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SDV FAQ

854K views 2K replies 303 participants last post by  dlfl 
#1 ·

What is SDV?


SDV stands for Switched Digital Video, a scheme where not all TV channels are broadcast out from the cable headend to the homes that it serves all of the time. This is attractive to cable companies, because they can offer more TV channels than their cable plant has the bandwidth to broadcast. For example, your cable company may have 10 different channels in your lineup, but only 5 physical channels to send them from the headend to the houses they service. This requires a cable box that can communicate back upstream to the headend and say "I would like to watch ESPN2HD now" and then headend would take that request, assign it to a frequency and then tell the cable box "ESPN2HD is available on xxx,xxx kHz"




What does this mean for the Series 3, Tivo HD and TiVo Premiere?


With out an additional Tuning Adapter supplied from the provider, the Series 3, Tivo HD and TiVo Premiere is not able to communicate upstream to the cable headend, so it cannot send the request for channels that are assigned to SDV. Users of the S3 and THD will not be able to watch or record any of these channels.

Which channels will be converted to SDV?

Traditional methods send every channel to everyone, and if no one on your head-end is watching that channel, the bandwidth is effectively wasted. SDV allows them to turn off that channel when it's not being watched so that another channel can occupy that bandwidth. If a channel is always being watched it will probably never be converted to SDV. So the less popular a channel is, the more likely it will be converted to an SDV channel. See this Multi-Channel news article. That being said, there are some providers who use SDV to deploy a very large number of channels, though.


The solution

The NCTA and TiVo worked together for over a year and finally the first working solution has reached TiVo owners in NJ on Comcast. The device from both Cisco and Motorola are called Tuning Adapters (formerly known as Tuning Resolvers) and connect via USB to the TiVo (9.4 or higher) and feature pass-through coax connections, so a splitter is not needed. So when you attempt to tune a channel delivered using SDV, the TiVo sends a signal via USB to the Tuning Adapter which sends the signal via coax upstream to the providers head-end. This turns the channel on and returns the tuning information back to the TiVo.

In a demo at the Cable Show a few years ago I had a chance to play and was not able to notice any difference in speed when changing channels that were deployed with traditional QAM or SDV.

Depending on the head-end there are two solutions, Motorola and Cisco (formerly Scientific Atlanta). If your operator hands out Cisco set-top boxes, then odds are they'll use a Cisco TA.

The Cisco STA1520


The Motorola MTR700


Some providers are offering these for free, but some charge at first or after a few months.

Here is TiVo's FAQ that address the Tuning Adapter.

Here is Time Warner's FAQ about the Tuning Adapter.

San Antonio TWC customers can pre-order their Tuning Adapter from here.

Here is some of the history of the Tuning Adapter, formerly known as the tuning resolver:
http://www.tivolovers.com/2007/05/10/mr-tivo-goes-to-washington
Here is TiVo's official info on the adapter.
http://tivosupport2.instancy.com/LaunchContent.aspx?CID=CBECF1B9-88DE-4B74-82C1-754C3260112A
CableLabs press release about USB dongle
http://cablelabs.com/news/pr/2007/07_pr_dcr_devices_112607.html
NCTA and TiVo press release
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/s...11-26-2007/0004711019&EDATE=#linktopagebottom
Of if you want to do something about it, report your missing channels to the FCC.
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints_general.html


What about FIOS?


Right now, because of the fact that FIOS uses fiber optic cable to your house, FIOS has no plans to deploy SDV - they have instead chosen to invest in expanding their QAM RF overlay infrastructure and use IPTV for PPV and VOD.

Where is SDV located right now?

SDV deployments are changing very rapidly and impossible to track, in fact even most of the CSRs don't know if their company uses SDV and even if they do, not which channels.

Tuning adapters are here to stay
TiVo has asked the FCC to modify the rules pertaining to 3rd party CableCARD devices and eliminate Tuning Adapters. The proposed solution was to allow the TiVo to communicate via IP to the operators servers to perform the requests that are currently handled by the TA. This would've require that you have internet service from the same provider, but would eliminate a set-top box from the equation.

TiVo claimed it was necessary to increase reliability and would reduce costs for the operators. The NCTA and its members claimed that the TAs are well accepted and supported and it is not necessary to make any changes.

The FCC determined that it would rather not mandate a specific solution, but instead mandated the SDV channels work for CableCARD users and will be making it easier to report issues so that consumers could help enforce the mandate.
 
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#1,927 ·
I received a letter today from Cox, indicating that they will now be implementing SDV here in AZ on October 10th. It was previously scheduled for July 1st, but due to various technical issues, it didn't happen as originally scheduled. It looks like the channels that are moving to SDV are the same as the channels that were listed in the previous letter. The only one that I'm going to really miss is 133 (DIY).

The letter also says that they are still offering an HD receiver (no DVR) for only $2/mo. (same as a cable card) for the first 6 months for those who want access to the SDV channels, On DEMAND, and the infamous cable box Interactive Program Guide. Personally, I'll pass, but others may want to take them up on this offer.

The letter also still says that the tuning adapter for TiVos is expected to be available "later this year", and will be provided for free. I'll believe it when I actually have one in hand.
 
#1,928 ·
My dealings with Comcast of Hillsboro (patriot) havent been postive. The calls i made to get a cablecard were handle so unprofessional. Basicly forwarding me into an voicemail , and never getting a callback.

Try getsatisfaction.com and post your story.
comcast sucks. Clearly their system of call centers 1,000 miles away doesn't really work well.

if you can- try to get them to connect you directly to the former patriot office in somerset. Once you get a former patriot employee they will fix you up lickety split.
 
#1,930 ·
The Panasonic boxes are actually motorola compatible STB's. They might be made by Panasonic but are Motorola compatible. They do use OCAP which is universal.
????

if they are ocap then they are universal - so they will work on moto head ends that supprot OCAP. Or SA/cisco head ends that support ocap.

or are you saying they have natice moto support in additon to ocap? Seems silly to me to include that too but who knows...
 
#1,931 ·
????

if they are ocap then they are universal - so they will work on moto head ends that supprot OCAP. Or SA/cisco head ends that support ocap.

or are you saying they have natice moto support in additon to ocap? Seems silly to me to include that too but who knows...
Yep I heard that they have native moto support. Right now Panasonic hasn't begun mass production of their OCAP/tru2way/iDCR HD-DVR. They have had problems with it's design so they are going to fix the problems and then put it into market. It will be an MSO box not a box you can buy. With tru2way they might just offer a list of approved boxes that are guaranteed to work and they may still be able to have a few boxes for renting customers. Comcast has been using the RNG-200 for comcast areas that use SA/Cisco. That also uses OCAP but it doesn't seem to like certain universal remotes. Time Warner in San Diego will probably offer the next gen Cisco box called the 8550/8552 HDC. The non DVR will probably be the 4550HDC. They may also carry a samsung box.
 
#1,933 ·
Sigh. Another letter from Time Warner Cable in San Diego. They will be moving more channels to SDV on 27 October: Versus/Golf HD, Starz HD, Cinemax HD, Lifetime Movie Net HD, Fox Sports HD, and National Geographic HD.

"We recognize the frustration this may cause you ..." is an understatement.

They say they expect to offer Tuning Adapters "later this year".
 
#1,934 ·
Sigh. Another letter from Time Warner Cable in San Diego. They will be moving more channels to SDV on 27 October: Versus/Golf HD, Starz HD, Cinemax HD, Lifetime Movie Net HD, Fox Sports HD, and National Geographic HD.

"We recognize the frustration this may cause you ..." is an understatement.

They say they expect to offer Tuning Adapters "later this year".
Not too bad for me--I don't subscribe to Starz or Cinemax (I'd drop them with a loud protest if I did), I've never watched anything on Lifetime Movies HD, FSN HD SW broadcasts one or two events every few months and the stuff on Versus that I want to watch (their occasional coverage of tennis) is never shown on VS/Golf HD. I might miss NatGeo HD, a little.

If they're not going to offer Tuning Adapters before 27 October, "later this year" would mean November or December, so you'll only lose them for a couple of months (if they're right about that).

I've been sharing homes for the past couple of years since retirement and have been the in market for a new place. I'd hoped that I'd land in Cox territory (no SDV and more HD channels to boot, including Sci Fi HD, which I'd kill for). Unfortunately, I found a great place to share in Bay Park, but it's still in TWC land--life in the big city :rolleyes:.
 
#1,936 ·
According to this thread, Comcast plans to make Tuning Adapters available on Monday (at least in New Jersey). People will be able to come in a pick them up, or get a free truck roll for installation. Bravo, Comcast :).
The guy who posted that thread reports today that he picked up his Tuning Adapter and that it's hooked up and working.
 
#1,937 ·
The guy who posted that thread reports today that he picked up his Tuning Adapter and that it's hooked up and working.
That's good news. Strikes me as kind of ironic that the major cable provider probably with smallest SDV deployment (percentage wise) is the first to make these available. Wouldn't surprise me if TWC is the last :D
 
#1,940 ·
Picture shows CISCO logo. Is this for SA systems? Comcast is supposedly about 80% Moto boxes.

I had read that Comcast had decided to go all digital and defer SDV until later. Guess not. I've also read that they has replaced some euipment that would allow them to put 3 HD channels on a freq instead of two.
 
#1,942 ·
Picture shows CISCO logo. Is this for SA systems? Comcast is supposedly about 80% Moto boxes.

I had read that Comcast had decided to go all digital and defer SDV until later. Guess not. I've also read that they has replaced some euipment that would allow them to put 3 HD channels on a freq instead of two.
Comcast (like most other large operators) has both SA and Mot systems. Each system may have a different strategy so you can't make blanket statements about how Comcast will proceed. The SA systems are far ahead of the Mot systems in their deployment of SDV. Comcast has slowed their deployment of SDV in their Mot systems as a business decision as they focus on other capital intensive efforts. The time will come, though, that they go all out on Mot systems as well.
 
#1,947 ·
As I reported back in this post (just 10 posts before your query), a Comcast system in New Jersey has been distributing them since Monday. There's a thread about it here.

Try scanning the last 20 or so posts for information next time :rolleyes:.
Thats not very fair... your post said comcast was handing them out.. and the other post is about comcast in NJ handing them out. Nobody actually addresses the questions I asked.

The 2nd thread is more focused on the size / power consumption, rather then actual use since even though they have one, SDV isn't required in their area yet.
 
#1,948 ·
People in that thread are reporting that they've picked them up, plugged them in and that they're working. They have absolutely no idea whether there's any SDV in use in their area yet, since Comcast didn't deign to inform them of what channels they planned to present as SDV, but if they hadn't already had some SDV channels up, they obviously have the intent to use it and have tested it in their network or they wouldn't be distributing tuning adapters. It's quite possible that, like here in San Diego, they've been presenting part of their digital simulcast as SDV and are now mapping Tuning Adapters to those channels.

But you don't have to ask whether anyone's using Tuning Adapters yet--if any one of us who monitors this thread (and thus could read your question) had received one, I trust that he or she would report it here--if they have reason not to volunteer the information (such as having signed an NDA), a posted question isn't likely to make them give it up.
 
#1,949 ·
I hadn't noticed, but I see from the weaknees blog that TiVo has beefed up their SDV support page (here). Of particular interest is this, from the "TiVo upgrades and exchanges section:
...you can connect the Tuning Adapter to your new DVR and it will be operational immediately. All channels that are not copy protected, including SDV channels, will be visible.

You will still need to call your cable provider to get the CableCARD(s) paired to your new DVR before you can view copy-protected channels.
...which implies that TiVo can use the channel map in the TA just like it uses the CableCARD maps, even without CableCARDs plugged in. I'm sure that will get all of those people who want to use basic cable without CableCARDs all hot and bothered :). Unfortunately, the guy who started that New Jersey Comcast thread states that they checked the computer to make sure that he had CableCARDs before giving him a TA. As I think that I heard bicker say somewhere, the cable companies will probably consider these things to be ancilliary to your lease of CableCARDs.
 
#1,950 ·
...which implies that TiVo can use the channel map in the TA just like it uses the CableCARD maps, even without CableCARDs plugged in.
The tuning resolver spec posted a few months ago said that the tuning resolver would provide a channel map that the host must use instead of the one provided by the cablecard. Of course, whether the tuning resolver will work in the absence of a cablecard is another matter.
 
#1,951 ·
The tuning resolver spec posted a few months ago said that the tuning resolver would provide a channel map that the host must use instead of the one provided by the cablecard. Of course, whether the tuning resolver will work in the absence of a cablecard is another matter.
Yeah--I read that spec and knew that, but thanks anyway. The section of TiVo's FAQ that I quoted says that the Tuning Adapter will work without CableCARDs, being independently loaded with a channel map that TiVo can and will use. The question is whether any cable provider will distribute these things to anyone using a TiVo without CableCARDs.
 
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