HDTV Forum

Cableguy619 wrote: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.

A couple of years ago there were TVs with built in DirecTV receivers that worked fine with a sat card. I have some friends that bought a HDTV with DirecTV built in ( Hitachi if memory serves). However I think they were discontinued, for the reasons given above- there is more flexibility with an external box that can be changed out. Since no component inputs were provided on the back of my friend's set , upgrades are blocked. No DirectV HD Tivo is possible if they wanted to add a DVR or any other new technology that comes out.

Update on Scientific Atlanta Cable CARD, Cox Cable and Sharp 37GD6U TV. Cox downloaded the Oct. 19, 2004 build software to the SA Cable CARD successfully. The TV notified me I was receiving a firmware update. It cautioned about disconnecting power or unplugging the card while the firmware was being downloaded.

The reception is fine for all the unencrypted HD channels carried on the cable. I receive INHD2 which Cox says is encrypted but I am still unable to receive ESPNHD. The new software did nothing to correct my problem.

Those of you following the CableCard technology may be interested in this news story. I thought CableCards were a final approved solution. Then I read:

"CEA FCC filing says cable industry must keep promise of digital cable ready and CableCARD."


"CEA filed its comments yesterday in response to submissions from the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and its members, urging the FCC to lift its requirement that cable operators and competitive products rely on a common interface for purposes of conditional access."


http://news.designtechnica.com/article6016.html

Update on Scientific Atlanta Cable CARD, Cox Cable and Sharp 37GD6U TV. Cox downloaded the Oct. 19, 2004 build software to the SA Cable CARD successfully. The TV notified me I was receiving a firmware update. It cautioned about disconnecting power or unplugging the card while the firmware was being downloaded.

I am still unable to receive ESPNHD. The new software did nothing to correct my problem. I emailed a digital image of the various CableCARD menus to Cox troubleshooter. He has Scientific Atlanta and Sharp working with him to solve the problem and wanted to pass on the menu information to them.

Update on Sharp LC-37GD6U, Scientific America CableCARD, and Cox Cable. Cox trouble shooter was able to send the Oct 19, 2004 firmware update to the CableCARD via the cable. It took about 15 minutes to download.

The firmware added a "SA CableCARD CP Screen" to the cableCARD menu. I still do not receive ESPNHD. I do receive INHD2 which is an encrypted channel just like ESPNHD and I get all the local HD channels which are carried in the clear. Cox's trouble shooter says Sharp, SA, and Cox are working together to solve the problem. This means there maybe another firmware update coming soon.

I will say this if the Cable companies and the TV manufactures don't get this to work, there will be some class action law suites. Every person who spent $300 to $600 more per TV set to get a digital cable ready TV should get that money back if it doesn't work. We'll let the Cable Company executives, Scientific America, Motorola and the TV Manufactures point fingers at each other in front of a judge. Manufactures should never have released the sets to the public without testing.

Update on Sharp LC-37GD6U, Scientific America CableCARD, and Cox cable. Cox chief troubleshooter brought two Software engineers from Sharp to my home today.

The engineers brought another Sharp HDTV and CableCARD with them. They removed the cable from my TV and plugged it into the TV they had with them. Their TV received all the channels including ESPNHD. The Sharp engineers replaced the CableCARD in my TV with the CableCARD from their TV reconnected the cable to my TV and it received all the channels.

The CableCARD which was taken out of my TV was put into the TV set the Sharp Engineers brought with them. The TV would not receive ESPNHD and several other channels, exactly the problem I had with the card.

They left the CableCARD they had brought in my TV. Everything works fine now. I receive all the channels and with the exception of one channel on the upper bandwidth having a problem with pixilization, the picture is good.

I have to give Cox and Sharp credit. They kept at my problem until it was solved.

The problem with the CableCARD is definitely the CableCARD firmware from Scientific America and Motorola. Scientific America and Motorola do not have their heart into replacing a STB which they sell for 300 to 400 dollars with a 50 dollar card. It isn't in their best interest. Scientific America and Motorola are not committed to CableCARD.

The difference between commitment and participant, in a breakfast of ham and eggs the hen participated but the pig was committed.

Glad to see you got that CableCard working. I posted above Nov1 that is is ESSENTIAL for the cable industry to make this work. Millions of people have bought "cable ready" analog TVs for decades, brought them home and they worked- no tech knowledge required. This CableCard system is supposed to convince these people "It is safe to go in to the digital water without hassles". Only then will they give up buying another analog TV and go digital. And I am sure the guys who fixed it understand their future business depends on it ( I hope!). Otherwise satellite will eat cable's lunch.

I understand exactly how they work - they work just like Satellite access cards. The only difference is they're built into the TV and not the receiver box. That's the only difference. Satellite access cards could be built into the TVs if the TV mfrs wanted to do that. RCA did that for awhile but it wasn't successful.

It's still the same technology that the satellite companies have been using for almost 10 years.

It is still the same technology, but the specific encryption system is totally different. The CableCard and cable boxes too now use a licensed system developed by CableLabs called DFAST. (see link below for a 2000 article on implications). This system got FCC approval and is now in use. The DFAST standard is used by all cable box and TV manufacturers to make their products. This opens the door for the specifics of brand A not matching Brand B, especially with the installed software version, and keeping all boxes and CableCards up to date (See HBO update below). In the case of DirecTV (and Dish) they control both their cards and the receiver boxes so it is easier to test all combinations, and they can auto-download software updates system wide.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/12/22 ... to_scheme/
AND
http://www.translation-please.com/2003/ ... phila.html

"Boil it all down, and it means this: TVs complying to DFAST will arrive in cable systems. They will be capable of down-resolution on analog outputs. They'll be built using inevitably different interpretations of the involved technical specifications. Most of them will not be tested at CableLabs, after the first one. "


HBO has announced that in June,2005 they will implement flags on copy protection affecting recording of HBO on both digital and analog outputs and they advised all HBO affiliates to be sure the latest software was installed in their boxes:

http://www.corante.com/copyfight/archives/026610.html

They are taking over control of your TV. Sales of DVDs with popular TV series is a growing business, and I think they are moving to restrict a "do it yourself" DVD collection beyond one time shift copy.

In order to receive all the cable channels you subscribe to, the Cable Company "Head End" people must run a "script" for your specific cablecard. Another problem I am experiencing is denial of new HD channels by my local Time Warner cable company. These recently added channels include CNN, HGTV, FOOD, HIST, National Geographic, and The Weather Channel. I receive these channels for free on my Scientific Atlanta 8300HD. I do not receive these channels on my Scientific Atlanta cablecard equipped Sony KDLV-26XBR1 set! When I called the Technical services supervisor to have the head end run a script for the new channels, he informed me of a memo he received stating that "as of this date, all new high definition channels will not be available for cablecard subscribers". The only way to receive the new channels is to rent a cable box! I contacted the Attorney General's office complaining about denial of service. According to the FCC, all cable companies must allow service to all sets capable of receiving digital channels, including cablecard equipped sets. Can you or someone offer help or feedback?