No PPV w/Cox Cable Cards

[dtplink]

So I just found out, after the technician installed a multi-stream card in my TiVo HD that I can no longer get sports subscriptions, movies, etc., since the card is only one-way. Now I have to decide to return the TiVo and get the crappy Cox DVR back or give up any and all PPV. No one told me about this at any point of sales or reserving cable cards. What a shock? Are there any threads in these forums about this limitation? I haven't located it yet.

I'm in San Diego.

[ajwees41]

So I just found out, after the technician installed a multi-stream card in my TiVo HD that I can no longer get sports subscriptions, movies, etc., since the card is only one-way. Now I have to decide to return the TiVo and get the crappy Cox DVR back or give up any and all PPV. No one told me about this at any point of sales or reserving cable cards. What a shock? Are there any threads in these forums about this limitation? I haven't located it yet.

I'm in San Diego.

The cards are 2 way it's the tivo hardware thats not 2 way. It's been discussed in the threads before.

[dtplink]

Finally found all of the discussions about SDV etc. As a loyal user of TiVo since the first release I am sad to return the S3 I just bought. It seems like this is a transitional period and maybe in a year or so I can buy my TiVO HD and have a REAL choice of suppliers for programming. Bummer!

[rainwater]

So I just found out, after the technician installed a multi-stream card in my TiVo HD that I can no longer get sports subscriptions, movies, etc., since the card is only one-way. Now I have to decide to return the TiVo and get the crappy Cox DVR back or give up any and all PPV. No one told me about this at any point of sales or reserving cable cards. What a shock? Are there any threads in these forums about this limitation? I haven't located it yet.

I'm in San Diego.

PPV and sports work just fine with CableCards. I have been ordering them for the last 6 months using nothing but a TiVo and Cablecards.

[dtplink]

Congratulations! But after a half hour on the phone with a CSR at Cox he directed me to a page (http://www.cox.com/support/sandiego/cable/plugplay.asp) stating that interactive, two way communications are not possible yet with their service.

[cherry ghost]

Congratulations! But after a half hour on the phone with a CSR at Cox he directed me to a page (http://www.cox.com/support/sandiego/cable/plugplay.asp) stating that interactive, two way communications are not possible yet with their service.

You don't need two way communication if things are on a specific channel. Try ordering these channels over the phone.

501-503 Pay-Per-View
590-595 Pay-Per-View
600-610 Pay-Per-View Sports
651-661 Pay-Per-View Sports
670-680 Pay-Per-View Sports

http://www.cox.com/sandiego/digitalcable/channellineup.asp

[rainwater]

Congratulations! But after a half hour on the phone with a CSR at Cox he directed me to a page (http://www.cox.com/support/sandiego/cable/plugplay.asp) stating that interactive, two way communications are not possible yet with their service.

You realize PPV and VOD are two different things correct? PPV works fine with CableCards on most cable systems and doesn't require 2-way communication.

[dtplink]

You don't need two way communication if things are on a specific channel. Try ordering these channels over the phone.

501-503 Pay-Per-View
590-595 Pay-Per-View
600-610 Pay-Per-View Sports
651-661 Pay-Per-View Sports
670-680 Pay-Per-View Sports

http://www.cox.com/sandiego/digitalcable/channellineup.asp

I just tried again and it seems like they are following the PPV line that it requires a two-way communication to support the 600 numbers. The CSR supervisor I spoke with was reading the same page as I was for the first time. I've escalated it up another level for Monday. I'm beginning to think that they are not supporting it because they don't want to not because they can't. Crazy because I would have thought they'd want my subscription money.

[cherry ghost]

I just tried again and it seems like they are following the PPV line that it requires a two-way communication to support the 600 numbers. The CSR supervisor I spoke with was reading the same page as I was for the first time. I've escalated it up another level for Monday. I'm beginning to think that they are not supporting it because they don't want to not because they can't. Crazy because I would have thought they'd want my subscription money.

They should be able to switch on those channels just as easily as say HBO or Showtime. Good luck.

[Combat Medic]

They should be able to switch on those channels just as easily as say HBO or Showtime. Good luck.

And, if they say that they can't it is purely due to a business decession on their part not on a technology limitation.

-Mike

[dtplink]

Guess not. No premium channels at all with a CableCard. That 'ole CableCard is just not a good enough receiver to be able to send back info that . . . . . uh, well there doesn't seem to be a good reason since they can still ping my TiVo with a CableCard for service and disgnostics. SO I have to decide to keep the TiVo and not watch sports packages or return it and have to work with their abysmal interface and storage.

When there is a two-way card taht Cox is forced to support, will the TiVo be upgradeable to handle it? That's my last question - this time it's to TiVo tech support.

[BrianAZ]

I have been fighting this fight with Cox Phoenix since the hockey season began. They claim it's "not possible" but I think they're either purposely deceiving us, are ignorant, or I guess there could be a technical reason why these PPV channels won't work via cablecards but no one has been able to tell me specifically why.

It seems to me that these are static channels which would be enabled just the same as HBO or Showtime. Perhaps they are not allowing them for cablecard customers because they plan to move them to SDV in our market, but I've not gotten anyone to admit that yet. I have been escalating this repeatedly (sending an email to your local VP gets a quick response if you're not making any headway by calling) and recently did get a comittment that an "IT person" would call me rather than the same support people I've been talking to.

The last bit of information I've gotten recently is that as of 12/31, they will be removing the channel mapping for all the PPV channels for cablecard customers. If they are indeed preparing for SDV, this would be the first step I think.

I'll post back with the results of my pending phone call.

[BrianAZ]

When there is a two-way card taht Cox is forced to support, will the TiVo be upgradeable to handle it? That's my last question - this time it's to TiVo tech support.

As folks (ajwees41) have said, it's not the card which is the issue, it's the Tivo's ability to communicate two-way. There is a dongle under development (slated for 2nd Quarter 2008 release, cross your fingers) which should provide a resolution for some of this.

Link : http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/pressroom/pressreleases/2007/NCTAANDTIVOANNOUNCESWITCHEDDIGITALSOLUTIONFORHDDVRs.html

[dtplink]

As folks (ajwees41) have said, it's not the card which is the issue, it's the Tivo's ability to communicate two-way. There is a dongle under development (slated for 2nd Quarter 2008 release, cross your fingers) which should provide a resolution for some of this.

Link : http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/pressroom/pressreleases/2007/NCTAANDTIVOANNOUNCESWITCHEDDIGITALSOLUTIONFORHDDVRs.html

Thanks much BrianAZ for that link. It was the last piece of info I needed to keep my TiVo and stay in the family. I didn't realize how much in flux the tech was on this issue. Of course now I can immerse myself in TivoToGo issues and file format incompatibilities I noticed this weekend. It's a toy that keeps on giving.