CableCard question

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

>I contacted Time Warner about obtaining a CableCard from them and they told
>me that I would need to arrange a service call (and pay, I think, $65, for
>it - I may have the amount wrong), wait 4 to 5 days after I schedule the
>call, and keep a five hour window open for the call on the day it's
>scheduled. They said that I couldn't install the card myself.
> My question is: Is there any reasonable reason (aside from their profits)
> for this policy? And is this everyone's experience?
> Thanks in advance.

I dunno about everyone, but in Queens, NYC, Time Warner said the installer
had to come so he/she could activate it. That is probably just a phone call
to tell the computer to allow it to be recognized. On a more serious note,
those cards are much more easily damaged than a cable box, kinda like how
you could damage a motherboard or expansion card if you install it with the
computer already running. They are not "hot swappable" like a USB cable
(yet). I think part of their reasoning is to keep the number of destroyed
cards to a minimum.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

S.P. wrote:

>>I contacted Time Warner about obtaining a CableCard from them and they told
>>me that I would need to arrange a service call (and pay, I think, $65, for
>>it - I may have the amount wrong), wait 4 to 5 days after I schedule the
>>call, and keep a five hour window open for the call on the day it's
>>scheduled. They said that I couldn't install the card myself.
>>My question is: Is there any reasonable reason (aside from their profits)
>>for this policy? And is this everyone's experience?
>>Thanks in advance.
>
>
> I dunno about everyone, but in Queens, NYC, Time Warner said the installer
> had to come so he/she could activate it. That is probably just a phone call
> to tell the computer to allow it to be recognized. On a more serious note,
> those cards are much more easily damaged than a cable box, kinda like how
> you could damage a motherboard or expansion card if you install it with the
> computer already running. They are not "hot swappable" like a USB cable
> (yet). I think part of their reasoning is to keep the number of destroyed
> cards to a minimum.
>
>
My adelphia tech pulled the card in and out with power on numerous times
at the direction of tech support on the line at the time. It didn't
work when he got there and still doesn't work.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Brent Grulke" <bgrulke@sxsw.com> wrote in message
news:2004120420130216807%bgrulke@sxswcom...
> I contacted Time Warner about obtaining a CableCard from them and they
> told me that I would need to arrange a service call (and pay, I think,
> $65, for it - I may have the amount wrong), wait 4 to 5 days after I
> schedule the call, and keep a five hour window open for the call on the
> day it's scheduled. They said that I couldn't install the card myself.
> My question is: Is there any reasonable reason (aside from their
> profits) for this policy? And is this everyone's experience?
> Thanks in advance.

Here in Austin, Time-Warner also forces you into a service call to have the
CableCard "installed", but they do not charge for the call. They charge
$1.75 per month to rent the CableCard. You can give them a phone number,
such as a mobile number, to call you 30 minutes ahead of their expected
arrival at your house, so you are not completely tied down for the service
"window".

The "installation" is simply pushing the CableCard into its slot until it
clicks and the little eject button pops out. Of the two installers who came
to my home, one of them did not know how to put the card into the slot until
I showed him and then did not push it all the way in until the other
installer pointed that out to him.

There is no reason why a reasonably intelligent person with his TV set
manual could not put in his own CableCard and then call Customer Service and
have the card activated. That is the way the process is described in my
Sony TV manual, so that is apparently what Sony expected would happen. I
imagine that is the way it will be done once there are more of these things
out there.

On the other hand, it is possible to shove the card in wrong, ruining the
card and/or your TV card slot, or just not put it in all the way until it
clicks (as I did at first) and then wonder why it doesn't work. So, there
is some rationale for having an experienced person there to do it, assuming
your Time-Warner has such a person, which it may not.

After my card was up and running, I had reason to take it out and put it
back in two or three times, to clear CableCard errors during the first
couple of weeks, so I got pretty good at it.

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Terry" <tdangle@adelphia.net> wrote

> My adelphia tech pulled the card in and out with power on numerous times
> at the direction of tech support on the line at the time. It didn't
> work when he got there and still doesn't work.

Conceivably, that's the problem. My Sony manual and the Time-Warner techs
involved all agreed that the way it should be done is to turn the TV off,
place or pull the card, then turn the TV back on. Don't mess with it with
the power on. At one point when they could not get it initialized, they
even had me unplug the TV momentarily, but I don't think that really had
anything to do with the eventual solution.

If I were you, I would have them bring a brand new card, preferably with
someone who really knows what he/she is doing at the controls back at
headquarters. Then ONLY allow them to seat or pull the card with your TV
set power OFF, no matter what the tech who comes out thinks. Also, make
sure the card is pushed all the way in, so that it clicks into place, the
eject button pops out and your TV set recognizes that it's there.

Your TV should recognize the card and then find all the digital and analog
stations coming down the line, which takes several minutes. On my Sony TV,
the screen display just said that it had found "0 analog / 0 digital"
stations for what seemed like a very long time. Then, when we had all
pretty much decided it was not working, up popped something like "88 analog
/ 221 digital". It showed zero until it suddenly showed all that it had
found. After that, if they initialize it correctly back at the company, you
should see your HD channels within a few minutes.

mack
austin

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

The service call is required because there is a chance (tho slight) of
doing it wrong and damaging the card. The wide "appointment window" and
long lead time just to get an appointment is (IMO) the core issue here.

Time Warner (in Houston) frequently takes as long as 3 days just to get to
you for a service problem, even for a broadband cable modem problem. This
is unacceptable and is just one item on a list of several reasons why they
lost us as a customer years ago.

Satellite too has its drawbacks, but quality & dependability of service
and responsiveness sure isn't one of them. The neighbor kid could damage
my dish with a football and with one phone call we could have it repaired
same day, even on Sunday.


In article <5v66r0lfobjbr5uio775umc83gog5itv7r@4ax.com> edward writes:

>On Sat, 04 Dec 2004 18:36:01 -0800, Terry <tdangle@adelphia.net>
>wrote:
>
>>S.P. wrote:
>>
>>>>I contacted Time Warner about obtaining a CableCard from them and they told
>>>>me that I would need to arrange a service call (and pay, I think, $65, for
>>>>it - I may have the amount wrong), wait 4 to 5 days after I schedule the
>>>>call, and keep a five hour window open for the call on the day it's
>>>>scheduled. They said that I couldn't install the card myself.
>>>>My question is: Is there any reasonable reason (aside from their profits)
>>>>for this policy? And is this everyone's experience?
>>>>Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>>
>>> I dunno about everyone, but in Queens, NYC, Time Warner said the installer
>>> had to come so he/she could activate it. That is probably just a phone call
>>> to tell the computer to allow it to be recognized. On a more serious note,
>>> those cards are much more easily damaged than a cable box, kinda like how
>>> you could damage a motherboard or expansion card if you install it with the
>>> computer already running. They are not "hot swappable" like a USB cable
>>> (yet). I think part of their reasoning is to keep the number of destroyed
>>> cards to a minimum.
>>>
>>>
>>My adelphia tech pulled the card in and out with power on numerous times
>>at the direction of tech support on the line at the time. It didn't
>>work when he got there and still doesn't work.
>
>
>Ooooooh... that's an ugly picture.
>
>Maybe next year
>

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Jack Dotson" <jdotson@stx.rr.com> wrote

> It's my understanding that when you use the CC you lose you program menu,
> which I use all the time to see what's on. How do those of you who have
> lost this feature tell what programs are on? Can you get a T.V. like the
> old days, or are you just doing without?

When you are not using the cable box, you lose the guide that comes with the
cable box. There is a program guide built into the TV set's digital tuner
(at least in my Sony, there is) that shows the channel number, name of the
channel (INHD, CNN, FOXN, etc.), whether the program comes down as 1080i,
720p or NTSC, and a "program description", which would be more or less what
the cable box guide provides. But that information would have to be
furnished -- as I understand it -- by the cable company, which has a vested
interest in promoting their 2-way box rather than the 1-way cable card. For
that reason or some other, there is no program information furnished.

Bottom line, if you use CableCard, you are most likely going to have to
depend on other sources such as the web or print for program information
beyond channel name and number. It's a trade-off which I don't find to be a
serious problem but some others might.

mack
austin

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Terry" <tdangle@adelphia.net> wrote

> Update,
> My provider (Adelphia in SoCal) had to schedula a new visit to install
> the cablecard in my new Sony. The installer that tried to install it
> deceided that it must be a software problem with my TV and closed the
> ticket without even comming back like he promised with a new cc. The
> earliest date they could give me was Jan 6th. I will be going to their
> local office tomorrow to complain. This will be the 3rd scheduled
> visit. The first visit the installer's wife had a baby and Adelphia
> asked if I could reschedule which I said I would. The 2nd visit didn't
> go well. I could have done it myself if they would just let me.
>
> Also I noticed that even though the installer took the card with him,
> they apparantly opened something up, as I now get a bunch of digital
> chanels and the local HD channels. Earlier channel scans did not show
> any digital channels, only basic analog channels. The only thing I
> really would like the cable card for is the encrypted channels that I
> get with my digital cable box. Also the cc aparently does some sort of
> channel mapping and redirection. I can't get the family to use channels
> like 116.4 and so on.

Well, obviously, Adelphia in your area is providing terrible cable service
to you. Time-Warner here in Austin is far, far better than that and they
have their problems in this area.

That channel 116.4 stuff is the way the digital channels are actually set up
but is not the way you are going to receive them via your CableCard if you
ever get one installed. They will come in with the same channel numbers as
they have when you get them via your cable box. You should be able to tune
through all the analog and digital channels that you pay for, just as you do
with your cable box. When you try to tune to a channel that is not
available to you for one reason or another, your TV will just try to tune,
then show "No signal". What signals actually come down for you to tune to
are determined at the cable company offices, by their DNCS (Digital Network)
computer.

mack
austin