HD Tivo w/TWC

[Klankster]

I'm in Port Washington.  I've been using a HD Tivo box (HR10-250) on DirecTV and they're basically making it useless by changing their broadcast method so it's no longer compatible.  I don't want their DVR and I'm really tired of signal outages due to rain and snow.

I'm looking at getting a HD Tivo for TWC and punting DirecTV -- Reading through the topics here I'm not sure if this is a great idea.  As I understand it, I'll need two cable cards from TWC, which I expected, but then I'm reading something about not getting some of the channels without a "tuning adapter", and other places say the Tivo is actually compatible with the tuning adapter.

Am I going to have a bunch of problems getting the HD Tivo working on TWC?  Some of the messages I was reading are several months old -- Can someone give me a brief summary of the current state of things with TWC?

Thanks!

[basshive]

The short answer is yes you will have problems but you should be able to get most of it jiving except SDV channels. The tuning adapater will be required channels when TWC employs SDV fully, at which point who knows if you will get anything without the adapater, I would not count on much. The concern I had when looking at TivoHD box with cable was, how do I know the SDV technology wont change and my adapter would cease to function? Face the same issues / questions with any provider.

I've been using a HD Tivo box (HR10-250) on DirecTV and they're basically making it useless by changing their broadcast method so it's no longer compatible. I don't want their DVR and I'm really tired of signal outages due to rain and snow.

I understand what you are saying here. I just retired on of my DirecTivo boxes this weekend, the R10. I still have a philips one but it will not be running much longer. I wouldn't say they are making it useless, as if they purposly switched to MPEG4 just to nuke DirecTivo boxes MPEG4 is a needed move, all providers have done it. Lets face it, the DirecTivo is old and antiquated. Just curious, have you tried/used the new D* dvrs? If so, what is your beef, what features and funtionality are they lacking?

[Klankster]

Is TWC using SDV now?  I was under the impression that it was coming but wasn't currently implemented.  Apparently the HD/Series3 HD Tivos are compatible with the SDV tuning adapters, so I'm optimistic that we'd be in OK shape if we go that route.

I've looked at the HR-21 and we could live with it, though we really like Tivo's excellent two-column channel guide much better.  I think the clincher for me deciding against DirecTV is that in the last couple of weeks we've seen a bewildering number of signal dropouts during relatively minor rain events, in programs we recorded and started watching several days later, when it was too late to record their second play.  My dish is perfectly aligned, so that's not the problem.   Last winter we had similar outages when snow and ice built up on the dish.

Add to that the frustration that when I was looking at doing the dish and equipment upgrade, I was talking to one of their people and the following happened:

1) I told them I wanted the HR-20 so I'd have integrated OTA and satellite recording on one device (like my HR-10 has) -- I was told that I couldn't have the HR-20 because it's been discontinued and would have to get the HR-21 and a separate module for OTA.  Great.

2) Since my system is basically all set up and all that has to happen is to unplug the old HR-10 and connect the HR-21 and replace and point the dish, I told them I would self-install.  They said no you can't -- Our tech has to do it.  I told her I have a very expensive and fragile Spanish tile roof and their tech was not going to get up there and damage it -- She went off to ask her supervisor and then came back and told me no, their installer had to do it.

Then I started thinking, is it worth all this hassle to have signal dropouts during football games when it's snowing or ruined recordings when a thunderstorm rolls through?  Honestly, no, it's not.

I've held onto DirecTV all this time for one reason -- NFL Sunday Ticket -- And it's really not worth it any more.

[LoadStar]

Is TWC using SDV now?  I was under the impression that it was coming but wasn't currently implemented.

TWC has SDV turned on, but no channels are actually using it yet, despite a letter that announced that several channels would have been changed over to SDV by this point. I would still plan for channels to begin to use SDV at any moment.

[milwaukee]

I have a HD Tivo, and I HAD tw...... I live in Milwaukee, but lived in Port for much of my life. It was a huge pain in the ass to get cable cards. They play the "ohh didn't see cable cards on the work order" then say "but I've got some HD boxes in the truck. It took 3 trips to actually get the two cards I asked for, which clearly stated 2 cards on the work order. They worked 1 day, and then just stopped working at all. I was told a "expert in cable cards" would come by. I was sent a contract installer who said "never seen one of these before."...about the cards AND the tivo. Canceled TW while this moron stood in my place.

You're better off without the Tivo and keeping the dish. No telling how much of a pain it would be getting the Cedarburg office to get you two working cable cards. I just watch OTA, until I can get Uverse. I do love my tivo, but not with cable cards or TW.

[basshive]

It is a whole lot of hassle for so little HD..

[Klankster]

I went ahead and made the move to the Series3 HD Tivo on TWC, and it's mostly working OK except for some of the HD channels like 533 (TNT HD), which it should get.  The tech thought the problem would resolve with a repeat of the guided setup after an hour or so, but apparently not.  Anybody else seen this issue?  All the local HD channels are working OK...

Just wondering if there is a simple fix other than calling TWC and waiting on hold forever...

[BlueOtto]

Tom - any update?  I just helped my parents get their new HD-Tivo running with TWC and they are also apparently missing most non-local HD channels.

[Klankster]

Well, see if they're getting ESPN HD.  If they are, then they're OK.

If they can't see ESPN HD, then call TWC and report the problem.  I reported it and they found some sort of minor configuration problem in my account that they fixed pretty promptly.

The trick is that those other "missing" HD channels have apparently been switched over to the new technology that will require a "tuning adapter" from TWC for us with CableCards to access.  Of course, the cable company is the only place where you can get the darn things and they aren't ready yet.  TiVo is all set to work with the tuning adapter, so as soon as they come out we should be good to go.

IMHO, it was plain stupid and thoughtless of TWC to switch these channels to the new technology before the tuning adapters were available.

[BlueOtto]

Thanks for the advice.  I called TWC today.  First two CSRs were clearly clueless and/or scripted.  Finally got transferred to someone who understood the issues involved, but said that a technician would need to be sent out.  Ok.  Appointment made.

Then later tonight a phone call from the most helpful person I have ever heard from Time Warner.  He was from the "Trouble Call Resolution" (or somesuch) department, which he said is a department of about only 4 people.  He had a TivoHD there with him and troubleshooted the issue over the phone, working through it menu by menu because he was doing the same things locally on the Tivo.  He figured out the problem (I think they had the info for the two cablecards swapped).  I then asked him about other Tivo-related questions I've had:

1. Are M-Cards available?
 - He said that he's been testing a variety of them with the inhouse Tivo and TWC system but has not been able to get it working properly.  The best he could do at this point was get it but only with basic channels (the ones I could get before fixing the issue today).  He left open the possibility that these might be available in the future.  He was willing to write down my name to call if/when these are available.

2. When will the SDV tuning adapter be available?
 - He said that our region has not yet received any to even test.  He said originally they were supposed to come out at the beginning of this year, and now they are saying the end of this year.  He also mentioned that they he expected them to be offered free of charge.

He was very polite, courteous, and definitely knew his stuff.  He was also very aware that the normal CSR lines were probably hopeless for discussing Tivo / Cablecards / SDV.  He left the phone number (local 414) for his department in case there are any further issues.  If anyone would find that number useful, send me a PM and I'd be glad to share - it is just about the only sane way to deal with any Tivo cablecard issues imo.

[mander27]

Blue Otto,

Can you confirm for me--are you referring to a Milwaukee County address that you were having issues with?  And are those issues now resolved (now that they have the pairings correct?)

I am hopeful someone can shed light onto my issue.  At present I get almost no HD channels other than local affiliates and ESPN.  I cannot tell if this is due to SDV or the cable company messing up my account.  The timing and circumstances seem strange.

No one can tell me which channels I should / should not be getting.  Specifically, I no longer get channels such as ESPN2 HD, FSN HD, TBS HD, HGTV HD, HDT, AETVHD, HDNET, HDNET MV, NGCHD and others.

Does anyone with a TW cable card in Milwaukee County get any of the channels listed above?

My specific circumstances (as you will see) have me (almost) as confused as most of the TW staff seems to be.

First, before I ever bought a system, I went to investigate the cards at the Mayfair store apparently AFTER the letter went out to cable card customers in June or whenever it was, yet no one mentioned to me that there would be any compatibility issues.  

When I had my cards installed, almost none of my channels came in and at the time the installer called the office and they told him this was due to SDV and the nature of the beast.

I was having a media center PC installed by an integrator and he said no way this is true or he'd have heard from other customers.

Eventually he figured out that they had the pairings mixed up.  It all got straightened out and suddenly I had all the HD channels I should have.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago (everything had been working fine) and I noticed on my cable bill that trading my $15 or so worth of cable boxes for $6 worth of cable cards, caused my bill not to go down by $9, but up by over $20.  When I called to complain, I was told I "broke my package" and that I was not allowed to speak with a manager and there was nothing they could do for me.  When I mentioned the magic words "DirecTV", the woman told me I was lucky that she found a special and she could give me my HBO for free to bring my price back in line to where it was.

That day was the first day I no longer got HD channels.  Quite literally the morning of that call I was watching channels that I no longer got that afternoon after she "updated" my account.

In any event, it turns out the system would not let her save my cable card account with an "HD Package" because cable cards could not get the SDV channels.  I am nearly positive that those channels did not magically become SDV at the same exact time she changed my account--but rather that she either messed up my pairings or she simply took the HD Package off my account as they were no longer offering it to cable card customers in preparation for SDV.

I tried every which way I could to get the HD Package added back to my account (just asked them to un-do whatever they did to my account that day).  They insist the system will not let them put an HD package on a cable card and that the channels became SDV weeks before I called.  I reminded them I was watching the channels that very morning.  They told me I was lucky!

In any event, if anyone is able to get any of the channels above on a cable card, I would appreciate knowing and perhaps being put in touch with the contact Blue Otto mentions.

I have tried every which way, but cannot even get a clear answer on which channels are actually SDV at this point.  If it's just HDNET and HDNET Movies and a few others, that is one thing.  If it is literally all the channels I list above that I no longer get, that is quite another.

If anyone can provide info, I would appreciate it.  Most of the reps at Time Warner don't have a clue and several are downright rude.  That does not make solving this any easier.

Thanks for any info!

[BlueOtto]

mander--

Before the adjustment, we could not get any SD channels between 100-200, any of the non-local HD channels, and a few random others.

The only non-local HD channels we get now, according to the department (and verified by me ) are ESPN-HD, TNT-HD, and History-HD.  The rest, due to SDV, are gone for now.

We'll have to wait until (hopefully!) December to get the tuning adapter to get the others.

Probably we will cancel the HD plan and just get HD locals OTA until that time.

I will PM you that contact info.  I just don't feel right posting it completely publicly on the board.

And yes, Milwaukee County address.

[UncleMeat]

I had my Tivo HD working with TWC today... for a short while.

TWC sent the installer out with only one S-Card.  Can't live with a single stream, so I yanked the card out upon getting home from work today.  Getting a 2nd card put in Saturday (that's a long story, not going into it right now).

I had problems with getting every channel in initially.  Thanks to this and other threads, I knew to check into that before the installer left.  The non-local HD channels that the CableCARD can receive wouldn't work (ie - 530/533), nor would ShowTime.  Installer didn't know what to do, nor did anyone he called.  After about an hour of rebooting the box, reinserting the card, the channels started working on their own.

So I'm back to OTA for the rest of the week.  Bummer too, as I wanted to see the Chargers game tonight and the Brewer games this week.

[UncleMeat]

Ugh, here's my story...

As I posted, I got my service on Tuesday... but the installer only brought one S-CARD.  They came back today, installed a 2nd card.  Tested that card, got all the channels.  What I failed to test (in fairness, the installer should've tested this as well) was whether BOTH cards were full functional.  

Turns out, the original card stopped working.  

I went through TiVo's rather nice CableCARD Troubleshooting Page and found that the card was not activated.  The diagnostic screen just shows "Waiting for CP Auth."  I talked to 6 different people at TWC and a few of them were willing to try to help.  The first person I talked to was very quick, friendly and seemed to know about CableCARDs... unfortunately when I called I was assuming the problem was the new card so she sent a new activation signal to that one (this was before going through the TiVo.com support link).  When I called back, nobody could tell me who I spoke to and they said they couldn't look at anything on my account to tell me who it was.

I also called TiVo as I've read that they are willing to speak to cable operators to help escalate the issues and get in touch with people who actually know what they are doing in these situations.  TiVo.com even references this.  However, that was not my experience.  I got the blanket "that sounds like a cabel provider issue" response and that was it.  

Anyway, after talking to 4 people at TWC tech support, a supervisor, and someone I was told was "Customer Service" I am right where I started.  TWC claims somebody has to come to my house.

So I have to wait until Thursday evening to get both cards up and running (hopefully).  

Upset.  Very upset.

[UncleMeat]

BlueOtto:
Thanks much for the help.  I talked to the same guy as you and he got my problem solved within 5 minutes.  Very awesome!