New Series 3 (not HD ver.) in Hawaii

[JiggyR]

Hi All,

I just managed to pick up a Series 3 (non-HD ver.) after using TWC's Scientific Atlanta DVR for almost a year. I really am glad to be moving back to Tivo!

I was reading the forums about issues that people are having with mcards, high prices for service, as well as the move to SDV? Did I make the wrong decision to pick this thing up? It almost sounds as though Tivo is not a viable option for Hawaii, regardless if you have the Series 3 or the HD S3.

Would any fellow islanders help me out with advice on what my options are?

Thank you!

[GiantsFan24]

Hi All,

I just managed to pick up a Series 3 (non-HD ver.) after using TWC's Scientific Atlanta DVR for almost a year. I really am glad to be moving back to Tivo!

I was reading the forums about issues that people are having with mcards, high prices for service, as well as the move to SDV? Did I make the wrong decision to pick this thing up? It almost sounds as though Tivo is not a viable option for Hawaii, regardless if you have the Series 3 or the HD S3.

Would any fellow islanders help me out with advice on what my options are?

Thank you!

There is a thread on SDV in Hawaii at http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=364085 that gives more info than you probably want to know. Another thread on S3's in Hawaii at http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=321119 Beware though... some of the info on those threads lately is of questionable value; esp the discussions of taking random cablecards and plugging them into your Tivo box.

Your options depend on what you want to do. In my case, several of the SDV HD channels are very important to me (esp. ESPN, ESPN2), so when OTW went to SDV, I sucked it up and got their DVR. I'm anxiously looking forward to the dongle, aka the Tuning Adapter, which will allow us Tivo owners to received SDV channels.

In the meantime, your options (more or less) are:

Without a cablecard: you can get analog and QAM channels (such as the HD versions of local stations), but the QAM channels won't have any channel guide info, so you cannot make use of Tivo's wishlists and season passes for the channels.
With a cablecard: you can get any channel that is not SDV (or which would otherwise require communication back to OTW). The channels you cannot get are listed in the OTW channel list with ** at their website: http://www.oceanic.com/OceanicWebApps/Television/DigitalServices/DCL_Oahu.html

[GiantsFan24]

Forgot to mention OTA. I live in Makakilo where OTA is not very practical, but depending on where you are, this might also be an option for you.

[JiggyR]

Thanks so much GiantsFan24! I read the thread that you posted and it sounds like because I want to watch the HD premium channels, I can't go the cablecard route until they come out w/ the dongle (aka Tuning Adapter) that you mentioned. Is there a slated date for the release of this hardware?

I live in McCully...not sure how I would fare with OTA. Does OTA have coverage over all HD channels including the premium package ones?

Man, this is really depressing. I was really looking forward to going back to Tivo. =(

[GiantsFan24]

Thanks so much GiantsFan24! I read the thread that you posted and it sounds like because I want to watch the HD premium channels, I can't go the cablecard route until they come out w/ the dongle (aka Tuning Adapter) that you mentioned. Is there a slated date for the release of this hardware?

I live in McCully...not sure how I would fare with OTA. Does OTA have coverage over all HD channels including the premium package ones?

Man, this is really depressing. I was really looking forward to going back to Tivo. =(

OTA can only be used for local channels. If you want premium channels, you need cable. But... Depending on which premium channels you are talking about, it may not be all bad. The movie channels (e.g., HBO or Showtime) are not SDV, so if you subscribe to the HBO or Showtime packages you will be able to get the HD versions with your Tivo. At least I think that's how it works; you may want to check with OTW for a definitive answer. But if you want the "HD Tier" (or whatever it's called) like MHD, ESPN, HDNET channels, etc., then you're stuck.

The rumors flying around this forum are that the Tuning Adapter is scheduled for its debut 2Q 2008. But there has been no definitive word on when, or which systems, or which cable providers will offer it. So I'm hoping for sometime this summer, but I'm not holding my breath.

Yeah, it's a bit depressing. I got a good 9 months out of my S3 before I had to switch back to the OTW DVR; now my S3 is used just for recording The Daily Show and Colbert Report.