Time Warner and TiVo - too early for CableCARDs(TM)?

I have been a fan of TiVo since its earliest days.  As a true way too early adopter, I got a TiVo series 1 (with a lifetime subscription that's still going).  It was the first piece of electronics that my wonderful luddite wife learned to operate (she still won't get her own email). And of course, I quickly had the box hacked to add an Ethernet card and 180GB disk (thanks, Lou), which was big back then. TiVo Series 2 came out just as we were adding a NY apartment, and we put two of them there, no longer needing to hack for the Ethernet access, though USB was not the best connector for it.  And we've been happily using these boxes for several years. 

Then came HD. Time Warner Cable, my NY MSO, provided early Scientific Atlanta HD boxes, which worked quite well. But, of course no recording capability.  Then, we got the word that the SciAtl Explorer HD DVR was coming out. Since my office was around the corner from their NYC facility, we picked up one of the first HD DVRs(Scientific Atlanta 8000HD) and quickly connected it (Self installation is offered for most of TWC's boxes).  While it did record HD, the user interface was mediocre at best. Picking shows took far too many clicks, and it didn't really understand first run vs. later showings, though it professed to.

Imagine my joy when, after pushing Mike Ramsey whenver I saw him over the past few years, I got the VIP invitation for the Series 3 TiVo HD!  I signed up in a flash, and the box was delivered ASAP.  It did say that you needed to get 2 CableCARDs from your MSO.  Since installing a cable card is merely putting a PCMCIA card in a slot. I was a bit surprised to find out that Time Warner did not permit self installs of the cable cards. They actually charge $30.00 to come out and install them. After some discussion with their phone rep, we agreed that they would not charge $60.00 if they put 2 cards in the same TiVo on the same call.

CableCARDs were created by the industry to save money - no set top boxes to inventory, just use the electronics already in the new TV sets. Now they're frustrated with them.  And of course, the current cards are oneway, so services like pay per view don't work (maybe that lack of revenue opportunity is why they're not so eager to get them working ???). Next year we should get two way cards. Maybe then we can self install (as I can with Comcast in my PA home).

I scheduled the first appointment for October 13 (about 3 weeks after my call, since "we don't have any cable card trained installers till then"). Hector showed up, was both friendly and knowledgable. We installed one card, let it do the firmware upgrade it called for, then the second card.  Then we waited for "IT" to send the authorizations to the card.  Never came through, but he said it could take a few hours.  So he left.  By the next day, there was still no authorizations, and the TiVo could thus decode all the unencrypted channels, but none of the premium ones (e.g. CNBC, HBO, dozens of others). I called the trouble line and got the next available appointment, which was 2 weeks later. The appointment was from 10am to 2pm (TWC gives 4 hour blocks).  Enrique arrived at about 4pm, after 2 calls to TWC.  He looked at the problem, tried to call IT, and was told there were some system problems, so he couldn't get the cards working, but hopefully they'd do that from the central office.  But, alas, this was not to be. But I did get the TWC service guarantee - one free month if they miss their appointment.

So I resorted to what my son-in-law had to do to get his Series 3 working.  I filed a complaint with the NYC Cable Franchise group. You can, too at this link. if you're in NYC. Got a quick call from TWC's consumer affairs representative, who did seem to really want to help.  One more appointment was scheduled, which was equally fruitless, since the tech said "nobody told me this was a cable card call."  Finally, a foreman ("white shirt" in their terminology) showed up with a technician in tow. After about an hour - he got it working!  How, I asked Lenny, the foreman. "I waited for the right guy on the other end of the phone."  Apparently there is only one person at TWCs IT center who actually knows how to make cable cards work.

Happiness is a working HD TiVo - maybe now I'm right on time, not too early. 

Comments

[David S. Rose]

ROFL! Well, since we're in the process of [finally] upgrading to HD, I read your blog entry to MY luddite spouse (your dinner companion the other evening), who informed me in no uncertain terms that "hah! I've been burned once by Tivo [*our* Series 1, which seemed to have a mind of its own] so there is no way on earth that I will have one of those in my home again!"

So, I guess we're stuck with the TWC SA HD PVR. Ah well. (But, um, how well is the TiVo working out for you? Any chance it's good enough that it's worth trying to work on my spousal sales pitch?)
[HM] Actually, it's working out just fine, and the TWC box goes back to them tomorrow. The great TiVo functionality - wish lists, series recording that's intelligent, etc. were worth the pain.

[Blake Southwood]

Tivo Killer on the way.

http://siliconvalleystartupjournal.blogspot.com/

Blake Southwood
Founder of Big Bear

[Jamie Snell]

What is the make/model of the cable card that works with the TiVo?

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