jefny
join:2005-11-05
Manhasset, NY
| [iO] Cablevision's "War" on Cablecards and TIVO HD
I just received a written notice from Cablevision that cablecard users will no longer get many HD channels (mostly from the old voom satellite) and they are pushing everyone to get their HD cable box. This is Cablevision's way of giving the finger to anyone using Cable cards and HD TIVO.
I did put a call into TIVO and they are aware of what's going on. Their belief is that Cablevision's actions are contrary to Federal directives. They are also working on some kind of work around that can be added to your TIVO HD box.
I am going to put in a complaint to the FCC (do a Google search for an address to complain).
John |
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Jmartz
join:2000-07-20
Tenafly, NJ
| You left out that the same post card, according to another user (probably also you) on the Yahoo group, said that the cable box they are providing to you is FREE FOR ONE YEAR.
In which case, you don't have to pay for it. When they year is up, the TiVo workaround should be released, and you can return the FREE box before they start charging you for it. |
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matcarl
join:2007-03-09
Franklin Square, NY | reply to jefny
»VOOM to SDV |
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RickNY
Premium
join:2000-11-02
New York
 ·Optimum Online
| reply to jefny
said by jefny  :I just received a written notice from Cablevision that cablecard users will no longer get many HD channels Did this notice come in the regular mail with your bill or something? Do you have a copy of it? Wondering if/when I will get mine. |
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jefny
join:2005-11-05
Manhasset, NY
| reply to jefny
It wasn't me on the Yahoo group. To get the free hd for one year I have to turn in my cable cards. Is there a way of using the TIVO HD without cable cards? If not I won't have the DVR ability.
The notice in question came as a separate postcard.
The end result may be to push me on to Verizon FIOS TV. According to TIVO Verizon (and most other cable companies) have no plan to do what Cablevision is doing. PSC approval appears only days away.
The TIVO people (who requested a copy of the notice) expects to have a workaround in the next several months.
John |
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RickNY
Premium
join:2000-11-02
New York
·Optimum Online
edit:
March 15th, @10:17PM
| reply to jefny
I should have looked at my mail.. I got the postcard today.
Thats all fine and dandy.. I'll be porting my number out from Optimum Voice, dropping Boost, and downgrading my TV service to Broadcast Basic + iO from iO Silver.
Lets see... This comes after a) the rates for iO Silver were raised $5 and then b) the OV discount was reduced by $5.. And then they want to take away 15 HD channels from my service..
Seriously, they can go scratch.. |
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RemyM
join:2005-02-14
Stamford, CT
| reply to jefny
said by jefny : According to TIVO Verizon (and most other cable companies) have no plan to do what Cablevision is doing. Bull, TWC and Comcast are also using SDV. |
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IanR
join:2001-03-22
Madison, NJ
edit:
March 16th, @12:22PM
| reply to jefny
I thought that Federal Law was that Cable companies HAVE to allow CableCard usage by customers at the latters choice? Effectively here the CV are telling existing customers that their CableCard service is being forceably downgraded and their ONLY option to remedy this is to PAY additional fees(after one years grace period), give up their cablecards and effectively scrap their TIVO immediately.
I am unsure whether CV's "offer" makes their maneuver legal or not.
TIVO have said they are working on a workaround extra add on module which will be offered 2nd Quarter 2008 also the next TIVO should have built in 2 way cablecard technology. For the monthly Fee that TIVO charges they should really be more on top of this and sooner. Both CV and TIVO need to step up their game IMHO.
Also TIVO needs to put more interesting programming on their ZOOM channels.... Of the 10 they supply I only enjoyed Space 1999 repeats;)
By the way I use a CableCard, but directly in my TV set (I don't have a TIVO). Funny thing is that I assume I will also soon lose the ZOOM channels (just like TIVO uses) so why hasn't CV written to me making me offers?? Effectively CV will be taking away 10 channels (which I am paying for) and they haven't offered me an alternative or compenastion...... |
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RickNY
Premium
join:2000-11-02
New York |
The best thing is that the SDV tuning resolver for Tivo -- will be supplied by the cable company, presumably for an additional monthly fee. It will not be a device you can just order from Tivo, even though they are developing it. |
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Jmartz
join:2000-07-20
Tenafly, NJ
| said by RickNY : It will not be a device you can just order from Tivo, even though they are developing it. I thought Cable Labs was developing it in partnership with Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, TiVo, etc.
Motorola has said that they plan to have their device ready to go by the end of the second quarter. Not sure if Cablevision will use the first device available, or if they are going to wait until Scientific Atlanta releases their device? It really should not cost anything extra since it's not really doing anything but allowing two-way communication. When you call and bitch at them, tell them that it's outrageous to give up your Tivo, and that the only way their "free for one year" box is going to be worth it to you is if they pay you the early termination fee for the Tivo. Cablevision should just offer Tivo users a free DVR for a year. Their outrageous monthly fees that they charge for their DVR service would certainly subsidize the free dvr users, not only that, but Cablevision has been known to give a free DVR to customers as retention measure. |
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RickNY
Premium
join:2000-11-02
New York
·Optimum Online
edit:
March 16th, @12:41PM
| said by Jmartz :When you call and bitch at them, tell them that it's outrageous to give up your Tivo, and that the only way their "free for one year" box is going to be worth it to you is if they pay you the early termination fee for the Tivo. I already initiated the port of my OV line over to Vonage (I had ported it into OV from Verizon originally) -- which actually will work out better for me since I was paying $31.20 to Vonage each month for my old business line in addition to $19.95 to CV -- Now I can move the OV number over to Vonage and just pay an addl $4.99 for a virtual # for the old Vonage number.. Once the porting is complete, I'll drop the rest of the stuff. Fortunately for me, the majority of TV I do watch is on Broadcast Basic or the iO tier. Money that would have been sent to CV each month for these services: ~ $75.
Since my options are limited in who I can move to at this time, my only response is to vote with my wallet on this matter. Since OV is Cablevision's biggest cash cow, that was my first step. I suggest others do the same if they are unhappy with this. Secondly, even though it may not do much good -- its adviseable to file a complaint with the FCC on the issue by going to »https://esupport.fcc.gov/sform2000/new_c···ocale=en
and filing a 'Form 2000E - General Complaint', since the push to SDV by numerous cable companies appears to go against the intent of the FCC mandate regarding CableCARD support. |
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SDVequalsmoreHD
@optonline.net
| reply to jefny
You can't have everything your way
I sincerely hope that everyone who is complaining about CV rolling out SDV to more channels never complained that VOOM sucks, never complained that CV doesn't add HD channels fast enough and never complained about picture quality of HD channels.
If you are satisfied with the line-up as of today, then I'm sorry you're losing some channels. But I'm willing to wager that over the course of the next few months that more people are going to benefit from this in the form of new channels than are negatively impacted. |
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SDVequalsmoreHD
@optonline.net
| reply to jefny
Buyer Beware
It also seems to me that Cablevision and BigBand announced that they would be rolling out SDV back in January 2007 (»www.convergedigest.com/DSL/lastm···ID=20445)
TivoHD was released to the publc in September 2006. (»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TiVo_DVRs)
That means that if you bought your TivoHD after January 2007, you should have known the risks you were taking when you signed your Tivo contract.
If you bought yours when it was first released, then you unfortunetly have to pay the price now for being the first to the market(see anyone who has a HD-DVD player what the risks in that is).
This whole conversation should be rendered moot anyway in the near future when the problem is scheduled to be fixed. |
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andvari
join:2003-05-21
Freehold, NJ
edit:
March 16th, @02:56PM
| reply to jefny
Re: [iO] Cablevision's "War" on Cablecards and TIVO HD
I don't have a Tivo - I held off buying one for several reasons, one being the uncertainty with cablecards.
The thing I really don't like about this is that I lose some quality in reception on the SD channels when I go from cablecard to cablebox, plus I need more wires in my living room, and it eats up a device slot on my remote control and an input on my TV.
The cablecard really was a lot more convenient.
On the other hand if it means addition of more HD channels I can live with it. HD is where I want to be for my TV viewing. |
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IanR
join:2001-03-22
Madison, NJ
edit:
March 16th, @03:56PM
| reply to SDVequalsmoreHD
Re: You can't have everything your way
The basic point is that the FCC wanted Cablecard users to have the same level of service (channels etc) as Cablebox users. CV have seen fit NOT to do this and gained an exemption thru 2009 on false pretences. IMHO.
I see no reason to defend CV's actions. Also I have heard that the channel space they are creating, through this move, will be mostly taken up by new Premium level services which will require additional fees.
Basically the good faith CC user is being deliberatley disadvantaged by CV. I see no other way of putting it. |
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jefny
join:2005-11-05
Manhasset, NY
| reply to jefny
Re: [iO] Cablevision's "War" on Cablecards and TIVO HD
Thanks for the replies. I have been doing a bit more research. It appears that this issue has been in discussion for some time and last November a solution was announced. Some kind of add-on device had been developed (to be available the second quarter of 2008) that will provide a solution. The TIVO representative that I talked to was aware of this but she didn't explain the specifics.
It's a matter of how soon this add-on device becomes available and how fast Cablevision begins removing the Voom channels (and the music channels). Cablevision must be aware that Verizon FIOS TV is being approved for our area (the north shore of Long Island) and this just might push me to make the change.
John
PS-I did make a complaint to the FCC through their website. |
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Jmartz
join:2000-07-20
Tenafly, NJ
edit:
March 16th, @04:03PM
| The music channels going to SDV isn't going to save them much bandwidth at all. I recall someone posting that the Music Choice channels all fit onto one 6Mhz frequency...which is 2 or 3 HD channels and like 10-12 SD channels. Moving VOOM to SDV is going to free up four or five 6Mhz blocks of space, which is enough to cram in 10-15 additional HD channels. We already know that they are plannign to put Starz and Encore on demand onto the system, so some of this newly gained bandwidth is probably being allocated for VOD services. They didn't just add a bunch of new VOD by pulling bandwidth out of their ... |
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GeekNJ
Premium
join:2000-09-23
Waldwick, NJ
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to IanR
Re: You can't have everything your way
said by IanR :The basic point is that the FCC wanted Cablecard users to have the same level of service (channels etc) as Cablebox users. CV have seen fit NOT to do this and gained an exemption thru 2009 on false pretences. IMHO. I see no reason to defend CV's actions. Also I have heard that the channel space they are creating, through this move, will be mostly taken up by new Premium level services which will require additional fees. Basically the good faith CC user is being deliberatley disadvantaged by CV. I see no other way of putting it. If you're a CC customer I can see taking this view of the situation. But what the real problem is that folks are asking for more and more (and of course without more cost) and the solution is to take advantage of technology which supports this. Cablecards don't yet support this technology so it's really a CC issue.
Is it fair to penalize customers in order to cater to CC customers which I'm sure is a small minority of total customers?
It's the modern equivalent of you saying that CV is deliberately dissing analog customers by moving to digital. Would you want those analog customers to hold you back from receiving more/better content?
I'm not impacted by this (currently a FIOS customer) but I'm looking at this as a 3rd party with no skin in the game for either side.
--
Tweaked your connection? | Mail Parse | Speed Converter |
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RickNY
Premium
join:2000-11-02
New York
·Optimum Online
| said by GeekNJ :Cablecards don't yet support this technology so it's really a CC issue. The problem is that they DO support the technology -- however, CableCARD is a product wholly designed and licensed by CableLabs -- which is an organization made up entirely of cable companies and it has refused to license the technology to any single piece of equipment capable of utilizing that aspect of the technology in order to protect the interests of the MSOs. |
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SDVequalsmoreHD
@optonline.net
| reply to jefny
Re: [iO] Cablevision's "War" on Cablecards and TIVO HD
Do I agree that cable companies would like to see fewer CC users, yes. But at the same time, if they really wanted to stick it to CC users, they'd be putting ESPN, MSG, SNY, Nat. Geographic, CNN and Discovery on SDV. Instead they picked the channels that 9 out of 10 comments on these messages boards talk about how much of a waste they are.
There's also no way to know that if we do in fact get the HBO suite of HD channels, which at the moment is only an additional 2 channels, that they would or would not be on SDV. One could argue that it would seem more likely that they'd be on SDV since you have to have a subscription (see likelyness in the international channels and sports packages).
My guess is though that all new channels will utilize current technology and over time if they don't get a high viewership rate, then they'll get moved over to SDV to make way for what we all want, MORE channels.
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