How did your CableCARD install go?

[bicker]

Thanks! :) I actually omitted paragraphs on purpose -- thought it gave my story more of a dramatic effect. :DMade me skip it. <shrug>

[ivorycassiopeia]

Made me skip it. <shrug>
OK, OK, I have added paragraphs...geez.

[Rocko62580]

Yes, you can get in-the-clear QAM channels, usually any local digital stations the cableco carries, no CC needed, although there won't be any guide data either.

Yes, OTA, both digital and analog.

As a side note, the S3 has a damn fine OTA tuner in it, I'm getting stations I never got before, plus, the stations I used to just barely get with an HR10-250, come in nice and strong.

So is this really true that you will not be able to use the season pass feature, or channel guides for local digital stations that are, "in the clear?"

[Dan203]

Yes. The TiVo does not add guide data to any QAM stations until you have CableCARDs installed. The reason for this is because their data provider (i.e. Tribune) doesn't keep track of QAM mappings, but instead publishes data based on their remapped cable channel numbers. (i.e. 82-4 is listed by the cable company as channel 785) The CableCARDs provide the TiVo itself with the info it needs to remap the QAM channels to match the cable maped channel. So only after they are installed is TiVo able to match up the data with the channel.

Other DVRs allow you to manually remap QAM channels to the guide data from whatever channel you choose, but TiVo has elected not to implement such a system.

Dan

[mjpfeffer]

Got my Series 3 yesterday - Comcast guy came out this morning to install the 2 CableCARDs and it was his first CableCARD install, but everything went smooth, he was here a total of about 30 minutes and it's working like a champ so far.

I'm just north of Seattle FWIW.

--Matt

[keenanSR]

Yes. The TiVo does not add guide data to any QAM stations until you have CableCARDs installed. The reason for this is because their data provider (i.e. Tribune) doesn't keep track of QAM mappings, but instead publishes data based on their remapped cable channel numbers. (i.e. 82-4 is listed by the cable company as channel 785) The CableCARDs provide the TiVo itself with the info it needs to remap the QAM channels to match the cable maped channel. So only after they are installed is TiVo able to match up the data with the channel.

Other DVRs allow you to manually remap QAM channels to the guide data from whatever channel you choose, but TiVo has elected not to implement such a system.

Dan
I believe you can set up repeating manual recordings for a given time slot, but that is a rather kludgy way to do things.

[Dan203]

Yes you can. However they wont have any guide data, so all they'll say is "Manual:<date> <time>" and that's it. You don't get any of the benifits of a true Season Pass or other TiVo features when you do it this way.

Dan

[Six65and1half]

I have Tacoma Wa. City Cable system called "Click!".

Called them about CCs. No prob. Come down and pick them up. In and out 10 min. 2 cards $15.00 each deposit. no rental charges. Gave me a paper card with each CC with Ser# and spaces for Tivo generated numbers. Stuck them in, lite the fires, and started the GS.

Tivo displayed the numbers wrote them in the little boxes on the paper cards. called the Click!, tech,she knew exactly what I was talking about, took down my numbers, said she would signal my cards and I should be golden with in the hour.

30 min had digital, and 6 channel HBO package up and going.

1 hour latter phone rings. Click! CSR on other end. "Hi sir, just checking back to make sure every thing working fine . Is there any thing else I can help you with?"

A+


click-network

[Joybob]

I have Tacoma Wa. City Cable system called "Click!".

Called them about CCs. No prob. Come down and pick them up. In and out 10 min. 2 cards $15.00 each deposit. no rental charges. Gave me a paper card with each CC with Ser# and spaces for Tivo generated numbers. Stuck them in, lite the fires, and started the GS.

Tivo displayed the numbers wrote them in the little boxes on the paper cards. called the Click!, tech,she knew exactly what I was talking about, took down my numbers, said she would signal my cards and I should be golden with in the hour.

30 min had digital, and 6 channel HBO package up and going.

1 hour latter phone rings. Click! CSR on other end. "Hi sir, just checking back to make sure every thing working fine . Is there any thing else I can help you with?"

A+


click-network

No rental charge?!?!? Time to move to tacoma.

[Ben_Jamin75]

Buckeye cable in Toledo installed a M-Card in my TiVoHD today. Had a 10am-12pm appointment window, the installer showed up at 11:55am. He was here about a half hour, everything was fast and easy on our side, it was the office that took the longest. The experienced cable card people were at lunch and the woman he talked to on the phone had only done S-Cards so she had a couple problems. He was on hold for a while, I'm not sure, but I think he ended up waiting for the experienced person to return from lunch LOL.
While he was on hold the said TiVo sued them so now they was have to install cablecards in all their boxes. I told him I thought it was the FCC, but he said it was because of Tivo, that tivo was loosing too much business to cable dvr's. I let it drop. :)

[HDRyder9]

Comcast, 6 visits over 6 weeks from 3 different techs. Finally got them working. Sounds about average for Comcast.

[JStew]

My coffee never had a chance to get cold. Installer arrived 15 mins early and was completely done in 25.

[johnf@home]

New install (SF Bay Area).
In under 24 hours from my first contact with Comcast I was up and running with (Motorola) multistream-cards in each of my two brand new TiVo HDs. Almost everything worked, but I couldn't see the copy-protected premium channels. That took Comcast another week (and multiple tries, including two tech visits) to sort out; the problem was that Comcast had the wrong pairing info; they thought the card in TiVo #1 was in TiVo #2, and vice versa.

[RaviChopra]

My first experience with Wide Open West in the Detroit area was a bit of a challenge. Required 3 trips out and trying something like 6 or 7 cablecards to get all my channels working with my S3 TiVo something like a year ago.

Just recently got an HD TiVo for the bedroom and had them cart away their DVR and bring me two more cablecards. This installation went like butter. Cards went in, activated within a few mins - all channels up and running.

Original grade: B- (I gave them points for their overwhelming willingness to work with me to get everything fixed).

New grade: A

-Ravi

[dhoward]

I hope to get a HD Tivo for Christmas. But I am worried about the install. Based on the poll basically only 1 out of 3 installs go smoothly. That is a horrible statistic. I realize that is not TIVO's fault but to the average consumer this can easily be a nightmare. If I get a HD TIVO as a gift that will be wonderful. It is what comes next that worries me...

[cwag17]

Had my cards installed in my Tivo HD yesterday. Verizon guy came out, slapped both cards in the unit and got the numbers from the info screens. He then told me to pull the power and reboot it and he'd be right back. 10 minutes later he had my old verizon HD box in hand and left.

Either this guy knew what he was doing or I got lucky.

[keynana27]

It has been a week and I till do not receive all of my channels...not so good. This is in Stafford, VA with Comcast SA Cable Cards.

[Pokeyjoe]

I had Charter out this morning to install a multi-stream card in my TivoHD. It was absolutely painless. The service guy sat on the floor and patiently waited for everything to update and to validate my reception. All told it took about 30 minutes or so. Most of the time we were waiting for the new guide to load.

[deancruse]

No joy on Day 1. Since TWC Austin wouldn't let me pick up a card and try this myself (grrrr), I had to schedule a service call. I got a contractor. Seemed to know what a Tivo was. Installed a MultiStream card, so I'm thinking, yes! But all I get is black channels. TWC Austin says eveything on their side is good, must be the cablecard. Of course, the contractor only had 1 card. And, he left - had other appointments.

Will have to schedule someone else. More later.

http://deancruse.tumblr.com

[dtplink]

My $55 installer had two multi-stream cards with him and two single stream cards. The first multi-stream seemed flaky and kept going back to the grey card info panel. Installed the second, rebooted the TiVo, and the install went swimmingly. No problem, yet. This is a Cox, San Diego install and I was the 15th my installer had done that week.

[roadkill_97006]

My guys (Verizon) were about 1/2 hour late because their first install didn't know they were coming. I live in Beaverton, OR and it seems that VZ has a bunch of crews from SoCal up here for 2 weeks doing a blitz of installs. Both of their installs that I know about were scheduled for January. I found out about them coming last week. The first lady was in her PJs.

I got the standard error messages with both cards. The VZ guys were able to get them going using a laptop - which they had to plug into my LAN because the VZ cell signal where I live is pathetic. It was funny. The instructions were a tad vague - thanks to all who posted here before because I'd have been freaked at the error messages etc. otherwise. It must have taken 20 minutes for the second card to kick in.

The non-funny thing is that I submitted a schedule update request to TIVO last week and I STILL don't have Verizon as a choice in guided setup. So no TIVO goodies until they wake up. They must have hundreds of people on them about this by now. TitanTV has the schedule updated, so it wasn't a secret that the installs were starting here. I also have the usual 100% signal strength (37db) problem -n all channels - the attenuator kit's on the way and will be here Thursday. Again, thanks to the person(s) who posted about that!

I stayed up until 2 AM watching live HD. :D

[TostitoBandito]

I voted for the first option. I picked them up and installed them myself in September 2006 and had no problems. A couple times I had to call Comcast and make them fix their end of it when they have made some change that broke my service, but the couple times that's happened it has been resolved quickly and without a tech needing to come out.

[TivoSwain]

My install with Communicomm out of Tazewell,TN went great got both cards working within 20mins, however I having a hard time getting the Premium HD channels to work with my cablecards, they say I have to have their DVR for them to work. Tivo thinks they may have them flaged as PPV or VOD. I've not had any luck trying to get to a tech to see if this is true. Would Like to know if anyone has been able to get the HD's in.

[bicker]

When I had the premium channels, I had no problem receiving them on my TiVo S3 in HD.

[dssxxxx]

Cablevision install yesterday.

Cable guy checks signal strength and then goes to outside box (does a few things), checks strength again and then installs amp where cable comes into the house and is split. This takes about 45 minutes.

Guy takes out approximately 12 M cards. Inserts first card in THD and then goes to second THD and inserts card. Keeps checking back and forth between THD screens and then says he will call CV and pair the cards with the Tivo's at the same time.

He does this....we check HD channels and I put $20 in his hand for a job well done. He gives me this name and number and says any problems to call him because he has done "lot's of Tivo cablecards" and they are EZ. But, the cablecards for TV's are a pain.

Just another observation: We have 3 LCD's installed with cablecards and when comparing the picture from Tivo HD and then back to picture from cablecard directly, there is a markedly improved picture directly from cablecard. I checked various HD channels and this was apparent on all of them.

[Agro]

COX San Diego installed last Friday.
The guy thought to tune 2 channels, he would need *2* MCards. I explained to him that you don't. Everything went fine, no problems.
He used a Scientific Atlantic card.