myosh
join:2001-05-03
Cupertino, CA
 ·Pacific Bell - SBC
|  Not Looking Forward to SDV
As an owner of a Series 3 TiVo, I'm definitely NOT looking forward to SDV. Reason is because CableCards are not bi-directional, my TiVo will not be able to get any channels put on SDV. In fact, unless I rent set-top boxes from Comcast, NONE of the TVs in my house will be able to get SDV channels. I guess that's more money in Comcast's pocket and less in mine. *sigh* |
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CycloneGT
join:2001-11-15
Boyds, MD
| Well, all of the Comcast people would likely have to replace their boxes to, unless this can be accomplished with a software upgrade of all of the existing deployed Comcast cable boxes.
Of course, I'm sure the folks at Tivo would love to sell you a Tivo Series 4 with SDV.  |
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BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Everett, MA
clubs:
 ·Comcast
| All digital cable boxes have rf return and some use telephone returns. So when it requests authorization to tune a channel the SDV kicks the channel on and down it comes.
The cable card can't make that request. So It's stuck.
My guess is 2 way cable cards will have to be rolled out in the areas they put this in. So your tivo may need a software upgrade. But should work.
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"It's always funny until someone gets hurt......and then it's absolutely friggin' hysterical!" |
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myosh
join:2001-05-03
Cupertino, CA
·Pacific Bell - SBC
| According to the folks at the TiVo Community forums (»www.tivocommunity.com), two-way communication can't be implemented in software. Hopefully someone can build an external device (maybe USB) that can enable two-way communication. Otherwise, I'm stuck. |
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smcallah
join:2004-08-05
Home
| reply to myosh
It's not the CableCard that needs to be bi-directional, it's the hardware it's installed in that needs the 2-way communication channel back to the headend.
CableCards simply are for decrypting the encrypted pay channels.
SDV will affect the free channels you receive without CableCard as well, because the hardware receiving has no 2-way communication. But since the free channels are likely the most popular channels, they will not be put on SDV, because there would be no bandwidth savings.
There are cable boxes now that use current CableCards that support 2-way communication. They have a DOCSIS modem in the box that does the 2-way communication. The CableCard is just decrypting the pay channels, as it does in any CableCard device.
Enabling 2-way communication requires new hardware, not a new CableCard. |
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voipguy
join:2006-05-31
Forest Hills, NY
| reply to myosh
Doesn't the Tivo Series 3 have an internet connection? I think that it would be possible, by Tivo in cooperation with cable providers (and maybe CableLabs), to work out a software interface that would permit the Tivo to initiate channel change requests out the ethernet to a server at the Cable Company. That server would handle the requests in the same manner that they would from a DOCSIS-based return set top box.
Needs work - but it can be done. |
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Xela19115
join:2000-10-06
Richboro, PA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to CycloneGT
said by CycloneGT  :Well, all of the Comcast people would likely have to replace their boxes to, unless this can be accomplished with a software upgrade of all of the existing deployed Comcast cable boxes. Of course, I'm sure the folks at Tivo would love to sell you a Tivo Series 4 with SDV. SDV client is a software upgrade for existing boxes. |
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Topmounter
Sent By Grocery Clerks
join:2001-02-20
Evergreen, CO
·Cox HSI
| reply to smcallah
The CableCard will do much more in the future. Theoretically you'll be able to run OCAP apps downloaded from the cable operator on the CableCard enabled device (e.g. An OCAP compliant version of Comcast's TV Guide navigator w/ VOD capability on your CableCard enabled tele or set-top).
The set-top will still need to be able to talk to the SDV server that is responsible for allocating bandwidth via QPSK, QAM or whatever data path is used for the return. |
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smcallah
join:2004-08-05
Home | No, it won't be the CableCard doing more in the future, it will be the OCAP compliant hardware that is doing more, as you said.
The CableCard will just be decrypting the pay channels as usual. |
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BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Everett, MA
clubs:
·Comcast
| reply to myosh
My understanding is as long as they followed the standard and pinned out every pin like they were supposed to and didn't just do a quicky only what was needed the box will take a firmware update and work.
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"It's always funny until someone gets hurt......and then it's absolutely friggin' hysterical!" |
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