dathing
join:2002-01-09
Sykesville, MD
1 edit |  Sure... We'll get right on that.
Geeze. I've just spent a month trying to get Comcast to get the cablecards working correctly in my TIVO. I can't imagine them adding another box. Wasn't the whole point of the cablecards to avoid another cable box? The cable companies will drag their feet with this adapter solution, just as they have with the implementation of cablecards. Cablecards were mandated, and they've made it clear that they intend to meet only the minimum standard of service required by law. They have no incentive to make it work smoothly. |
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antonio010
join:2002-11-24
| So you exclaim how the cable cards are supposed to remove the need for a box, yet complain that it doesn't work in your tivo box. Oh the irony.
The new multistream cards are supposed to be 2 way. However, I don't know if any MSO has enabled that feature. |
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banditws6
Shrinking Time and Distance
join:2001-08-18
Naples, FL
 ·Comcast
| reply to dathing
It took about three weeks to get the CableCARDs working in my TiVo HD as well (I'm also a Comcast customer) for no other reason than the fact that, in my area, Comcast does not know how to properly deal with CableCARDs. That, and the fact that their billing system imposes such restrictions on the authorization and use of the cards that any minor problem can result in the need for a tech to come out and replace the card entirely.
The process should be as simple as having the customer pick up cards, call a provisioning number at Comcast and read the technician the card ID and host ID values. Unfortunately you could call Comcast half a dozen times and never get anyone who understands CableCARDs.
You're right in that Comcast does not want to do any more than the minimum necessary to support CableCARD devices. There is really no reason for them to, after all. They make their money from DVR rentals, and from their On-Demand offerings which CableCARD devices cannot utilize. Because CableCARD customers are a very small fraction of the total customer footprint, they feel it's no skin off their nose if they treat that small fraction like crap. It doesn't excuse them, but I can understand it.
As such, sad to say, I can only recommend CableCARD devices like a TiVo to people who really, really hate the Comcast DVR (like me) and really, really have the determination and patience necessary to work with the cable company until everything is up and running...which could take anywhere from fifteen minutes to several weeks, if not months.
Comcast isn't yet employing SDV technology in my area, but I'm glad to see the SDV-enabling device is already in testing. Too bad it has to be so big, but that's probably because speed to market dictated that existing enclosure tooling be used.
Despite the rigmarole I went through to get it working, I am much, much happier with my TiVo HD than I was with my Comcast HD DVR.
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"I'll follow the law until it's just stupid." -Ted Nugent |
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Fubar
join:2001-02-20
Phoenix, AZ
| reply to antonio010
said by antonio010  :So you exclaim how the cable cards are supposed to remove the need for a box, yet complain that it doesn't work in your tivo box. Oh the irony. The new multistream cards are supposed to be 2 way. However, I don't know if any MSO has enabled that feature. ALL cable cards are 2 way.... But there is no Equipment that takes cable cards that is two way.... It is a Equipment limitation, not a cable card limitation.... |
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unoriginal
join:2000-07-12
San Diego, CA | reply to antonio010
Tivos only work as a one way device with the cablecards. Thats why even with this external dongle Tivo users with cable still wont get On Demand or PPV channels. Just the SDV HD ones that people seem to want the most. |
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djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
 ·PHONE POWER
 ·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T CallVantage
·Time Warner VOIP
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to banditws6
Its too bad some of you have such trouble your cable company's CableCARD service. In my case, I bought my mother a Series 3 HD TiVo right when it came out. The cable guys (Comcast, at the time) came out with the two cards. They looked a bit sheepish when I told them they'd be installing to something other than a TV, but they went ahead and gave it a try. Numbers and such came up on the screen and they got on the phone with provisioners. The cards were activated and it was all good to go in less than 30 minutes without a single hitch. It's worked solidly for a over a year now. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| reply to banditws6
said by banditws6 :The process should be as simple as having the customer pick up cards, call a provisioning number at Comcast and read the technician the card ID and host ID values. Unfortunately you could call Comcast half a dozen times and never get anyone who understands CableCARDs. If people were honest, it COULD be that way.. however, rightfully so, any cable operator is going to want to know where the equipment is being activated.
I doubt you will ever pick up a phone to activate new equipment for some time to come.. I'm guessing that even customer owned equipment will require a truck roll. |
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Fubar
join:2001-02-20
Phoenix, AZ | reply to unoriginal
Correct... Hopefully OCAP (or whatever it is) will fix that |
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RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
 ·AT&T Midwest
| reply to fiberguy
said by fiberguy :I doubt you will ever pick up a phone to activate new equipment for some time to come. Welllllll....Comcast in Naples, Florida let me do just that in December. Went to their nearest office, picked up two digital cable boxes and took them back to the condo. Installed them both, called in and had the one which didn't automagically authorize authorized. I could have been in any of 2500 condo units in 20 buildings and they would not be the wiser.
There is nothing about this that requires a truck roll. They just don't wanna do it right.
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Toolmaster of La Grange. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20 | I was talking about cable cards. Pardon me for believing you were smart enough to follow the context of the topic. |
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RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11
·AT&T Midwest
| Nice snipe. You just can't post without getting a flame in can you?
My comment is illustrative of why Comcast has no valid reason to demand a truck roll for these things. What was yours illustrative of?
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Toolmaster of La Grange. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Pot, meet kettle. Review your history. (Maybe you should leave my posts alone in the future)
My comments were illustrative of the fact that CABLE CARDS won't be activated with out truck rolls anytime soon. I made a mistake and didn't SPECIFICALLY state "cable cards" (even though that was the context of the topic) but you couldn't wait to jump on my post (aka, Flame - see the very first line of your reply) to demean another user on this site, to which you've racked up plenty of that under your belt. |
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RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11 | Yawn. See ya. |
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wierdo
join:2001-02-16
Tulsa, OK
·Future Nine Corpor..
·Teliax VOIP
| reply to Fubar
If by "equipment limitation," you mean "CableLabs limitation," you are correct. CableLabs refuses to allow two way boxes to run the software of the vendor or customer's choice. Were that not the case, TiVo's S3 could have been two way from day one. They even forbid UDCPs from having the hardware needed to do two way in the future from being in there, hence the need for an external box for the box.
At least it's USB..
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It's wierdo, not weirdo. Yes, I know that's not the 'proper' spelling of the similar english language word.  |
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