Thanks for inspiring me, Sam. The Bright House fee just pisses me off (given my frustration with two CableCARDs & tuning adapters on Cox verus painfree FiOS experience).
The Best & Worst Cable Companies (For TiVo Owners)
Although we've been discussing the cost of CableCARDs and Tuning Adapters in another thread --> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=482263, I think the Dave Zatz post raised larger issues that probably deserve another thread.
http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2012-02/the-best-worst-cable-companies-for-tivo-owners/
http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2012-02/the-best-worst-cable-companies-for-tivo-owners/
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Your welcome!Thanks for inspiring me, Sam. The Bright House fee just pisses me off (given my frustration with two CableCARDs & tuning adapters on Cox verus painfree FiOS experience).
Maybe the article will inspire someone at TiVo to make another filing similar to the filing they made after the New York Times article.
I think its time for the FCC to mandate an IP Backchannel as an alternative to Tuning Adapters. This would be an intermediate step and wouldn't be nearly as costly as mandating an AllVid type solution.
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=198476&site=lr_cable
Great article zatz
I gotta say. As much as i hate comcast they have pretty much made the CableCard work great for me since i got my first Tivo HD. Yeah the installers didnt know WTF to do at the start but now its no issue (for me at least).
and i do think that is why i always tell people no issues with Elite or Premiere. No tuning Adapters.
I gotta say. As much as i hate comcast they have pretty much made the CableCard work great for me since i got my first Tivo HD. Yeah the installers didnt know WTF to do at the start but now its no issue (for me at least).
and i do think that is why i always tell people no issues with Elite or Premiere. No tuning Adapters.
I realize that RCN is bit player relative to the Comcasts and TWC's of the world, but they are incredibly Tivo-Friendly, (probably because they offer and RCN branded Tivo as an "upgraded cable box"). Cable Cards are $2/mo,they only copy protect the premium channels (HBO, Showtime et al). The few times I"ve had issues requiring tech support they undestood the concept of a consumer owned Tivo. Relative to the BS come Cablecos pull that I read about here, they are a gem.
Cable companies are tough to "rate" since most people only have experience with one or two of them.
I had Comcast years ago before cable cards. I even have a Comcast Tivo for a little while. It was an ok box but nothing exceptional. It did offer OnDemand.
Now I feel lucky to have Verizon FIOS. It's truly awesome. The Cablecard's are $3.99 a month nationwide. The setup was fairly easy. I got mine when they required a truck roll. They don't like people who use their own routers. The tech had a tougher time setting up the cable card because the Verizon router wasn't on the network. He had to call it in instead of using his computer.
Also wanted to add, it feels like most people on this forum are very happy with FIOS.
I had Comcast years ago before cable cards. I even have a Comcast Tivo for a little while. It was an ok box but nothing exceptional. It did offer OnDemand.
Now I feel lucky to have Verizon FIOS. It's truly awesome. The Cablecard's are $3.99 a month nationwide. The setup was fairly easy. I got mine when they required a truck roll. They don't like people who use their own routers. The tech had a tougher time setting up the cable card because the Verizon router wasn't on the network. He had to call it in instead of using his computer.
Also wanted to add, it feels like most people on this forum are very happy with FIOS.
I will be calling to cancel Comcast tomorrow. How's that for an answer?
They're charging me $38 a month for the privilege of having a total of 3 live HD TiVos with CableCARDs on two HD TVs - $2+$8 digital outlet fee per card. Two S3 OLED TiVos have two cards.
F them to the moon.
I'm going to file an FCC complaint, too.
They're charging me $38 a month for the privilege of having a total of 3 live HD TiVos with CableCARDs on two HD TVs - $2+$8 digital outlet fee per card. Two S3 OLED TiVos have two cards.
F them to the moon.
I'm going to file an FCC complaint, too.
You should be able to reduce the AO fee to per TiVo versus per card. Of course finding a phone rep who understands the problem and is willing to correct it would probably be very time consuming and frustrating. I've been there.I will be calling to cancel Comcast tomorrow. How's that for an answer?
They're charging me $38 a month for the privilege of having a total of 3 live HD TiVos with CableCARDs on two HD TVs - $2+$8 digital outlet fee per card. Two S3 OLED TiVos have two cards.
F them to the moon.
I'm going to file an FCC complaint, too.
Indeed. However, we can automatically assume aggressive CCI Byte implementation and SDV complicate things for TiVo owners. (I've personally had experience on Comcast, Cox, and Verizon with TiVo.)Cable companies are tough to "rate" since most people only have experience with one or two of them.
Yep, that's the big problem with Comcast. They've come a long way with installs but their billing is in direct conflict with the FCC's new rules, which state that the MSO must bill for them universally across the system. Comcast does not do this - some areas get charged nothing for cards, some $1.50, some the full outlet minus a credit, etc. The FCC wanted one simple rental charge for a card like every other freaking MSO does, not this mess.I will be calling to cancel Comcast tomorrow. How's that for an answer?
They're charging me $38 a month for the privilege of having a total of 3 live HD TiVos with CableCARDs on two HD TVs - $2+$8 digital outlet fee per card. Two S3 OLED TiVos have two cards.
F them to the moon.
I'm going to file an FCC complaint, too.
See the huge Comcast card thread and my thread in the S3 forum:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=481300
sbiller, I see that your filing is now up on ECFS.
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view.action?id=6016984115
Also, there was a filing that I missed back in September where the Allvid alliance gave a pretty complete description of their proposed rules and standards.
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view.action?id=6016842242
Basically all MSOs would be required to support a gateway that provides guide data and conforms to a collection of DLNA standards. Seems pretty straightforward although I haven't dug into the DLNA specifics.
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view.action?id=6016984115
Also, there was a filing that I missed back in September where the Allvid alliance gave a pretty complete description of their proposed rules and standards.
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view.action?id=6016842242
Basically all MSOs would be required to support a gateway that provides guide data and conforms to a collection of DLNA standards. Seems pretty straightforward although I haven't dug into the DLNA specifics.
Nah.
The worst cable companies for TiVo owners are in Canada.
1) All digital channels are encrypted. Even the OTA locals.
2) Very few will activate third party hardware - if you didn't buy it from them, too bad.
3) None provide CableCARDs.
3a) The few using SDV are "Tuning-wha?"
4) As part of 1, many cable channels that were analog are going digital.
At least with Brighthouse, you have your FCC-mandated CableCARDs and Tuning Adapters, and can freely use third party equipment.
The worst cable companies for TiVo owners are in Canada.
1) All digital channels are encrypted. Even the OTA locals.
2) Very few will activate third party hardware - if you didn't buy it from them, too bad.
3) None provide CableCARDs.
3a) The few using SDV are "Tuning-wha?"
4) As part of 1, many cable channels that were analog are going digital.
At least with Brighthouse, you have your FCC-mandated CableCARDs and Tuning Adapters, and can freely use third party equipment.
I've come to the conclusion that its unlikely the FCC will mandate a complete AllVid solution. Rather I think they will mandate some sort of downloadable decryption support that will allow essentially a software CableCARD for retail devices. Unfortunately this will not mandate a two-way backchannel solution for SDV. The small, medium and large cable operators are somewhat united in their opposition to AllVid and they are claiming an enormous cost to implement it.Also, there was a filing that I missed back in September where the Allvid alliance gave a pretty complete description of their proposed rules and standards.
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view.action?id=6016842242
Basically all MSOs would be required to support a gateway that provides guide data and conforms to a collection of DLNA standards. Seems pretty straightforward although I haven't dug into the DLNA specifics.
Boxee made an impassioned plee yesterday to the FCC to reject the basic tier encryption rules on 11-169. Their post is interesting because it includes a 26-page presentation essentially asking for an AllVid type solution and was presented to the FCC Chairman.
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=6016984105
More info on a CableCARD Successor can be found here.
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=178622&site=lr_cable
http://www.zatznotfunny.com/2005-12/dcas-to-replace-cablecard-in-2008/
TiVo cites Dave Zatz's blog post in a new comment filing:
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=6016984349
They also point out that Comcast has some fishy numbers in their latest CableCARD report.
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=6016984349
They also point out that Comcast has some fishy numbers in their latest CableCARD report.
Bold is mine. Are they really saying, as this implies, that TiVo is net positive for owned subscriptions in the fourth quarter? If so, will be the first time in quiet a while. Combine that with their new Virgin numbers and TiVo should have some very positive news in their next quarterly report.The undersigned also provided a perspective on NCTA's recent CableCARD deployment and support report. TiVo has gained tens of thousands of net retail CableCARD subscribers over the past reporting period. Yet, the NCTA report shows a net decrease in CabieCARDs used in retail devices.
Why would the number of cablecards be lower? Someone has their numbers wrong. Tivo is pretty much the only retail device that uses cable cards.TiVo cites Dave Zatz's blog post in a new comment filing:
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=6016984349
They also point out that Comcast has some fishy numbers in their latest CableCARD report.
Bold is mine. Are they really saying, as this implies, that TiVo is net positive for owned subscriptions in the fourth quarter? If so, will be the first time in quiet a while. Combine that with their new Virgin numbers and TiVo should have some very positive news in their next quarterly report.
I thought the worst cable companies for TiVo owners were any and all of them.
Not Verizon. FIOS has the simplest system for cablecards. No tuning adapter, no CCI byte issues, and you can now activate your cablecards online yourself.I thought the worst cable companies for TiVo owners were any and all of them.
The NCTA is messing with the numbers most likely. Perhaps retiring S-cards has resulted in some decline. But the NCTA wants to minimize the impact cablecards actually have when reporting to the FCC.Why would the number of cablecards be lower? Someone has their numbers wrong. Tivo is pretty much the only retail device that uses cable cards.
Agreed. I didn't realize you could activate online yourself. I will keep that in mind for the future.Not Verizon. FIOS has the simplest system for cablecards. No tuning adapter, no CCI byte issues, and you can now activate your cablecards online yourself.
Wait, activate yourself means get them to be completely set up to your acct? so you could e.g. switch between tivos with no phone jockey? Wow. I want FIOS! (I know they aren't really expanding anymore.. I saw recent news that they will still expand to 'areas' they already cover, they just won't add more coverage areas.)
I'm not sure about that but the self install kit now gives you directions for activating online the first time. Switching between TiVos has never been an issue with FIOS anyways so you don't have to change anything in their system normally.Wait, activate yourself means get them to be completely set up to your acct? so you could e.g. switch between tivos with no phone jockey?
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