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Tuning Adapter support for Media Center imminent?
Despite the fact that Switched Digital Video will allow HD providers to bring us more HD goodness, it's been a bad word around here because it prevents TiVos in Vista Media Centers from access the new HD. But with the Cable Show and the first public display of the Tuning Adapter -- formerly known as the tuning resolver -- right around the corner, TiVo fans can see the light at the end of the tunnel. But at the same time, with no word from Microsoft or AMD, Vista Media Center users with ATI Digital Cable Tuners are on the edge of their seats. So we decided to hit up AMD and CableLabs for some answers, and while we didn't hear exactly what we wanted to, the response was promising. According to AMD it's "in discussions with all the relevant parties to address the issue of Switched Digital Video" and CableLabs was quick to respond by saying "the CableLabs specifications for the Tuning Adapter and the UDCP application extension do not technically prevent use with an OCUR." Of course all this really amounts to is a definite maybe, but we're optimistic we'll see this happen.
tru2way demonstrations to dominate The Cable Show
The Cable Show '08 is shaping up to be quite the event. Not only will Motorola's forthcoming MTR700 tuning resolver be on display and strutting its stuff, but the much anticipated tru2way technology will be impossible to miss. Companies such as Samsung, Sigma Designs, and Zodiac Interactive will be in New Orleans showing off tru2way tech, while advanced video demonstrations are promised to come from Digeo, Motorola, Pixel3, and Symmetricom. More specifically, Sigma Designs will be demoing an "integrated tru2way-based set-top-box that features four narrow band tuners which can display three video channels -- HD as well as SD," while Zodiac Interactive trumpets its Zidget framework, which "utilizes its plug-in architecture to support applications such as local search, weather, traffic, sports scores, and local news without disrupting the TV viewing experience." Needless to say, May can't come soon enough.
Motorola's MTR700 tuning resolver edges closer to release
Earlier this year, we got word that switched digital support for CableCARD was still on track for Q2, and now we're feeling a tad more confident in said assertion thanks to a recent update from Motorola. According to the company's Mari Silbey, its own tuning resolver -- which is meant to allow any third-party CableCARD device to access channels delivered via SDV -- will officially be christened MTR700. Additionally, we're told that it'll likely look just like the DCT700 set-top-box (pictured), and that the unit has just passed through a CableLabs interop "with flying colors." Next, we're expecting the device to be submitted for CableLabs' Cert Wave 60, and best of all, Moto assures us that the STB will be on display (and "functional" enough for demos) at next month's Cable Show in New Orleans. Huzzah![Via Light Reading]
Most CableCARD enabled HDTVs won't ever support SDV
Switched Digital Video quickly became a bad word around here -- don't get us wrong, we want more HD as much as the next person, but not if it means we'll have to use our cable company's lackluster STB. Luckily TiVo owners will be getting a solution to their SDV woes soon, but our friend Gary Merson surveyed several HDTV manufacturersand none left him with the impression that there was any chance that the current crop of CableCARD enabled HDTVs would work with the new "tuning resolver." This most certainly blows a big one for those customers out there that are actually using this feature, and that will start to watch their HD channels fade away -- assuming they haven't already -- but many manufacturers abandoned the technology over a year ago. The dream of a set-top-boxless solution isn't lost though, as Samsung, LG and Panasonic all expect to have tru2way TVs available this year, and with any luck these won't be obsolete after only a few years.
Bright House CableCARD customers win battle, get their HD channels back
Chalk one up for the little guys. After Bright House Cable ganked a number of HD channels from CableCARD users early last month in "preparation" for the SDV transformation, a chorus of complaints flooded in. Now, it seems as if the carrier has caved, and the channels that were removed (along with the networks added to non-CableCARD lineups) will be redelivered sometime this week. Granted, the jubilation will come to a screeching halt in August / September once SDV is actually implemented, but hopefully a workaround will be available by then to enable switched digital support for CableCARD. Be sure to chime in below once you see the stations come back online, and yeah, we're raising our glasses over here in celebration, too.[Thanks, TiVo Community]
Cablevision / Optimum coaxing CableCARD users back to HD STB
It seems The Man is still trying to hold CableCARD users down, as just a month after Bright House and Time Warner users in various locales were forced to either revert to a carrier-issued HD STB or lose out on a few HD channels, along comes Cablevision trying to do the same. This time, however, Cablevision / Optimum actually had the nerve to print up flyers and mail 'em out to CableCARD users informing them that they'll need to switch to the box they (likely) intentionally snubbed to begin with in order to catch the high-def action on the Voom HD family. Worse still, it tries to coax said users into ditching their card by offering an HD cable box gratis for a full year. Needless to say, SDV support for CableCARD can't come quickly enough. %Gallery-18706% [Thanks, Ramon]
Cablevision moving Voom HD package to switched digital only
Cablevision is making the move to switched digital video, with its 15 Voom HD channels going SDV-only in April and May. Of course this means that CableCARD users won't be able to get them any more. There were around 14,000 such devices on Cablevision as of last December, most notably Tivos, so the company is offering a free HD set-top for a year. While not the most elegant of solutions, it should at least tide people over until the tuning resolver that fixes this gets sorted out. Of course, maybe the Voom HD channels aren't important to every viewer, but others will inevitably follow and the offer is set to expire June 30. Such is life on the way to 500 HD channels, we suppose.
Mediacom venturing into switched digital video, looks to add more HD content
Good news for you Mediacom subscribers out there wondering when in the world a new batch of HD channels would come your way -- turns out, the company is reportedly gearing up to "introduce switched digital video in three markets in 2008," which will obviously open up valuable spectrum for high-def services. Unfortunately, the operator didn't note which markets would see SDV first, but it did say that it planned to "deploy digital simulcast to 50 percent of its systems by year-end." For those that just love to be reassured, the company's EVP of operations John Pascarelli was quoted as saying that the "side benefit of [the upgrades] is it will help us expedite the delivery of more HD channels to those systems [and offer] a more competitive product." More specifically, the firm "outlined a plan to offer 25 high-definition channels for free to entry-level digital customers," with that figure rising to around 40 with premiums / HD VOD added in.
TWC transitioning three HD channels in Albany to SDV, CableCARD users out of luck
Uh oh, here we go again. Earlier this month, we heard a chorus of complaints from CableCARD Bright House customers that had four of their HD channels snatched out from under them, and now it looks like Time Warner Cable subscribers in Albany, New York will soon be dealing with the same. According to a recent note sent out to CableCARD users, the carrier plans to start delivering TBS HD, A&E HD and Universal HD via switched digital video (SDV) on March 18th. Considering that we're still waiting for support for SDV on CableCARD devices, TWC is advising these users to come on in and join the dark side -- er, pick up one of its own HD set-top-boxes that can handle two-way services (which SDV is). So, here's your options: concede and pick up a box (if only temporarily) from TWC, or stick with your CableCARD setup and go without this trio. Check the full letter after the jump. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Thanks, Mark P.]
Cox upgrading fiber optic network in Hampton, Virginia
In an apparent attempt to fend off competition from Verizon, Cox Communications has just announced its intentions to upgrade the fiber optic network in and around the Hampton, Virginia area. If you'll recall, the company already upgraded its network in Newport News and began deploying switched digital video in certain locales, but this latest initiative will reportedly provide "additional capacity to expand its digital television programming" and boost internet speeds in Hampton. For subscribers that may see brief outages as the work takes place, you'll reportedly be notified two days prior -- you know, so you can mentally prepare for living sans cable for a few moments that afternoon.
Switched digital support for CableCARD still on track for second quarter
It's hard to believe the first quarter of '08 is almost half way over, but time can't pass fast enough when you're waiting on something. TiVo fans everywhere don't look like they'll have to wait too much longer for new HD channels -- that are already available to cable co' DVR users -- thanks to new testing equipment that CableLabs has received that is designed to allow 3rd party CableCARD devices to play nice with switched digital video. This new STB -- which is also known as a tunning resolver and is expected to look something the box pictured here -- will allow any 3rd party CableCARD device to access channels delivered using SDV -- assuming the device is compatible. At this point, this is all about TiVo owners, but many hope that Microsoft will get in on the action as well.
North American cable companies gearing up for battle
The media marketplace is getting crowded with offerings, and cable is looking to stay competitive with fiber and satellite. While we focus on the video programming here at Engadget HD, the landscape is much more involved than that, and all providers are looking to round out their offerings. Closest to our heart is HDTV, and here is where we've already seen the SDV rollout from cable taking off. Clearly, though, the advantage right now goes to satellite. But the addition of VOD, web presence, telephony and even wireless services makes things a lot less clear cut, so it's a mad scramble for various providers to put together the most compelling "value bundles" for customers. Take the "quad-play" video/voice/broadband/wireless bundles that telcos like Verizon and AT&T offer compared to DirecTV's emphasis of the HD video alone, for example. Most likely no one strategy will win out, but it should be interesting as the companies compete for your monthly dollars![image courtesy of Hometoys]
Charter upgrades Louisiana to 44 HD channels
If you're a Charter customer in Louisiana for whom the addition of Wealth TV wasn't enough to sate your HD appetite, don't despair. Turns out that when Charter was forced to rebuild its LA plant after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it designed around higher capacity from day one. The upshot is that the company has doubled its HD channel count in Louisiana, bringing the channel count to 44. Those of you in LA, enjoy your HD-bragging rights over the L.A. crowd. Seriously, this is good news for you customers, and a definite sign that the company is serious about the SDV rollout.
Charter bringing SDV, 40+ HD channels to northern L.A. area
In the battle for HD offerings, everyone is playing catch-up to satellite. For its part, Cable operator Charter Communications is rolling out switched digital video (SDV) across its northern Los Angeles area to stay in the fight. The company plans to deliver more than 40 HD channels in 2008, roughly double its current count. This trial of SDV is expected to be up and running in Q1 2008, with the rollout continuing in other markets over the next two years. Hopefully the trial goes well and the count quickly moves past 40, because that number certainly won't guarantee any bragging rights next to those touted by DirecTV, Verizon or even fellow cable company Cox.
Cox rolls out 1GHz across its network
Like every other cable operator, Cox Communications is looking for more bandwidth. Cox has already brought 70% of its customer base up to the 1GHz mark, and is upgrading the rest of its network up to the same bar. It's all part of the company's 2010 plan, which has some 200 SD (meh) and 100 HD (now we're talking!) channels as a goal. Good times ahead for their internet customers as well, with a boost in both the up and down directions to the tune of 25- and 4-Mbps, respectively. Add in a reduction in the number of analog channels clogging up the pipe and Cox is planning on bringing its node size from 650 to 250 homes, putting them within striking distance of the SDV "magic number."[Via Connected Home 2 Go]
Switched Digital Video's magic number
The biggest challenge content providers face today is bandwidth. Their customers are demanding more HD, but their network is tapped out. There's no silver bullet, but there are multiple small solutions that all add up. SDV or Switched Digital Video, is one of those and promises to free up to 50% of the utilized bandwidth by only sending the channels that're being watched rather than all the channels, all the time. Unfortunately there's a catch, not only is SDV currently incompatible with 3rd party CableCARD hosts, but to really see the benefits, cable has to reduce the number of subscribers per node. Current service groups are around 1000, but to really take advantage of SDV, the ratio between channels and subscribers needs to be closer to 1:1; so they'd have to deploy four times as many nodes to get there. Currently providers are just doing trials with SDV, but we can expect to see it widespread in 2008. Lets just hope they get that Tuning Resolver thingy ready by then.
TiVo's quarterly call, it's not all bad news
It's no secret that TiVo isn't a blue-chip stock, in fact the real question each quarter is usually, how much did they lose this time? This is a big reason why we have our TiVo Deathwatch, but it's not all bad for TiVo and since they make it nearly impossible for someone to buy them out, we like to focus on the positives. The Comcast deal is moving along, -- no not fast enough -- and not only are New England Comcast customers getting TiVo software on their Motorola boxes soon, but Comcast is going to foot-the-bill to port the software over to Scientific Atlanta boxes. We also enjoyed the mention of DirecTV's new software update, and get the feeling that we may see new TiVo products from DirecTV in the future. They're finally going to make it so you can start watching UnBox movies while they're downloading, but since there is still no mention of HD -- or even widescreen -- content, it's still useless. TiVo has finally got an HD TiVo for the masses, and looking forward, the future is looking brighter for SDV support, as well as old favorites like Multi-room Viewing and TiVoToGo, so with any luck, TiVo might get in the black next time around.
Two-way communications for TiVo on the way
There's a lot of confusion around CableCARDs and more specifically what's stoppin' companies like TiVo and Microsoft from making OpenCable host devices that can access two-way services. VOD and PPV is one thing, but not having access to programming that you've already paid for just 'cause they're being deployed with the latest distribution technology is another. Don't get us wrong, we love new technology, but we don't like it when we bought the latest HD TiVo or Vista Media Center with a CableCARD slot only to be disappointed 'cause the latest HD channel is only available via our provider issued POS STB. The latest OpenCable specification is supposed to change all this, but for companies like MS and TiVo it isn't worth the price of admission. Now it looks like there will be another option, in the way of a so-called Tuning Resolver. This device will physically resemble a USB tuner, and will plug into your TiVo and your cable co's coax feed, and with a little help from a software update on your TiVo, it'll allow you to watch those switched digital channels that you'd otherwise be denied access to. At this point it's nothing more than a proposal from the NCTA to the FCC, but with any luck it'll materialize and before we know it the Chicken Littles will have to find something else to run around and complain about.
Cox deploys SDV solution in Virginia, hopes to expand HD offerings
Those following the inner workings of Cox Communications ought not be too terribly surprised here, but the company has reportedly selected BigBand Networks to provide a switched digital video solution. Better still, the cable operator also announced that it has "begun to deploy the solution in its Northern Virginia market." James Kelso, vice president of video engineering for Cox, was quoted as saying that "BigBand's SDV solution gives us the ability to dramatically expand programming -- particularly high-definition channels -- at a low cost-per-subscriber." Regrettably, there's no mention of what other locales can look forward to SDV next, and while Cox doesn't exactly say what new HD channels we can expect to see utilizing this newfound bandwidth, we'll be waiting in tense anticipation.[Via MultiChannel]
Surprise: cable companies edging closer to bandwidth exigency
We know, it was a year ago yesterday that we had this very same conversation, but apparently, cable companies aren't heeding the advice of analysts. According to yet another study, this time by ABI Research, "cable providers will soon be faced with a serious bandwidth crunch" as more and more individuals look to online gaming, video-on-demand, and IPTV for enjoying their precious moments of leisure. Compounding the problem is the growing demand for more HD channels in the lineup, and considering that the satellite operators are already raising the bar, cable carriers can only play dumb for so much longer. Stan Schatt, VP and research director for ABI Research, was quoted as saying that "digital switching is key" to releasing some of the strain on current infrastructures, and while we aren't ones to believe that the influx of online TV delivery will debilitate the internet (or cable providers), something seemingly has to give -- and soon.[Via Slashdot]