tivo community newsletter: comcast says it will have 800hd channels by end of 2008

[iceturkee]

sorry, i don't remember the link mentioned in the newsletter i received in my email satuday. but they are claiming they will have 800hd channels by the end of 2008. i'll see if i can find the link.


okay, it was a june 13 story in gizmodo.com, titled ``don't sit too close.'' sorry, i use voice dictated software because of arthritic hands and can't post the entire link. you could also try.....tivoforums.com.

 

[LonghornXP]

I have read that article and have also talked with many Comcast people. Both the article and my contacts have said they would offer 800 HD "choices" not channels. The choices will be mixed between 24x7 linear HD channels (ESPN2 HD etc) and HD Video On Demand content. I have been told by a few people that a massive push is underway to upgrade many of the big markets quite fast and come very very close to matching the upcoming DirecTV HD offerings. Now with that said don't expect this to happen as I'm not sure how I feel about what I was told. I'm also not sure if they can upgrade the markets that fast either. I've also been told from a very high and I mean high person within Comcast that they have crossed the "T"s and dotted the "I"s and feel they are fully covered on the legal front for what I'm going to say below. This was left on my answering machine less than 24 hours ago so its very new.

Comcast will be rolling out switched digital video in nearly all of their markets and sadly they won't bother working with Tivo for support with their Series 3 HD Tivo. Also Comcast can win in court and win any complaints that may reach the FCC as well.

The way they will win this is because Tivo didn't build their device within the specs for a two-way cable card device. Its not Comcast's fault if the Series 3 HD Tivo cannot receive the new HD channels on SDV when Tivo refused to support hardware wise the two-way cablelabs specs. I'm also told that if Tivo included the hardware for two-way communication all customers would need is an M-Card. I'm also told that if Tivo would have done this Comcast would work with them to make sure everything worked on Comcast's end.

So I've also talked to many people at one of my local Boston law firms and they all say that Comcast is in the right as they are supporting all of the cable card specs and they cannot help it when other companies don't follow the specs and leave out a crucial feature such as two-way communication.

So I guess this is a big big blow to Series 3 HD Tivo users but I also say that many of you should have known better than to buy an expensive box knowing full well it wasn't a two-way device. I'm also getting hints that the FCC will soon require that all cable card client devices such as the HD Tivo will need to place a big sticker on each box telling customers what the device doesn't support within the cable card specs. So they would need to say on the box that this device doesn't support two-way communication and this may hamper your ability to receive current and/or future channels on your cable company.

So in simple terms the law and courts would decide that Comcast followed all the cable card specs and that Tivo on their own accord decided to build a one way device when they could have built a two-way device instead. Comcast cannot be held liable for another company willingly not supporting two-way communication period.

 

[riffjim4069]

Both the article and my contacts have said they would offer 800 HD "choices" not channels.

The former VOOM DBS used to offer more than 1400 HD choices by including a free OTA antenna with every installation. The difference is you didn't hear them touting
"We offer 1400 HD choices" and similar big lies. I am sure those Comcast customers having dozen of summer homes will enjoy their 800 HD choices...

As for switched digital video...the sooner the better! Tivo Series 3 uses have no one to blame but Tivo for this pending situation. It's one thing to pay $500-$700 for a HD DVR, but to then fork over hundreds of dollars for the guide data ($179 per one-year subscription or $299 for three-years), which should be free of charge, for a device that will never support two-way communication doesn't sound right. Last year I paid $249 for a 500GB Sony HD DVR (ATSC/QAM) that only supports one-way CableCard. Although the model was being discontinued, it comes with free TV Guide On Screen (no silly subscription fees) and work very well at recording OTA.

Anyway, the Cable Cartel (Comcast, Time-Warner, Cox, etc.) has done an excellent job at thwarting competition and maintaining their Set-top-box monopoly. Hopefully, the FCCs order requiring Cable to separate navigation and security functions will jump-start consumers being able to purchase their own cables boxes.