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| RCN Cable Uses Tivo DVR's! (TWC Should Consider This) Hi Everybody,
I saw something interesting! For years, many customers have been frustrated with the cable boxes that TWC provides. (slow, unreliable.) Even the newest ones simply don't have the speed, storage, and features of the competing platforms. I always that that you had to go to the competition to get Tivo's. However, amazingly, I found this tiny little cable outlet called RCN cable, and the main boxes that they give out are Tivos! I was like, WOW!
Here's the Home Page: (at least for the Chicago area)
»www.rcn.com/chicago/
And here is the part where they talk about the Tivo equipment:
»www.rcn.com/chicago/digital-cabl···quipment
I have inside sources that tell me a six-tuner DVR is coming out for TWC. The problem is, as with any new software or hardware, it's going to take a long time to work out the bugs, and while there have been on-going improvements to the Navigator Guide, it is years behind the Tivo experience.
If TWC went to Tivo boxes, they would have a proven leader in the program guide industry. No more would customers have to wait for guide updates. Each and every customer with DVR service would have the storage space, speed, and flexibility of a modern guide, instead of with Navigator, waiting in six months to a year increments for the guide to become modern. Plus the strain of having to program ODN/MDN updates for Navigator's in-house system. That's stressful for everyone! Developers, programers, employees, and customers.
It's not just TWC that has mediocre guides and boxes compared to the competition. I am also familiar with Comcast, Charter, and Cablevision systems. Their guides on some of the boxes make the Navigator good! Actually, my favorite cable guide was Passport.
My best guess is the cost involved at converting the approximate 17-20 MILLION STB's and DVR's that TWC has in circulation, would be astronomical, and I think this is part of the problem. RCN covers some areas of New York City and Boston, as well as a few other areas. Maybe they just don't have the huge customer population that TWC has, so they can afford paying outside venders like Tivo for the more modern boxes.
The main point of my post was to show that some cable operators are using Tivo. I found it interesting.
Satch | |
 Rojo_P
join:2001-10-03
Lancaster, OH
 ·Earthlink Cable ..
·RoadRunner Cable
| That is an interesting idea and I would be curious to see what the top CPA's might say about the long term benefits of it, but as you noted Time Warner has invested in what they have for monetary reasons, and now changes can't be considered for monetary reasons.
Too, you have to know that if Time Warner can foist that Navigator POS on customers for 6 long years and still keep them, they aren't a bit concerned about improving anything for them or to insure that they are happy.
Don't want to go too far off topic, but the real problem is that T W's business model is not built around improving their offense (innovation & technology) to capture more customers and increase profits. It's trying to play defense to keep from losing them. And the bigger and more bureaucratic a company becomes the more unlikely it is that new and fresh ideas can withstand the entrenched "system".
The reality is that TW is in the position that it will only spend money to keep the competition from getting too far ahead.
However it must be said that TW's customer service specialty is in addressing technical problems in a timely manner, and they do that pretty well.
--
There's nothing big I want to prove,
No mountains that I need to move,
Or even claim what's right or true for you.
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| I was told at AVS's forum that you have to subscribe to RTN's Internet to get a TV box. (The Guide/VOD runs off of their own Internet service.)
Satch | |
| reply to Satch
If TWC would get rid of the tuning adapter then I would be all for it, but Tivo + tuning adapter = complete nightmare. Before TWC started using the tuning adapter a few years back, the Tivo was really nice, but when they first started using them it was horrible, could barely watch TV. It's a lot better now, but even still its nothing but problems. Even the "suggestions" part of the Tivo software, TWC has it blocked. You have to pull the tuning adapter out of the Tivo once a day to get the suggestions to populate. TWC says "well theres no one there watching TV so why have them?" Isnt that the point of having a DVR so you can record shows when no one is there?
I have one Tivo going right now, and when the contract is up, if things arent much better than they are now, I might go for that new 6 tuner model TWC has coming out, if its out at that point. But I'm always looking for ways to move away from Tivo.
OK now, the Tivo "cheerleader" will come in behind me, I just know it  | | |
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Reviews:
·Time Warner Cable
| said by MeInDallas:If TWC would get rid of the tuning adapter then I would be all for it, but Tivo + tuning adapter = complete nightmare. Before TWC started using the tuning adapter a few years back, the Tivo was really nice, but when they first started using them it was horrible, could barely watch TV. It's a lot better now, but even still its nothing but problems. Even the "suggestions" part of the Tivo software, TWC has it blocked. You have to pull the tuning adapter out of the Tivo once a day to get the suggestions to populate. TWC says "well theres no one there watching TV so why have them?" Isnt that the point of having a DVR so you can record shows when no one is there?
I have one Tivo going right now, and when the contract is up, if things arent much better than they are now, I might go for that new 6 tuner model TWC has coming out, if its out at that point. But I'm always looking for ways to move away from Tivo.
OK now, the Tivo "cheerleader" will come in behind me, I just know it
TWC is not blocking suggestions it is a known issue with Tivo and it has something to do how the software works. I also heard that it affect certain Tivo models and not all of them. And it is not limited to TWC. | |
| reply to MeInDallas
said by MeInDallas:If TWC would get rid of the tuning adapter then I would be all for it, but Tivo + tuning adapter = complete nightmare. Before TWC started using the tuning adapter a few years back, the Tivo was really nice, but when they first started using them it was horrible, could barely watch TV. It's a lot better now, but even still its nothing but problems. Even the "suggestions" part of the Tivo software, TWC has it blocked. You have to pull the tuning adapter out of the Tivo once a day to get the suggestions to populate. TWC says "well theres no one there watching TV so why have them?" Isnt that the point of having a DVR so you can record shows when no one is there?
I have one Tivo going right now, and when the contract is up, if things arent much better than they are now, I might go for that new 6 tuner model TWC has coming out, if its out at that point. But I'm always looking for ways to move away from Tivo.
OK now, the Tivo "cheerleader" will come in behind me, I just know it
But as I understand it, with RCN's cable, they use Tivo as their DVR right out of the gate. There is no flaky tuning adapter required. I think that's cool.
Satch | |
| reply to motorola870
said by motorola870:said by MeInDallas:If TWC would get rid of the tuning adapter then I would be all for it, but Tivo + tuning adapter = complete nightmare. Before TWC started using the tuning adapter a few years back, the Tivo was really nice, but when they first started using them it was horrible, could barely watch TV. It's a lot better now, but even still its nothing but problems. Even the "suggestions" part of the Tivo software, TWC has it blocked. You have to pull the tuning adapter out of the Tivo once a day to get the suggestions to populate. TWC says "well theres no one there watching TV so why have them?" Isnt that the point of having a DVR so you can record shows when no one is there?
I have one Tivo going right now, and when the contract is up, if things arent much better than they are now, I might go for that new 6 tuner model TWC has coming out, if its out at that point. But I'm always looking for ways to move away from Tivo.
OK now, the Tivo "cheerleader" will come in behind me, I just know it
TWC is not blocking suggestions it is a known issue with Tivo and it has something to do how the software works. I also heard that it affect certain Tivo models and not all of them. And it is not limited to TWC. I was told by Tivo engineering that TWC is blocking it. Honestly I dont know, just going by what I was told by Tivo. If you unplug the tuning adapter for about an hour, the suggestions populate and then you can plug it back in. I have 3 different models, the 2 tuner Premiere, the 4 tuner Premiere 4, and the 4 tuner Elite/XL4, and it happens on all 3 models when using a tuning adapter. But then again, Tivo is famous for blaming everything on the cable company, and vice versa. This last year 2012 was filled with blame. I'm only using one of them right now because of this. I cant rely on them, too many issues going on.
If TWC would do away with the tuning adapter I'd be 100% behind them getting Tivo. | |
| reply to Satch
RCN isn't the only cable company to use the TiVo platform. Comcast had big plans to use TiVo, but never followed though. The TiVo software was loaded on some Motorola boxes in the New England region, but never saw mass deployment.
If Time Warner moved to the TiVo platform with no other options, I'd be gone in a heartbeat. I cannot stand the TiVo UI at all. Worst GUI by far I've ever used by far. And aside from the UI, I went through about 8 DirecTV TiVo units before giving up and eventually switching to Time Warner when my contract was up. When I got DirecTV again last year, I briefly entertained trying out the new DirecTiVo, but it would have been a massive downgrade No whole house DVR, no 3D, issues with using the smartphone app to set recordings. No thanks, TiVo can die.
--
Dale Jr, Riding Daddys Coattails Since February 18, 2001!
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 hobgoblinSortof AgoblinPremium
join:2001-11-25
Orchard Park, NY
kudos:7 | reply to MeInDallas
"If TWC would do away with the tuning adapter I'd be 100% behind them getting Tivo."
The tuning adaptor is in place for SDV, without SDV I think both TIVO and non TIVO users would have to lose channels. Not a good business decision considering the small amount of TIVO subscibers.
Hob
--
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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| When TWC moves to IPTV will the SDV and tuning adapters still be in place? Before TWC starting using the tuning adapters I loved my Tivo's, but its been horrible since the move to SDV. I wish they could figure out something like FiOS since they dont use them. I hear Tivo works really well on their system. | |
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