If you’ve got an HD TiVo and you want to get all of the channels from your cable company, you’ll likely want a Switched Digital Video (SDV) Tuning Adapter. These items are just rolling out in from cable companies around the country.
Briefly, the idea is that this enables the TiVo to tell the cable company which video stream to send down to your unit. So more options are available, since not every stream has to be sent at once. The unit plugs into your TiVo’s USB port and then you plug the cable line into it, and the output from it goes to the TiVo. See more info on our earlier blog post about SDV and TiVos.
Now Time Warner seems to have a way to pre-order the unit for any eligible customer. See this page where you can enter you zip code and confirm eligibility, then sign up!
As far as we know, the adapters will be free for eligible customers.
15 replies on “SDV Tuning Adapters for Time Warner – Pre-order”
I might have jumped on this too quick. Our local affliliate and their web page have nothing about it yet.. on the phone with them now but they don’t have a clue what I’m talking about.
Did you try putting your info in their system? Does entering your zip code result in a page for the pre-order?
Time Warner needs to get their heads out of you know where. They said it’s not available in our area:
At this time these devices are not available. While there is testing of similar devices in some areas of Time Warner Cable, we do not have a time table for this to be released. We will be happy to let all of our customers know once this is ready for our customers.
@Michael Nope, goes to the home page of our TW site, with no mention of SDV anywhere.
Sorry to hear that. Do you mind posting your zip code? Mine (90048 in Los Angeles) works, as do many in Texas, so far.
27703 does not work so far and no one knows anything about SDV at TWC-NC.
[…] all excited to see the WeaKness Blog post a new posting today regarding SDV tuning adapters – SDV Tuning Adapters for Time Warner – Pre-order. That post directed you to Time Warner’s SDV Page. Putting in my Zip code, nothing happened. […]
My zip (13413) results in the TWC homepage. No information about SDV 🙁
Well… My home zip didn’t work… so I tried one of the ones that did, and it accepted my home information.
Looks like Time Warner in Austin TX is participating!!! Ordered mine today!
From Albany NY: I got this email reply after registering for the free adapter on the TWC web site:
“October 27, 2008
Thank you for your request for the SDV Tuning Adapter. Your Pre-Order has been received. At this time the Tuning Adapter is not available to the public but is currently undergoing testing to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction upon release; which we will begin deployments later this year. We do not have a specific release date for your area, but once the Tuning Adapter becomes available a service representative will contact you to schedule the installation.
Thank you,
D. Jacobs
Corporate Tuning Adapter Desk
Time Warner Cable”
I went through this with Time Warner this weekend. I was able to find the pre-order page and submitted my information. However, after multiple calls to TW I realized that I knew more about this issue than their customer service reps did.
This became a particular issue for me after TW converted the public television HD broadcasts to SDV this past week (Metro-Milwaukee).
After politely pointing out to them that I was no longer receiving the goods as contracted with them per changes on their end that they were rolling out with no fix for cable card users that I was renting from them, they lowered my monthly bill $20.
So — for now at least — I will wait.
Anyone heard anything further about when these SDV units are going to be available?
Does anyone know how to register an official complaint with the FCC about this issue? I found a page on the FCC site for filing a complaint but I couldn’t really tell for sure if it was the right form. I faxed it to the number they had posted but I never received any kind of acknowledgement from them. This situation is getting ridiculous. The FCC knows it’s a problem because they’ve already fined a couple of the cable companies but it was for some paltry sum. Help, to anyone out there who knows anything about government oversight or regulatory bodies regarding the cable industry. And why isn’t TiVo doing more? They should have some lobbyist connections. Maybe I’m being stupid but isn’t SDV without a fix for TiVo essentially going to put TiVo out of business? Am I missing something?
[…] previously posted about switched digital video adapters coming to Time Warner systems, and it looks like Cox may […]