Has anyone actually seen/heard anything officially from TIVO about...

From what i've read, it should be possible to plug something into the USB port which can request a channel.. But who knows if anything like that will ever happen.

Will you be happy spending an extra $10+ for every TV in your house, just to have a cable box that will get these few channels?

 

short answer is you are hosed and the s3 wont work with switched video anytime soon and potentially not at all.

It's a major bummer and I hope my provider never goes down that route.

Comcast is making noise that they are going to go switched video in a major way in the next year or 2...

 

I sent a email to Tivo asking this same question. No answer back yet, if I ever get one. I just ordered a S3 yesterday from Costco. I have 30 days to return it for a full refund, and I might just do that to avoid being stuck with a $1000 (counting life time transfer fee) paperweight in six months to a year...

 

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there's not much for them to say.

It's a bad situation.

There is currently no standard for switched video and the 2-way standard that it would presumably be built on top of isn't even exactly final by way of an agreement between cable and the CE company's - and the cable company's aren't really even deploying the version of OCAP that they want themselves.

I'm sure tivo would love to built a device that would work but there is no standard for them to build to.

At best the FCC wakes up tomorrow and mandates some open system for 2-way cable services- even then it will likely takes years to develop and implement.

 

But if the spec existed, then the question of whether an S3 'plugin' would be possible could at least be answered. With no final spec, that's hard to answer.

If I just thought that the 'plugin' was possible (not promised, or even being 'looked into', just possible) then I'd probably feel better about the buying the S3.

Well, than I 'd feel better about buying multiple S3's for my whole house... I'll probably buy 1 anyway.

-Kyle

 

Doesn't porting the Tivo software to run on the Comcast dvr count as something? It's a step in the right direction for them.

 

And what do you expect them to do? Snap their fingers, click their heels and poop out a standard for SDV that will work across all networks and all companies? If you are that upset about it start complaining to those that actually have an impact on this type of thing. TiVo has zero control over whether or not cable deploys SDV. The best they can do is pressure the FCC to grow a pair and stand up to the cable companies.

 

There's a world of difference between what can be done and what will be done.

I can tell you without hesitation or qualification that it is possible for a device to be designed that can allow the S3 to handle SDV. And PPV. And VOD. All of that two-way communication could be handled by an external box which communicates with the tivo via USB. No question at all.

However, such a device would have to conform to standards which don't yet exist. And get approval from cable labs. And be supported by the cable companies. That is what kills any hope of a timely solution.

If this is ever going to be solved, it will be with a Series 4 Tivo, not a peripheral that attaches to S3 Tivos. I'd love to be proved wrong but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Technology's always a risk but DRM is artificially increasing the risk that our new gadgets will be useless lumps of metal and plastic long before their time.

 

CableCARD support by the Cable Co is not optional, it is a FCC mandate. The Cable Co's can do what they want with SV, but if they disable CableCARD support they have to answer to the FCC. They may think they have a loop hole, but even if they do when the FCC realizes it, they can close it up. (It is not a law, but a mandate so it doesn't take an act of congress)

That being said the FCC doesn't know what you don't tell them. If your cable co is using SV and effectively disabling your CC device, report them. Immediately and if nothing happens do it again and if still nothing happens email your congress person. Don't stand for it! Believe it or not the FCC is trying to help us.

In the meantime lets hope that CC 2.0 get ratified and 2-way is supported, then we can lean on TiVo to cut us a break since we are early adopters on an update that will support 2.0. I am just glad that TiVo didn't let this whole lack of 2-way stop them from selling the S3, or I would still be using my HR10-250.

Luckily for most of us it isn't a problem, YET. Personally I will cross the bridge when I get there.

 

In my opinion and understanding of the UDCP hardware, and what is fundamentally needed for any bi-directional communication, purely at a technical level, a USB or other backchannel modulator or even over the internet. (with some headend gear

The fact is, at this time, there is no standard for it, nor desire in the cable community to allow it, and ergo, nothing TiVo can plan for current Series 3 users, except petition the FCC on the matter (which I believe they have done).

 

Anyone know how to search through FCC petitions to see if they have?

-Kyle

 

What they should do is to provide some kind of investment protection for those who took the plunge. They need to provide an upgrade path. Otherwise, I will be pretty f'ing pissed.

 

Why do you only have 30 days to return it? Costco doesn't have a timeline as far as I know. Or are you talking about the tivo lifetime transfer time contraints?

 

he's talking about returning it to tivo. As you stated, dont go through tivo, send it back to costco. As for lifetime constraints, if the unit breaks, i dotn see why they wont let you transfer it t o the new one.

 

Who is going to give TiVo back all the millions they invested in developing the Series 3 when they no longer work properly with the majority of cable systems?

You act as though TiVo just blindly developed the Series 3 and has zero clue of what is happening. There have been petitions to the FCC regarding this from TiVo and they even included PM from this message board in their filings.

You don't think that the last thing TiVo wants is for its customers to have a $800 box that doesn't work anymore?

 

Here is what I emailed to the FCC yesterday. I suggest everyone reading this thread do something similar.

To: KJMWEB@fcc.gov; Michael.Copps@fcc.gov; Jonathan.Adelstein@fcc.gov; dtaylortateweb@fcc.gov; Robert.McDowell@fcc.gov

Subject: Switched Digital Video (SDV) on cable

Dear Commissioners Kevin J. Martin, Michael J. Copps, Jonathan S. Adelstein, Deborah Taylor Tate, and Robert McDowell:

I am writing to you to express my deep anxieties about Switched Digital Video (SDV) on cable television networks. I recently bought a TiVo Series 3 DVR which cannot support SDV, since CableLabs has not approved any method by which third-party cable boxes can support this. If my cable operator (Cox San Diego) starts using SDV, it will render my TiVo Series 3 obsolete!

SDV completely goes against the spirit and goal of CableCards, the Cable Box Integration Ban, and other efforts at fostering competetion. Congress was clear on its intent in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that a viable market should be fostered for competitive, third-party (retail) cable box devices. That was over 10 years ago (10 years!), and CableLabs and the cable industry have been dragging their feet ever since and disregarding the expressed will of Congress. SDV is just the latest attempt by cable operators to kill the market for competitive, innovative third-party cable boxes like the TiVo.

Please stand up for consumers, and the expressed will of Congress, and make SDV illegal. Cable companies and CableLabs must not be allowed to disrupt the fragile and blossoming market for competitive cable boxes and DVRs!

Thank you.

Sincerely,
xx

 

Actually Tivo has already filed their SDV concerns with the FCC as dt_dc graciously posted about even before the S3 release:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=308083
The relevant SDV text: