CableCARD Bugs

Cableguy619 · Post by **Cableguy619** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 8:40 pm

Hey Rnartin!!!
Whats up bud. Just a tid bit. I had a five Plug n Play installs this week 2 where unsuceesful.

Sony 42in - detected channel line up and authorized the card but no digital or HD other than what was lear to air. It also showed a error code 161.6(what seems to be a buffer or pod error) from what I have heard and I am not sure if that relates to the card or tv. I tried 3 differ cards htere same results.

Sharp Aquo's - I could not get the card to pick up the channel map of the cable system. I could get the card and host ID, but out of luck after 5 cards. I actually took the 1st card I put in and installed it on my very next job that day into a mitsubisi 62825 and it came up with no problems at all. SO my theory of a bad bacth of cards is down the drain.

Only other problem I encountered was with a Mitsubish 62725, it actually picked up all channels just was having issues with 3 hd channels that happen to reside in the same frequency. I think the hardest thing to trouble shoot is when a tech comes out they don't carry a plug n play tv.

Having a box just shows the box tuner is fine.
Hope you get it resolved bud...

rmartin00 · Post by **rmartin00** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 10:39 am

Thanks for your info. Cox has swapped the card without success, same problem with the new card. Cox troubleshooter emailed me they were getting some CableCARDS with a newer software version soon. I am keeping my fingers crossed that will solve the problem. I emailed Sharp again about the problem. Sharp has not acknowledged my email. I plan to call them to request repair service if the updated CableCARD doesn't work. I purchased the TV through an online seller in NY. Returning it is a problem because of the freight and distance. It's a shame the card isn't working because the TV has an excellent picture even for 480i analog. The HD picture is exceptional in 720p or 1080i.

The OS build date for the SA card I have is Mar 29, 2004. I have seen where a OS build date of October 19, 2004 is being beta tested.

akirby · Post by **akirby** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 12:14 pm

Why is it the cable companies seem to be 5-10 years behind the satellite industry when it comes to equipment?

DVRs, access cards, digital transmission.......

donshan · Post by **donshan** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 1:47 pm

Add program channels to the list. My Charter Cable system still has NO HDTV channels at all!!. They do have higher prices. Charter can't understand wny they are losing customers- I keep getting calls on how great HBO is in SDTV digital they just started offering. Basic and Extended Basic cable channels 2-99 are still analog.

Cableguy619 · Post by **Cableguy619** » Sun Nov 21, 2004 6:55 pm

akirby wrote:Why is it the cable companies seem to be 5-10 years behind the satellite industry when it comes to equipment?

DVRs, access cards, digital transmission.......

I dont htink you understand how cable cards work, they aren't outdated. I have yet to see Sat company come up in this area. I dont even think they have touched this new resource..

A card does away with the tuner box intirely..

raff · Post by **raff** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 8:53 am

Cableguy619 wrote: I dont htink you understand how cable cards work, they aren't outdated. I have yet to see Sat company come up in this area. I dont even think they have touched this new resource..

A card does away with the tuner box intirely..

Not quite true... and we do understand how they work.

You do away with the tuner box(much to the cable company's dismay) because the TV makers put it inside for us. All the cable card does is map channels and allow the tuner to open up programming.

To Akirby's point, that's nothing more than Sat access cards have done for years.

akirby · Post by **akirby** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 11:38 am

Exactly. Satellite receivers have had access cards since day 1 (at least 10 years ago), and they worked perfectly right out of the box. The principle is exactly the same as cable cards. So it's not that the technology is outdated - it's the fact that they're just now deploying a technology that's been available for 10 years. And when they do deploy it, they can't get it to work right.

Cableguy619 · Post by **Cableguy619** » Mon Nov 22, 2004 11:31 pm

I guess my point I was trying to get across is that you still need a reciever with Sat. Lets make a sat card work perfect with a tv that is sat ready.

This is what I was trying to point out. A card(with Sat) is designed to work with a box that can be tested on from box to box. How can you honesty test a tv with ease with only having one because of price. I am sure if Sats had its own PnP card there would be issues, because in the tv makers world they don't seem to have a standard form to follow. Each company is deploying their own software and what not for these tv's.

akirby · Post by **akirby** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 12:05 am

I agree it's harder with the cards built into the TV. So why do it that way? Personally I would prefer to keep them separate so I can upgrade them separately, and I don't hear current satellite receiver owners requesting TVs with built in receivers. So why didn't the cable companies just incorporate the cable cards into stand alone receivers like satellite? I guess they're trying to get rid of receivers so they don't have to stock, distribute and service them. But with cable cards they could allow regular mfrs like Sony or Philips or Samsung to make and sell the receivers

I'm just frustrated at how lacking digital cable has been in the technology department.

Cableguy619 · Post by **Cableguy619** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 9:53 am

I have to strongly agree