11:26:53 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13369575 dartmouth : I post on Agoraquest alot. I have a Sony KDF60XS HD TV. I have a cable card,DVR,Sony DVD player and Yamaha Receiver. My cable card is powered directly from the cable input. The menu for that tuner (left PIP pane) should be used to acquire all digital and analog channels. This will power both PIP panes but the right one will only pick up analog channels. Those of you missing channels, Comcast may have changed to a digital signal (someone posted they are missing ABC). In order to receive missing major network channels broadcast in digital you'll need to split the cable into 2 and run 1 into the VHF/UHF input. Then do a auto program and you'll get that channel and others but only the over the air channels. Now you can use the PIP and toggle with the antenna button the right pane if you need to see that over the air channel while watching a HD channel in the left pane. Hope this helps someone. Also, the cable card is the best picture bar none. I use the DVR to record programs while watching the cable card programs. Then I go and input the DVR source to watch those recorded programs later. I also highly recommend the Sony 3100 remote to control ALL your devices as you can teach it to do anything you want. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13369575 Mon, 09 May 2005 20:29:54 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13356751 morph3ous : LLinBeverly,

The post in my Blog that you are referring to was written at the same time as the similar post here on this forum. Since that time there have been many developments and I have voluntarily eaten my words. That post was written more out of frustration than fact.

Here are the facts as I see them:

The CableCARD standard is followed by lots of manufacturers; however, some implementation details between the manufacturers may not quite follow the standard.

Comcast is a very large company, those at the lower levels often do not relay information where it needs to go, especially when it is about a relatively new technology that has many confused.

Once the information about these issues got to the right place, Comcast acted appropriately and responsibly. This is what turned my head and made me eat my words. The company is trying hard to figure out what is going on. They have even gone to CableLABS to perform testing. CableLABS is the organization that came up with and tests that devices comply with the standards.

The issues have not yet been resolved, but I would advise that you follow this thread to see what happens. I am confident that we will soon have a solution, or at least some more insight into what is going on. I will definitely add any relevant information that I find out to this thread.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13356751 Sun, 08 May 2005 00:11:06 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13353190 CableTool : Ive gotten all cards Ive came across working... EXCEPT ONE! I ran into it last week. A Sharp TV. I think its on our end though as there were many signal issues at this new construction. I spent 4 hours there. If this guy posts saying "COMCAST DOESST WANT MY CARD TO WORK!" Ill burn his house down.

not really....
Return visit this week....]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13353190 Sat, 07 May 2005 14:45:13 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13352951 stephenju : LLinBeverly,

Did you pay for all the tech visits? If not, what do you think Comcast will gain by intentionally making your CableCARD not working?

I am just curious how you come to that conclusion. I understand your frustration. But it's not fair to label them so.

My card works within 20 minutes of the first tech visit. So I don't even have a chance to complain. Oh wait. I do have one: too many channels now. :)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13352951 Sat, 07 May 2005 13:55:44 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13352773 CableTool :
said by LLinBeverly See Profile:

morph3ous,

I am copying and printing your blog. There is SO much truth in your post. Comcast DOES NOT WANT my cablecard to work properly.
Im pretty sure you didnt read any of the thread either? EVERYONE wants his card to work....?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13352773 Sat, 07 May 2005 13:21:05 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13352455 LLinBeverly : morph3ous,

I am copying and printing your blog. There is SO much truth in your post. Comcast DOES NOT WANT my cablecard to work properly. I've tried four cards. Six or seven appointments since November. My Sony KDF-50WE655 has a gorgeous picture...and the local TV serviceman checked it out and assured me the TV was fine, that it was manufactured AFTER Sony corrected an earlier problem with its QAM Tuner, and that Comcast is the one with the problem in regard to getting the CC to work.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13352455 Sat, 07 May 2005 12:22:49 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13345965 CableTool :
said by tech 184:

You need to contact Toshiba to download a updated firmware. Once that is loaded you shouldn't have any problems. Well at least that was the case in our situation.
Im pretty sure you didnt read any of this thread.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13345965 Fri, 06 May 2005 14:30:16 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13344847 anon : You need to contact Toshiba to download a updated firmware. Once that is loaded you shouldn't have any problems. Well at least that was the case in our situation.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13344847 Fri, 06 May 2005 11:55:59 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13338977 morph3ous : Kdog,

Thanks for the update. An engineer from Toshiba called and hinted that they are in the process of developing a new firmware to fix these issues. The engineer made it very clear that Toshiba is commited to solving this problem. I was not notified as to the progress of the new firmware. He also left his number on the machine so that if need be I could get back to him.

I'll likely not be here with another update until Monday when I get back home from my short vacation. Let's hope that this new firmware comes soon and is the answer to our TV woes.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13338977 Thu, 05 May 2005 17:48:16 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13326817 kdog41 : Morph3ous,

I spoke with Paul at Toshiba and supposedly the engineers are visiting two sites this week. One is in Holland Michigan with Charter cable to check out a problem with the cable card dropping the digital channels. The other is in Chicago with Comcast and the problem we are having with the cable card not acquiring channels. He is supposed to call me near the middle of next week and update me on any findings.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13326817 Wed, 04 May 2005 09:21:41 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13310908 kdog41 : Morph3ous, I was hoping you would have some good news for me.:( I need to call Paul and get an update from the visits the Toshiba engineers were supposed to have with a few customers a week or so ago. Keep us posted if you hear anything new.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13310908 Mon, 02 May 2005 12:11:48 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13280776 morph3ous : The VP of engineering emailled me again.

He reiterated that Comcast is still working on the problem. They were unable to find anything wrong with their systems. Comcast is now talking to Toshiba about my specific case to figure out how to resolve the problem.

Whatever is going wrong must be something extremely strange as neither CableLabs or Toshiba seem to have been able to figure out what is wrong.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13280776 Thu, 28 Apr 2005 10:55:36 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13272923 MacChoser : Sony KDF-50WE655, still had all programing this morning]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13272923 Wed, 27 Apr 2005 13:27:05 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13271664 kdog41 : MacChoser,

What display do you have? The only problems with Comcast and cable cards seem to be limited to the Toshiba displays right now.

Morph3ous,

Any new info?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13271664 Wed, 27 Apr 2005 10:43:15 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13267272 MacChoser : Update: Called Comcast Rep today and at first said I needed to schedule an appt. for a tech to come out, I hung up and called back 5 minutes later and spoke to someone else. The second Rep sent a "signal" to the card and I had to wait 5-10 minutes before I would see any changes. After 5 minutes a few of the "100" range digitals channels started to show up, after 10 minutes nothing extra. Called a third time spoke to someone else, he had me turn TV off and he sent another signal, viola, all digital channels available once I turned TV back on. We'll see if this miracle last til tomorrow. I will post any additional info.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13267272 Tue, 26 Apr 2005 19:57:11 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13252563 morph3ous : Not yet unfortunately. I will see what Monday brings.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13252563 Sun, 24 Apr 2005 23:25:48 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13247171 kdog41 : Morph3ous,

Any new information?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13247171 Sun, 24 Apr 2005 09:29:57 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13238231 CableTool : This sounds like what I wrote earlier in this thread about the card not being in the DAC.
The symptoms are anaolg, HD and Music showing only. No subscribed to digital tiers or channels viewable.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13238231 Fri, 22 Apr 2005 22:57:48 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13238191 MacChoser : Digital Subscriber - Danbury CT
Sony KDF-50WE655
SA8100 HD DVR

My Story:
Called last week to set up appt to have a tech come and install a CableCard. They called yesterday to confirm installation of CableCard. Tech arrived today with no CableCard, but instead said his work ordered said I ordered a Cable Guide?! (Said WO did state "CableGuide") I blew my top and said that is ridicoulus why would I pay $$ for you to come out and deliver me a freakin Cable Guide! So after I explained to him that I ordred a Cable CARD he attempted to talk me out of it big time. Stated that these things don't work and I would have to reschedule an appt. because he didn't have a card with him. I blasted him more and magically 30 minutes later he showed up with a CableCard. Installed Card and guess what no digital channels available. I am only receiving Basic cable to channel 99 (Over 100 starts digital in my area) and only local HDTV (No InHD). Today is Day One and I will update the thread with my experience.

Can anyone offer any tips/tricks to get me through the Customer Support Reps and actually get some real help? What other things can i try before I call for a tech?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13238191 Fri, 22 Apr 2005 22:51:47 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13230476 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

Does anyone have a Motorola CableCARD working with a Toshiba television on a different cable company's network?
Morph3ous, there is a user on another board who lives in Pasadena, Maryland and has the same TV as me. His cable company is Millenium Digital and they use the same Motorola card and his has worked fine from day one. From what I have read the problems seem to be limited to Comcast and Toshiba. Another user in my neighborhood has a Mitsubishi and his is working with Comcast and the Motorola card.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13230476 Thu, 21 Apr 2005 22:47:32 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13227326 morph3ous : The tech came out again to do a few more tests. No dice. It is looking more and more like the TV itself. Comcast is in ongoing talks with CableLabs and Toshiba. Apparently a similar model of Toshiba television passed testing in their labs when configured the same as Comcast's system.

I have to say that Comcast has been incredibly responsive to this issue.

There are at least 3 TVs in my area that are working correctly, and many more in the city of Miami proper. In the beginning I thought this was a problem on Comcast's end. While I'm not 100% convinced that it is not, I have a feeling it has more to do with the television or the Motorola CableCARDs.

Does anyone have a Motorola CableCARD working with a Toshiba television on a different cable company's network?

Is there anyone with a Toshiba set that is able to use Comcast's Motorola CableCARD. This information might help the techs at Comcast and CableLabs.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13227326 Thu, 21 Apr 2005 16:52:19 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13217657 morph3ous : Kdog,

I did talk to Paul. He is unfortunately not an engineer; however, he did take the information about my case down. Comcast is talking to the higher-up Toshiba engineers using CableLabs as an intermediary.

I have not received any new information today as I have been at work all day.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13217657 Wed, 20 Apr 2005 14:00:14 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13217025 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

Toshiba (Paul) will also be calling around 2, so hopefully the techs will be here and Toshiba will be on the line.

I will keep you updated.
Morph3ous, did you ever talk with Paul? If so, is he going to be communicating with Comcast and the Toshiba engineers?
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13217025 Wed, 20 Apr 2005 12:28:28 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13215281 bogview : We just had the cable card installed. PIP on a Sony 55 allows any video input except HD. Images on the lower channels (ones that are fuzzy on the 6412 dvr) are much better. No Problems using cable card along with the DVR. Try to get a Comcast tech to do the install.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13215281 Wed, 20 Apr 2005 07:19:43 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13211069 kdog41 : Thanks for the update. At least it sounds like you got the right people working on it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm sure the Toshiba engineers wouldn't mind a vist to Miami if necessary.:D]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13211069 Tue, 19 Apr 2005 18:11:55 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13210935 morph3ous : The techs were here for many hours. It still does not work; however, CableLabs is now involved. The tech called them and explained all the symptoms.

CableLabs thinks that they might have an idea what is going on, and they are going to test some ideas out tomorrow. They are also talking with the top engineers at Toshiba.

I was reading through the ANSISCTE412004 standards document that has to do with CableCARDs and realized how extremely complicated this all is. It could any of a number of things that could be wrong. Luckily we have top industry experts working on this.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13210935 Tue, 19 Apr 2005 17:58:10 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13209092 kdog41 : Morph3ous, That's great news. Hopefully we can find a resolution soon. I appreciate you keeping me informed of your progress.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13209092 Tue, 19 Apr 2005 14:44:27 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13208651 morph3ous : I just received this email from the VP of engineering:

----
I can assure you we will find a resolution to this matter soon. I understand that ________ has arranged another visit to your home and I have ________ in touch with CableCARD technical experts at CableLabs, the cable industry research and development facility that developed the CableCARD specifications and the place where companies such as Toshiba come to develop and test new Digital Cable Ready products. Through CableLabs _______ will have access to senior engineering personnel at Toshiba if needed so I am confident we can resolve this within the next few days.
----

Things are definitely looking up. I'll keep you posted.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13208651 Tue, 19 Apr 2005 13:53:14 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13208574 morph3ous : They are coming back to the house at 2PM EST. They said that the engineers told them that there was "something else that they wanted to try". So the tech will be here on the phone with an engineer to see if this new thing works. I will try to find out what the tech was talking about when he comes.

Toshiba (Paul) will also be calling around 2, so hopefully the techs will be here and Toshiba will be on the line.

I will keep you updated.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13208574 Tue, 19 Apr 2005 13:45:13 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13206465 kdog41 : Morph3ous,

Any response on the cable card problem yet?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13206465 Tue, 19 Apr 2005 09:00:13 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13202724 morph3ous : Stephen, your post does help us. It lets us know which models the cards do work on. Armed with this information we may be able to find some sort of trend.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13202724 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 19:32:11 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13201111 stephenju : I know this isn't helping the issues folks using Toshiba are having. But I just had CableCard installed in my Panasonic 42PD24U last week. The tech came in and out in 20 minutes and I have Digital Classic on top of Basic right now. The tech did mention that I am lucky for his last install took 2 hours.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13201111 Mon, 18 Apr 2005 16:09:57 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13191938 kdog41 : Morph3ous,

Perhaps they should contact Paul at Toshiba in customer support? He is the one who is assigned to tracking the issues with the cable cards.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13191938 Sun, 17 Apr 2005 12:15:27 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13191890 morph3ous : Kdog, they did line level tests on multiple frequencies, tested for return, and then to double-check their findings they had a line tech with a more sophisticated meter come out.

I have not been told who they will be talking with at Toshiba. Comcast's senior executive over technical operations is now aware of the issue. He has told me that he has sent the information to engineering and will keep me in the loop.

In one of my emails I did mention that you were having a problem with a similar Toshiba set in Trenton, MI and that it may be wise for them to coordinate with your tech supervisor. Regardless, I will make sure to keep you up to date on what happens and how to fix the problem (I would venture a guess that it will be another firmware upgrade.)
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13191890 Sun, 17 Apr 2005 12:06:48 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13190900 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

Corporate sent some techs here who did almost every imaginable test. They confirmed that there is a problem between
toshiba TVs and Comcast issued Motorola CableCARDs.

The good news is that they will be starting a dialog with Toshiba.
Morph3ous, what type of tests did they do? Did they indicate who they would be talking to at Toshiba? You would think the Toshiba engineers and Comcast could get together at one of subscriber's homes and work together to resolve this issue. Hopefully we can get this problem behind us soon. Keep us posted on your progress.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13190900 Sun, 17 Apr 2005 08:18:07 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13189821 morph3ous : Corporate sent some techs here who did almost every imaginable test. They confirmed that there is a problem between
toshiba TVs and Comcast issued Motorola CableCARDs.

The good news is that they will be starting a dialog with Toshiba.

I now completely disagree with my past post about Comcast not trying to get the cards working. They were not proactive enough, but once the proper people in the company were made aware of the issues that all seems to be changing.

Let's hope that there is a solution in sight.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13189821 Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:52:40 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13182388 morph3ous : Corporate has been incredibly responsive. I have been assigned someone to coordinate my case with all the various parts of Comcast. I will keep the thread informed as to what happens.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13182388 Fri, 15 Apr 2005 22:52:49 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13176263 morph3ous : Thanks Comcastguy. I have a feeling that it may be a manufacturers issue. I'm in contact with Toshiba once again and hope that they can figure this out.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13176263 Fri, 15 Apr 2005 08:29:54 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13176229 CableTool :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

Comcastguy, have you been able to talk to the tech in my area yet? I am hoping that maybe you have the bit of information to get this all working correctly.

Is there anyone I can call at Corporate to speed this process up? If so, please PM me their name and number.
No I havent. The only fix I know of he stated he had already tried. ( the box not being in the DAC) All issues we have had in Chicago have either been a DAC related issue or a manufacturer related issue.
If he has spoken directly with those working with the DAC and saw that it was in the DAC then its either a Manufacturer issue or something yet unknown. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13176229 Fri, 15 Apr 2005 08:22:53 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13175545 morph3ous : I have just emailled the president of Comcast, Steve Burke. Hopefully he will put some pressure on the company from above and get these issues we've been having solved.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13175545 Fri, 15 Apr 2005 02:48:04 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13174511 morph3ous : Comcastguy, have you been able to talk to the tech in my area yet? I am hoping that maybe you have the bit of information to get this all working correctly.

Is there anyone I can call at Corporate to speed this process up? If so, please PM me their name and number.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13174511 Thu, 14 Apr 2005 23:15:51 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13174467 morph3ous : I will have to call Toshiba again about this issue. I'm just getting fed up with the whole thing. I will be in contact with my city commission, the city manager (who I happen to know), and the FCC. Hopefully the city manager can put some pressure on Comcast. My tech seems to have given up as far as I can tell and is shifting all the burden to me.

I know that these issues are tough to deal with, but Comcast needs to be more proactive. I should not have to constantly make phone calls and try to troubleshoot their systems when it is their responsibility to provide the service. For the majority cable company of our country, I am not impressed.

RANT

Can someone also explain to me why franchise agreements exist and why it is illegal for another company to string up their own wires and provide service to an area. I feel that the market should decide, not a city commission. If it is too expensive to set up the infrastructure from scratch, then other companies will not even try. It seems that these monopolies provide the cable companies with too much power.

If my area had at least one more provider, then this competition would cause Comcast to stop resting on its laurels and get with the program. I am strongly entertaining the idea of just setting up an antenna for HD and getting the cable networks from satellite. As a test I bought a small indoor antenna and it seems to receive the majority of the high-def stations in my area. I am going to exchange it for a small outdoor antenna and then run some wires through the attic. Hopefully this will keep me from paying the high prices that are going to a company that seems baffled by new technology that they have had nearly two years to learn. Not to mention that I am genuinely upset with them.

/RANT

I appologize for the rant, but I feel that this situation is deplorable. If the problem is with the Toshiba set, then it should be Comcast talking to Toshiba and trying to resolve the problem. Neither I nor kdog should have to be go-betweens doing the problem-solving for Comcast. The technology is complex, but we the consumers should not be expected to understand its inner-workings.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13174467 Thu, 14 Apr 2005 23:08:37 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13158090 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

kdog, I was too busy today to call the tech and ask for his permission. I'll try my best to call him tomorrow.

I hope that we can both get our HDTV issues resolved. It has been a frustrating experience.

Have you been in contact with Toshiba since calling for the firmware update?
I called Toshiba Friday and Monday and I am waiting for Paul to call me. He is supposedly the only one that can help with this problem. I will be calling the again this morning and asking to speak to a supervisor as the lack of response is unacceptable to me.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13158090 Wed, 13 Apr 2005 08:38:01 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13150919 anon : I got a 52HM94 and I have similar problems with the CableCard, provided by Comcast. In my case, the digital (&HD) channels work fine if I unplug and re-plug in the TV power cable. It works fine for sometime as long as I don't change the channels that often. I also tried with three cards and the problem remain same. When I called Tosiba, they said 'Memory Upgrade' is required, probably it is same as the firmware upgrade someone mentioned in this thread. I am eagerly waiting for this to work completely.

I will post how it goes after the upgrade.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13150919 Tue, 12 Apr 2005 13:19:32 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13147472 morph3ous : kdog, I was too busy today to call the tech and ask for his permission. I'll try my best to call him tomorrow.

I hope that we can both get our HDTV issues resolved. It has been a frustrating experience.

Have you been in contact with Toshiba since calling for the firmware update?
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13147472 Mon, 11 Apr 2005 23:59:27 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13141386 kdog41 :
said by cableguy619 See Profile:

To be honest cable cards are still so new and the Tv's as well that there are issues on both end. Not just with Comcast..all of them. I work for another provider..
I realize the technology is new but the problems related to the Toshiba integrated models seem to be only with Comcast. I know of owners of these displays who have other cable companies and are not having problems. The Toshiba engineers are still trying to figure out what Comcast does differently.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13141386 Mon, 11 Apr 2005 11:02:38 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13132525 cableguy619 : To be honest cable cards are still so new and the Tv's as well that there are issues on both end. Not just with Comcast..all of them. I work for another provider..

It's funny but alot of the issues stated happen here, some tv's work great some have issues..

I have seen alot of Sony's dropping channels say analog or black screen on digitals(reset card and wala..fixed for a few weeks..

Mitsubishi's all tend to have a audio llip sinc issue on certain hdtv's channels

Panasonics seem to be the least headace..everything works great except one channel - u hear audio but no pic

so on and so on....

the hardest thing to figure out because of all the different ways the manufacturers have designed their tv's ..makes it hard to trouble shoot cable card tv's..

honestly a big issue with both sides...

give it a yr and watch it work wonders when they fix the bugs on both ends...]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13132525 Sun, 10 Apr 2005 00:13:38 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13128250 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

That's strange that it worked for one customer's TV and not another. I will definitely ask the supervisor in my area if he would be willing to talk to the supervisor in your area; however, I'll have to wait until Monday to ask him.

My TV is the 57HX94. Is yours an HX or HMX?
Mine is the 62HMX94 which is a DLP set. Supposedly the guy in my area has the 52HM94 which is basically the same set except for the screen size and the extra HDMI input my set has. His problem was resolved with firmware. I just wish there was a way I could validate that everything is set up correctly with the card.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13128250 Sat, 09 Apr 2005 13:21:18 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13128067 morph3ous : That's strange that it worked for one customer's TV and not another. I will definitely ask the supervisor in my area if he would be willing to talk to the supervisor in your area; however, I'll have to wait until Monday to ask him.

My TV is the 57HX94. Is yours an HX or HMX?
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13128067 Sat, 09 Apr 2005 12:50:16 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13127895 kdog41 : Well, Comcast has come and gone today with still no resolution to my problem. They thought they might have figured out the problem as the incoming signal was a -7. They installed an amplifier on the incoming cable and although the signal is now within a good range it didn't do anything to help my problem. They said they've done all they could so I guess I'm back to calling Toshiba to see if a technician can figure anything out.:mad:

They also said the firmware resolved the problem of the other subscriber in my area.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13127895 Sat, 09 Apr 2005 12:23:31 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13122764 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

Comcastguy, I just talked to the technical supervisor in my area, and he's just as frustrated as I am about this issue. I asked him if I could give you his number if you were interested in talking to him and he said that I could.
Morph3ous, ask your supervisor if I can give my supervisor his number. If so, just PM the number and I will pass it along. Maybe between the two of them they can figure this out. I know the technician indicated there is another Toshiba owner in my area with the problem as well. Hopefully if they get enough people they can make some headway.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13122764 Fri, 08 Apr 2005 18:09:19 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13122506 kdog41 : Morph3ous,

I hope they figure this out. There obviously is a problem between the Toshiba displays and something Comcast does differently. I have seen users with other cable companies and our sets have success and others with other displays and Comcast who've had success. The combination of the two seems to be the wild card. From what I have heard the engineers can't figure out what is different. Obviously they tried to make some correction in the firmware. At least in both of our cases it didn't seem to help. At least we both have the EXACT same symptoms. This should be simple to figure out as it's not an intermittent problem. maybe Toshiba needs to send an engineer and someone from Comcast to one of our houses to try and resolve it.;)
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13122506 Fri, 08 Apr 2005 17:35:51 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13122275 morph3ous : Comcastguy, I just talked to the technical supervisor in my area, and he's just as frustrated as I am about this issue. I asked him if I could give you his number if you were interested in talking to him and he said that I could.

He said that he's pretty much gone through all the steps. My CableCARD was manually entered into the DAC. Since it was coded for the wrong headend, the DAC sent it a command to fix that.

It seems to him and I that it has something to do with Toshiba TVs.

The weird issue that I am having is this. The card receives the hit as evidenced by the card rebooting. (CableCARD disconnected, possible loss of cable service. -- CableCARD connected, acquiring channel lineup.)

When the CableCARD is in the TV, it is unable to change channels. When using Ch Up, Ch Down, or directly entering a channel, it pops up the Acquiring Channel Information message. The tech said that in some ways it reminds him of the issues that they have had with the LG TVs. Those TVs would freeze up entirely. Maybe the Toshiba is at some level freezing and stuck in an infinite loop while waiting for the channel lineup information.

The tech and I are not quite sure what to do at this stage. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13122275 Fri, 08 Apr 2005 17:06:53 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13122153 morph3ous : Comcastguy. Thank you very much for your reply. I was able to get in touch with the supervisor. He had not called back because of a family emergency, but everything is ok in his family now.

The supervisor has been talking to the DAC; however, we are now at a point where the DAC says they have done everything that they can. Is there any way that you would be willing to talk to the supervisor in my area? If so I would be glad to PM you his phone number.

My statements before about the whole greediness were borne of my frustration with the issue. It is hard as a consumer to spend tons of time on issues like these. I know that it is not the tech supervisor's fault or any one person's fault. It would be good, though, if different Comcast supervisors who have had successes can talk to those who are having issues to smooth everything out.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13122153 Fri, 08 Apr 2005 16:51:21 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13122091 kdog41 : Comcastguy,

Maybe you can help me get mine working. Supposedly there is a problem with something Comcast is doing differently than other cable companies. I called Toshiba and they sent me new firmware that is supposed to address issues with Comcast and the Toshiba displays. After installing the firmware I have the same problem. After inserting the card I get a pop-up box that says acquiriong channel information but the TV never seems to acquire the channel. In the conditional access menu my card indicates "CA disabled". Others who have their Toshiba working with different cable providers have the state of "subscribed". I have Comcast coming out again tomorrow but they have been out two other times with no success. I am attaching pictures of my menus if it's any help.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry
Click for full size
Cable Menus
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13122091 Fri, 08 Apr 2005 16:44:34 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13121982 CableTool :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

Here is my theory as to why this is happening everywhere that Comcast operates. (It seems to be much less of a problem for other cable providers.) Comcast obviously does not want subscribers using CableCARDs. They want to add many different pay services to their boxes. Since the CableCARDs are only one-way, they figure that they will be losing this potential source of revenue.
ALthough it is true that we would rather have impulse PPV available is has nothing to do with the cable card issues.

said by morph3ous See Profile:

The FCC requires Comcast and other cable providers to allow their subscribers to use CableCARDs. Comcast figures that if they improperly implement the frontend computer systems, it will be hard for the FCC to prove their wrongdoing, and so frustrating for customers that they'll give up and get the box.
Although the FCC WILL require the availability of cable cards ( Im not sure of the date, I dont think we hit it yet though-although we might have.. :D) The issue with the cards isnt some greedy and shrewd business move. Its just a lack of understanding and unified processes at this early stage.
If Comcast cannot get a cable card working and you request one you will have an HDTV box installed, at no charge, until we can get that card working. At least thats the Chicago Markets policy.

said by morph3ous See Profile:

1) Card was coded for different headend despite the techs asking for a Coral Gables CableCARD. The only way we found out was by calling the DAC. The tech only had the number to the DAC because one of his wife's friends works there. In fact he says that he had never heard of the DAC before he met his wife's friend.

2) Hits from dispatch and from 1-800-COMCAST were not even being sent out on the wire. The DAC checked and said the hits were not even reaching it. This means that the front-end systems were not sending out the hits, but were reporting that they had.

3) The account is likely coded incorrectly.

4) The techs have not been trained in the least about CableCARD operation. The supervisor / top-ranking tech in my area (the one who is not returning calls) said he had only gotten 1 working so far.
You are partially right. The headend info isnt coded into the card. The card or convertor box is assigned whatever headend the account is under when it receives the activation hit. The hits were sent and DID make it down the wire but your card was never entered into the DAC. The DAC is a locally controlled switch that sends activation hits and rate information to all boxes in that local system. It used to be called the NAS, nationally controlled but hits were always getting backed up by the thousands and it was more expensive then controlling locally.
The problem with these cards are they are never entered into the DAC system. Your friend is stating the hits arent being sent, Ill bet if they looked up your card in the DAC system they woudlnt even find it.

This is the issue we are haveing, have had in Chicago. If the technical sup in your area had only gotten one working that means he probably hasnt run into many at all to begin with. As with most areas they are still new or being introduced. Its a function of the warehouse that is missing a step butis something that can be cleared up by the local MIS department.

I can describe exactly how to fix the issue for those that work in warehouse or dispatch on this board.
Basically its a movement like an illogical cycle but with adding an extra movement to delete and add back into inventory. This extra movement forces the card into the DAC therefore being able to receive the sent hits and be activated.

When a card is just installed and not activated it will show analog, HD locals and the music channels. But no real Digital programming. Its this characteristic that is hurting us because cusotmers and techs all think the card is working great, then leave. Later the customer notices there isnt any more programming being downloaded.
Its then that it falls into my lap. When I look it up I can see that extra movement was never added to that card to put it into the DAC, I call MIS or a Dispatch Sup, they do the movement, send an "INT" hit to the card, BAM.
Good to go. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13121982 Fri, 08 Apr 2005 16:29:38 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13121004 morph3ous : It was explained to me that the DAC is the place where all the signals for the Digital boxes and CableCards are relayed to the headend. I had never heard this terminology in regards to a cable system until the other day.

I hope that your eperience ends up being better than mine. Please let me know if it works, and what happens with the install.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13121004 Fri, 08 Apr 2005 14:35:23 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13120295 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

The motive behind all this is just theory. The part about the front-end systems working incorrectly is absolutely true, at least in the Miami / Coral Gables area. There were multiple failings in my case:

1) Card was coded for different headend despite the techs asking for a Coral Gables CableCARD. The only way we found out was by calling the DAC. The tech only had the number to the DAC because one of his wife's friends works there. In fact he says that he had never heard of the DAC before he met his wife's friend.
Can you explain what the DAC is and what you mean by coding of the cards? Since I have Comcast coming out tomorrow I want to make sure I have them check all possibilities. Since I have a DVR, I can see the box indicating the download so I don't think that is my problem.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13120295 Fri, 08 Apr 2005 13:13:51 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13119580 morph3ous : The tech did not call the other day when he said he would, so I left a polite message asking him to please call. He did not. The next day I left another nice message asking him to call and did not. I am a bit fed up with this whole thing.

Here is my theory as to why this is happening everywhere that Comcast operates. (It seems to be much less of a problem for other cable providers.) Comcast obviously does not want subscribers using CableCARDs. They want to add many different pay services to their boxes. Since the CableCARDs are only one-way, they figure that they will be losing this potential source of revenue.

The FCC requires Comcast and other cable providers to allow their subscribers to use CableCARDs. Comcast figures that if they improperly implement the frontend computer systems, it will be hard for the FCC to prove their wrongdoing, and so frustrating for customers that they'll give up and get the box.

The motive behind all this is just theory. The part about the front-end systems working incorrectly is absolutely true, at least in the Miami / Coral Gables area. There were multiple failings in my case:

1) Card was coded for different headend despite the techs asking for a Coral Gables CableCARD. The only way we found out was by calling the DAC. The tech only had the number to the DAC because one of his wife's friends works there. In fact he says that he had never heard of the DAC before he met his wife's friend.

2) Hits from dispatch and from 1-800-COMCAST were not even being sent out on the wire. The DAC checked and said the hits were not even reaching it. This means that the front-end systems were not sending out the hits, but were reporting that they had.

3) The account is likely coded incorrectly.

4) The techs have not been trained in the least about CableCARD operation. The supervisor / top-ranking tech in my area (the one who is not returning calls) said he had only gotten 1 working so far.

I don't blame the techs for hating these things. I blame Comcast corporate. These practices need to be investigated by the FCC. Putting up these barriers is against the spirit and idea of the FCC mandate.

I will be drafting a couple of letters, and would like to know who to send them to. One will be my city franchise authority and the city council members. I am not sure who at the FCC should receive the letter. Are there any other relevant agencies to send this letter to?

It is unfair to the customer and the Comcast techs to set up your infrastructure incorrectly. Most customers probably get upset at the techs, and yell at them causing undue stress for both parties. I do not blame the techs. I would be pretty frustrated if time and time again I could not get these cards working. I would be especially upset if the problems were all caused by issues with their computer front-end systems that could easily be reprogrammed and solve a lot of grief. While making these changes they should also establish alternate procedures to get these cards working and send it out as a memo to all of the techs and dispatchers.

Comcast needs to get their act together, I would like to help nudge them in the right direction by alerting the proper authorities.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13119580 Fri, 08 Apr 2005 11:41:34 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13118355 kdog41 : Well I installed the firmware and no change on the cable card. I have Comcast scheduled to return tomorrow to see if we can make any progress.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13118355 Fri, 08 Apr 2005 08:35:40 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13108077 kdog41 : I got the updated firmware from Toshiba so tomorrow night I plan on seeing if it helps with my cable card problems. I will update everyone once I have a chance to check it out.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13108077 Thu, 07 Apr 2005 00:19:41 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13093529 morph3ous :
said by kdog41 See Profile:

... I assume you did the same thing I did and use the up channel to find out what the display picked up. ...
That's exactly what I did. It takes forever.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13093529 Tue, 05 Apr 2005 13:09:56 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13093471 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

I am getting (without the CableCARD):

NBC 3-1
CBS 87-2
PBS (Only broadcasts sometimes) 5-1
Music Choice 105-5 -- 105-50ish

I am not able to get my FOX or ABC stations, or ESPN.
I was getting the second PBS station (PBSD2) on 3-1 but today it's not working. Also, the PBSD1 seems to be the only one that broadcasts HD. I also get the music channels but they are 93-4 through 93-51. It's too bad Comcast doesn't publish what the channels should be. I assume you did the same thing I did and use the up channel to find out what the display picked up. This is very time consuming and I'm still trying to figure out why I can't get ABC.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13093471 Tue, 05 Apr 2005 13:01:52 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13093138 morph3ous : I am getting (without the CableCARD):

NBC 3-1
CBS 87-2
PBS (Only broadcasts sometimes) 5-1
Music Choice 105-5 -- 105-50ish

I am not able to get my FOX or ABC stations, or ESPN.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13093138 Tue, 05 Apr 2005 12:16:11 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13093064 kdog41 : Keep us posted. I have digital service and also the DVR which I plan to keep. I still want to get the card working so I can watch any program while recording two simulataneously and for the improved PQ on analog channels. Right now I can get the HD locals (with the exception of ABC for some reason) but not any of the digital HD channels or premium channels like HBO which the card should provide. I don't know if your lineup is different but what channels are you getting the local HD on?

I get:

NBC 1-1
FOX 2-1
CBS 76-1
ESPN 114-1

This with the cable connected directly to the set and without the cable card.
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13093064 Tue, 05 Apr 2005 12:04:37 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13092919 morph3ous : The supervisor and one of the top techs were here today. They almost have it working. It turns out that there are multiple issues. Hits from the dispatcher's computer are actually not going out onto the wire, so they have to call someone else who is at the headend and have her do it. The card was also coded for the wrong area.

They fixed the first two problems. The card actually registered the hit. I still have the same problem, but the supervisor thinks that my account is also coded incorrectly and is going to look into it.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13092919 Tue, 05 Apr 2005 11:45:51 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13090111 morph3ous : Here is the link. I hope it works.

»www.comcast.com/Support/ChannelGuide.ashx
»www.comcast.com/Buyflow/default.···rintable

From hxxp://www.comcast.com/Benefits/CableDetails/Slot4PageOne.asp:
(LINK DOES NOT WORK UNLESS YOU COPY AND PASTE **Change hxxp to http)
---
*HD programming from ABC, NBC, CBS and PBS is available in selected areas. Comparative claims based upon areas where HDTV from Comcast is available. To receive HD features and benefits an HD television (not provided), HD box and remote control is required. Advertised channels/stations generally provide a mix of HD and non-HD programming. HD programming is limited to the programming provided to Comcast in HDTV format by the programming provider. Programming and charges subject to change. Basic service subscription is required to receive HDTV and premium HDTV channel requires subscription to underlying premium channel. Call Comcast for details and restrictions.
---

I would obviously not get the premiums. I already get 2 of the four local HD stations without the CableCARD.

I want the HDTV package in order to make the large expenditure on an HDTV worthwhile. The box they set me up with currently gets all the channels (until it gets setup correctly). I can honestly say that there is still almost nothing worthwhile on TV. I am unwilling to pay for channels I will never watch in order to get HDTV. Comcast needs to set their system up correctly and train their techs.

I am hoping that the supervisor can set matters straight. This has been a frustrating and confusing ordeal and has already taken too much of my time.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13090111 Tue, 05 Apr 2005 00:24:34 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13085017 djrobx : If I were you, I'd try to get the cablecard working with Digital Cable first. Then work on lowering your bill. They had a hard enough time configuring my cable box to receive just HDTV locals, I imagine CableCARD will be even more trouble.

Here, with a cable box, you cannot receive INHD, Discovery or ESPN-HD without digital cable. You can only get the HDTV locals.
--
\\ROB - a part of the SCB local network]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13085017 Mon, 04 Apr 2005 13:54:33 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13084949 stephenju :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

The website says that as long as you have Basic 1 and 2 you should receive Discovery HD, InHD 1 and 2, ESPN HD and your locals.
morph3ous,

Can you please post the link to that page? I am trying to figure out what exactly do I need to have those channels. Without paying extra, that is.

Thanks.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13084949 Mon, 04 Apr 2005 13:45:58 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13084771 morph3ous : Update: More confusion

The installers could not get a new CableCARD working. When they called dispatch, dispatch told them that I was paying for nothing. They said that in order for the card to work, I would have to have digital cable. I told them that that is simply not true.

The website says that as long as you have Basic 1 and 2 you should receive Discovery HD, InHD 1 and 2, ESPN HD and your locals. They told me I was wrong.

They left me with a DVR box even though I do not want to pay extra for the DVR service. That is at least working until the issue can be straightened out.

Lucky for me I know the direct line to the installer's supervisor. I was able to get through to him, but only after the installers left. He told me that I was right about the channels; however, he is going to check to make sure. He will also call me tomorrow morning and schedule a visit where he will personally get this issue resolved.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13084771 Mon, 04 Apr 2005 13:17:03 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13083873 morph3ous :
said by kdog41 See Profile:

I've had the same experience with my Toshiba 62HMX94. I am waiting on the firmware to see if it resolves my problem. FYI, I get the same pop-up and the channels never load. The conditional access menu indicates the state is "CA Disabled" as opposed to "subscribed".
My conditional access menu also says CA disabled. The techs should be here again anywhere from a couple minutes from now to 2:00. I'll let you know what happens.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13083873 Mon, 04 Apr 2005 11:01:29 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13079050 kdog41 :
said by morph3ous See Profile:

After calling Toshiba I found out that there was a firmware upgrade available. They sent it and I received it a week later. I reinserted the CableCARD and called Comcast to ask them to send the card another hit.

The TV continued to exhibit its old problem. It displays "CableCard connected -- Acquiring channel information."

I can push ok and that goes away; however, I am then unable to change channels.
I've had the same experience with my Toshiba 62HMX94. I am waiting on the firmware to see if it resolves my problem. FYI, I get the same pop-up and the channels never load. The conditional access menu indicates the state is "CA Disabled" as opposed to "subscribed".
--
"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza!"-Dave Barry]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13079050 Sun, 03 Apr 2005 17:36:22 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13077615 morph3ous : I have had Comcast come out twice to get my Toshiba 57HX94 working with CableCARD. It's been a confusing experience. The techs have unfortunately not been trained at all in this technology. They are nice people, they just have not been taught how all this stuff works.

After calling Toshiba I found out that there was a firmware upgrade available. They sent it and I received it a week later. I reinserted the CableCARD and called Comcast to ask them to send the card another hit.

The TV continued to exhibit its old problem. It displays "CableCard connected -- Acquiring channel information."

I can push ok and that goes away; however, I am then unable to change channels.

Two techs came out again today. One had never installed a CableCARD before. The other had installed two so far, and was unable to get either to work. I asked if they could come back tomorrow with two or three CableCARDs to see if we can finally get this working.

The techs told me that the digital boxes and CableCARDs have a habit of going on the fritz after receiving a bunch of hits. I also read somewhere that if you are unable to get one card to work, sometimes you can install another one. If that one does not work, then you can put the first one back in and it might work. That sounds a bit far fetched to me.

I have a feeling that my CableCARD is registered with the wrong headend, but the tech checked and said that it was fine. I'm not one to argue. They really are doing their best to get this working. They seem just as frustrated as I am.
--
My Blog]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13077615 Sun, 03 Apr 2005 13:28:36 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12689778 CableTool : I just left an escalation this afternoon where we installed 2 cable cards in December in two sweet plasmas.
She saw about 4-5 techs. One put an Amp on causing overdrive, one put a 3 way splitter ( only rated for 600mz )
After I took care of those I found out the account was in the wrong hub/headend in our system. After that was switched and a hit sent, BAM crystal clear, all channels.

The biggest problem with cable cards and areas is the warehouse. If you are in a DAC system as opposed to NAS there is a good chance that card isnt in the controller which means the controller cant see it to activate it.

Then you get a dummy card that gives you standard service, Music and maybe your highdefs, no digital programming though..
This might all sound greek if your not familiar with the system but if you are I hope it helps. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12689778 Wed, 16 Feb 2005 17:38:57 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12689653 FrankNBrew : I'm brand new here. Just stopped in to look for advise on my system. Here's my Comcast Cable Card story:
Bought a new Sony KDF-50WE655 a couple weeks back. Decided HD channels were a must, so I called Comcast and ordered it up. Installer came out and spent 3 hours trying to get the thing working.

A big problem here in Royal Oak, Michigan, is that Comcast sends our cable out over 2 cables. If you want all of the channels, you need a set top box. The box takes the signal from the appropriate cable as you switch channels. The cable card will only accept the signal from the coax plugged into the "cable" jack on the back of the TV. There's another coax input on the back of the TV set labeled "VHF/UHF". I tried plugging the other coax for the non-digital/HD channels into that jack, but I only get channels up to 13.

So here's what I have hooked up now. The digital/HD coax goes directly into the CABLE input. I can scroll through all of the channels, but over 50% of the channels are black, no picture or sound. The cable card is programmed to tell the TV these channels are there, but the signal is not there because it's on the 2nd cable. The 2nd cable runs through the VCR, and then into the VHF/UHF jack. To watch those channels I need to select the antenna input on the TV, switch the TV to channel 3, turn on the VCR, and select the channels through the VCR. Yeah, the picture sucks.

I'm not done yet. Intermittently, when watching HD channels, I get slight freeze up/pixelization(is that a word?)of the picture, like the cable signal gets slightly scrambled, and an error message pops up on the screen, with error code 161-4. It also advises to call the cable company. So I did.

The advisor told me to remove the cable card for 20 minutes, reinstall, and my problem will be solved. Yeah, right. Well I did it, and it didn't fix it. It happens about once an hour, and requires one button press on the remote to clear. It's no big deal, but it's annoying. So I called back, and they made an appointment to come out. I scheduled it for 4:30 today, to make sure I'm here. They showed up at 1:30, because they saw my wife was home, and knocked on the door. My wife explained the situation. They looked at the TV and said "You're lucky the cable card works at all. We can only get about 10% to work." And they left.

Sorry to be so long winded, and, if you made it all the way through, thanks for your time. Anyone have suggestions/comments, please feel free to share. And ifI figure anything out, I'll be sure to post. Thanks!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12689653 Wed, 16 Feb 2005 17:23:21 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12675389 tender : I am having a new Sony 55 inch HDTV delivered this weekend. I called Comcast to order DVR and the CableCard. At first I was told they dont have the CableCard. I completed the order and called back. The next rep I spoke with said they do have the CableCard. But, after being put on hold, she told I did not need the CableCard. I told her yes I did. She said that I only need the DVR box. I then told her I know the reasons why I want the CableCard, and she then put it on the order. I called back to verify and the DVR, CableCard (and internet) are all on the order for the new house next week.

The new TV has a CableCard slot plus 2 HDMI inputs. I want to have both the CableCard and DVR so I can use the internal HD tuner and the DVR for PIP. Plus, I have done some reading at AVSforums that says SD looks better using the CableCard when compared to the DVR box.

thats it...I will post more next week after I get the CableCard and DVR installed. Cant wait :)

-steve]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12675389 Tue, 15 Feb 2005 09:58:08 EDT Re: Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12675321 AMERICAL : Cable Card has been installed in my Panasonic 42pd25u for about two weeks. I had some digital freeze when first installed. Comcast ran brand new lines from OS box & the picture quality on all my TV's is much improved.

So far the cable card has performed flawlessly.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12675321 Tue, 15 Feb 2005 09:47:46 EDT Cable Card experience thread http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12568292 diskus : Im wondering if we can start listing peoples experiences with comcast and cable cards, including ordering, install, operation and features that differ from cable box service?

personally I havent tried it yet but am considering it]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,12568292 Thu, 03 Feb 2005 08:21:58 EDT