SDV Tuning Adapter-Time Warner

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Just got a message today from customer service via e-mail (NEVER call them -- the CSRs on the phones are idiots for the most part) from TWC Wisconsin that the Tuning Adapters will start "shipping" direct to customers the second week in January. The end is in SIGHT. By the way, we in northeast wisconsin have had SDV for months and months. I think there are at least 20 channels I cannot get so far and more are being added every day. So the guy from the Milwaukee market who posted above, yes it really sucks, but it will be OK soon. Just get on the list for one on the web site and E-MAIL customer service if you have questions. Don't bother calling them.

My e-mail:

Hello there,
If you do not understand what I am talking about in this message, please forward it on to someone who does. I am anxiously awaiting a tuning adapter for my cable cards so I can get my Tivo up and running. Every day you guys are adding more switched digital channels and I can’t get them. I have filled out the online “order” form for a tuning adapter weeks ago, but I have heard nothing. I was told months ago that these would be available this year – meaning 2008. But so far, nothing. Several time Warner markets including Texas and Rochester NY already have their adapters – and they are working just fine. Could you please give me a timeline on this? Please ask a supervisor or engineer or someone with real answers. THANKS!!!!!!

Their reply:

Thank-you for writing Time Warner Cable.
The tuning adapters should be getting shipped out to customers the 2nd week in January, we apologize for the inconvenience.
Again, Thank-you for writing Time Warner Cable.
Consumer Contact Team-Time Warner Cable

 

Well, I just tried that:

Here is my e-mail:

I would like to know what the estimated time frame is for the roll-out of the Tuning Adapters in the Columbia, SC area. The TWC website for my area says they will start going out in December, of which there are 8 days remaining. I notice that TWC has already started providing these adapters to their customers in many other areas of the country. I have a Tivo HD with a CableCard which I cannot currently use because the vast majority of the channels I watch were switched to SDV in my area some time ago in spite of the lack of a solution for CableCard users.

Thanks,
Steve Zurlo

And here is the response:

Dear Mr. Zurlo,

Thank you for contacting Time Warner Cable Support.

I understand you would like to receive the Tuning Adapters for your cable cards.

I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. I would be glad to assist you.

Time Warner Cable continues to out a new technology called Switched Digital Video (SDV) which allows us to better manage our bandwidth and provide more services such as additional HD channels.
SDV does not work on devices that use one-way communication such as TIVO and CableCards. This means that customers with these devices will not be able to watch SDV channels. FREE TUNING ADAPTERS will be made available for customers to convert these SDV channels into ones that work with certain one-way communication devices.

These Tuning Adapters will only be compatible with TiVo HD, HD XL, and Series 3 HD DVRs. They do not operate directly with CableCARD TVs. TiVo is currently the only manufacturer of one-way CableCARD retail devices that successfully interact with the Tuning Adapter.

Customers can pre-order a FREE Tuning Adapter by visiting:

http://www.timewarnercable.com/Corporate/Products/DigitalCable/sdv/default.html .

We hope to have them available later this year.

For more information and to pre-order a Tuning Adapter, visit:
http://www.timewarnercable.com/tuningadapter

 

Good idea, I just submitted a question with a somewhat irritated tone to TWC Albany so we'll see what they say.. I can't believe how hard this is to get any info out of these people..

 

Just sent an e-mail to Time Warner WNY. I bet I get some canned response without a specific timeframe. I am actually disappointed they are letting them go without a truck roll. I have been waiting for a while to get a bad cablecard replaced because I wanted to do it with one trip.

 

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Here in Williamsville, I am eagerly awaiting the day when I can put 2 CC into my S3 Tivo, add in a TA and kick that clunky old TW DVR to the kerb.

That stupid thing is still messing up my wife's fashion recordings (no wait, maybe that isn't such a bad thing... ) and she's giving me no end of ear ache about it.

Hurry up already.

Seggers

 

That is good. At least they state it works with TiVo. I preordered several weeks back and have yet to be contacted. I also but in for a "beta" tester but haven't heard anything.

 

Well, a positive experience to share...

As this string has indicated, tuning adapters are availible in Austin. They are now being distributed directly from the service lobby at the main Duval/MoPac office. I went by Friday and picked mine up. I installed it over the weekend, fearing a similar experience to several of those shared on this string. However, that was not the case. Following bootup, my adapter went immediately steady green, with all diagnostics in the "ready" mode. And, with that, I had all my switched channels. I either lucked out, or software in either the Tivo or adapter (or both) have been updated to facilitate the process.

 

I just got off the phone with Buffalo TW and they are following up on calls for TAs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He did mention something about Jan/Feb for an install, but at least the email system worked!

He asked if I had a TiVo, what model it was and what sw level it had (interestingly, he wanted at least 11).

So they are coming for those of us in WNY! We can finally get rid of that crappy TW DVR!

Seggers

 

Where did your TA ship from? I was notified Thursday, but it hasn't arrived as of Tuesday's UPS.

 

Picked up another M card for a new tivo today. People in TWC San Antonio, at least at the retail center at Blanco/410 are clueless about Tuning Adaptors. Seeing as this is the only center that gives out M cards, I doubt we'll see the TA this year.

 

I'm in Waukesha, WI. and I'd be game as well as this is redicilous with how long they've been substracting channels without adjusting our bills. The FCC should be giving the "fine money" to the customer's that are being left out in the cold instead of keeping it for themselves. It's a sad site that company's have to be threatened with litigation and fines before they'll actually comply with what is required of them. If their cable boxes weren't such junk compared to the TIVO's they wouldn't have this situation as customers might actually prefer their boxes then. They have a typical monoply mentality in that "you'll take what we give you and like it" attitude. Wake Up TW if you want to keep renting your boxes then supply the best product out there period. It's called "Supply and Demand" and you may have heard of this concept in a simple class called Economics. You create a product that users will Demand.

 

joeknapp, Midwest User1

We should go to the TWC Mayfiar Mall Location and ask for answers as a group.

 

In the two areas where the FCC chastised the cable providers for rolling out SDV without okaying it with them first and sufficiently notifying their customers (TWC Oceanic in Hawaii and Cox Northern Virginia), they've ordered a rebate of some fees to UDCP-using customers who been deprived of channels and a reduction in fees for them going forward. That was in addition to punitive fines to be paid to the FCC. What they didn't do was order them to stop using SDV or to restore any services to UDCP-using subs.

 

Does anyone have a sure fire fix for the grey screen issue? Every time my TiVo HD reboots itself (ether voluntarily or otherwise) I can't get any channels to tune in for some time. Even if I call TW and have them hit the T.A box.

If I bypass the T.A and just run the Coax to my TiVo I get all my cable minus the SDV channels as far as I know. The light on my T.A is solid, so I'm not sure what's going on. This isn't the first time it's occurred.

 

I got this back from submitting my email to TWC Albany:

So hopefully I'll hear from one of their technical supervisors soon, and hopefully that technical supervisor knows what a tuning adapter is.. I'll post back when he calls/emails me.

 

They just added a bunch of new HD channels here in San Diego, including Sci Fi HD (also USA HD, FX HD, Bravo HD, ABC Family HD, Biography HD and CNBC HD, with others due to be added before 2/29). All as SDV, as expected .

I'm starting to get a little steamed--Sci Fi HD was the only HD channel that I didn't have that I was particularly anxious to get and now it's here with no TA with which to tune it on TiVo. There's an 8300HDC in the house where I can record and watch things, but I'd prefer to use the TiVo and panel in my personal space. If the TA isn't in evidence when Battlestar Galactica returns on the 16th, I'm going to be very unhappy .

 

I received my TA here in Rochester last Thursday. Works like a charm. (Sorry - I am experiencing SDV guilt). Now it's really time for that DVR Expander.

When it does roll around to you, be sure to ask to speak to the HD specialists and then ask them to transfer you to the Tier III techs. I couldn't even find someone below that desk that knew what a TA was.

A friend of mine had a TW guy to the house on Sunday because his TA didn't work. They guy thought it was something he had bought himself - never even heard of them.

 

yeah i am ticked off as well today, really helps the christmas spirit, here in zanesville, ohio the tivo added all the new channels, digital, hd new ones, and of course i cant get them without the tuning adapter, and then i even found out that pbs hd was on channel 734 now it switched to channel 707 and of course i cant get it, foxhd and cwhd is going to be changing over soon, i was advised, this is the main reason i went with timewarner, because of the local hd channels that i had been getting until now, because directv wouldnt give them to me because of my location, yep foxhd is going to channel 708 and cwhd is going to channel 713. i still like the tivo hd series 3 which i have, this month they gave me a 20 credit off my bill, because i was paying for the channels and not getting them, wonder what they will give me in january? i had the hd dvr from timewarner twice and took it back, it is a piece of crap, does not compare to the tivo at all.

 

No kidding, TWC in Charlotte NC greatly p*ssed me off today. They charge $10 extra for digital HD channels, but they're on SDV? I thought SDV was for less-frequently-accessed programming, not what more people want to see, and certainly not for which you charge them extra monthly fees.

 

Good for you getting some credit for not getting all the channels on a particular device. We should all be doing that. $20 is quite a big number too!!

I am surprised to hear an OTA channel went SDV. I hadn't heard of that before. Has that been happening much around the US?