Switched video on cable coming to TiVo in 2008

TiVo and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) have announced a new external adapter that will allow cable operators to roll out switched video while still playing nice with third-party devices like the TiVo HD and Series3 DVRs. The devices will hook up to a CableCARD host device via USB and use software to choose channels, eliminating yet another set-top box but giving cable providers a break on bandwidth requirements. The devices will begin shipping to TiVo customers -- and other compatible CableCARD devices -- in the second quarter of 2008.

[Josh @ Nov 26th 2007 10:52AM]

BOCR? Will this play nice with VMC also?

[ScOObyDoo @ Nov 26th 2007 10:54AM]

That is SERIOUSLY good news. It means my $800 investment won't become useless when Comcast decides to make the move to SDV.

[icfleming @ Nov 26th 2007 11:20AM]

Key Phrase from the press release:

"Cable operators will make the new adapters available for TiVo customers
in the second quarter of 2008."

Lemme guess, it will be available for the low monthly price of $14.99 from comcast. Support by the cable industry means finding new things to hang off TVs and Tivos that can be exclusively available from cable provider, illegal for individuals to own and require a "highly qualified technician" to install it for $40.

[Tony Rayo @ Nov 26th 2007 11:30AM]

Heh I can attest to that. Back before all cable boxes were HD boxes in my area, I tried to get an HD box from Comcast and they refused for me to come up the box and install it myself. No matter how much technology knowledge I tried to convey to them, they would not bend on the policy and I don't they even could if they wanted to. Yeah, I would be switching to FIOS in a heartbeat... regular cable w/ HBO, 2 cable boxes and the regular tier internet service is currently ~170$/month with 10 - 15$ increases every few months it seems.

- Tony R.

[Tony @ Nov 26th 2007 12:36PM]

well things have changed know I was able to pick up a Timewarner box 8300HDC a week last Saturday I was also able to return it on sunday and get another one since that one did not work and on Monday i was able to pick up two from the local time warner store.

so in 3 days i was able to pick up 4 boxes times are a changing :)

[Flashpoint @ Nov 26th 2007 11:37AM]

A new circuit board for Guitar Hero?

[granny down east @ Nov 26th 2007 12:14PM]

Would this be the advent of "customer selected channels?" It has been my hope that TWC and other cable providers would only send and bill me for those channels I select, instead of a menu of 100s of channels I don't watch and therefore don't want to pay for....
Would appreciate some enlightenment on this.

[Jared @ Nov 26th 2007 12:48PM]

Congress is working to push through alacarte pricing, though I'll belive it when I see it.

http://gigaom.com/2005/12/02/the-truth-about-ala-carte-cable/
http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/06/congressmen_again_urge_a_la_ca.php
http://techdirt.com/articles/20070419/140237.shtml

[granny down east @ Nov 26th 2007 1:43PM]

@ Jared Thanks- the links are helpful.

[Brian @ Nov 26th 2007 5:16PM]

A la carte cable will KILL cable. The only reason we have so many niche channels now is because there is a lower barrier to entry for the channels. With a la carte, your bill will stay the same, (oh, you think you'll get channels for $1 each? NO WAY! You'll be paying $15/mo for the 6 channels you want), and every channel will turn into FOX because they will all be chasing the lowest common denominator customers.

Say NO to a la carte cable!

[Geno Endicott @ Nov 26th 2007 12:38PM]

Does this mean On Demand for Tivo Series3?!

[Jared @ Nov 26th 2007 12:46PM]

Nope. Switched video != On demand. CableCARD 2.0 will support On-Demand and Pay-Per-View, we might start to see them in '08 or '09, but will likely require you to buy new hardware to support them.

[Jared @ Nov 26th 2007 12:44PM]

TWC had already switched to partial switched video in my area, this was one of the reasons I held off on getting the TiVo HD, I didn't want to loose a large percentage of the tiny fraction of HD channels I now get.

[ethana2 @ Nov 26th 2007 1:01PM]

Well there's your bandwidth problem right there. All that streaming video that people /aren't/ watching.

So quit messing with torrents already, Qwest..

[Edward Betts @ Nov 26th 2007 5:01PM]

Looks like the graphic is from Wikipedia.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Cable_Switched_video_Network_Diagram.png

I know the graphic is in the public domain, but it would be nice to include a credit.