Switched Digital; Time Warner Stinks

So the cable guys came to my house for the third time this week. I had also called in to tech support about five times. They could not get the cable card to work with the Tivo HD to get all the channels. We started with two S-cards that do single stream decoding, then I got a M-card that handles multiple streams. Some channels worked (ESPN, Discovery) but some did not (ESPN 2, MTV HD). We could not figure out what was the issue. I knew some people had trouble with Tivo and cable cards and I knew they were only one way (no on-demand) but I assumed everything would work for us.

Finally someone at tech support was smart enough to realize that Time Warner is using switched digital. This is a 2-way scheme that sends a request for a specific channel that is then routed. This way they save bandwidth, since these channels are rarely used, so some channels can be used for multiple signals.

This means we get the following:

• ABC
• NBC
• CBS
• Fox
• Public TV
• TNT HD
• Discovery HD
• ESPN HD

For $7 a month we get the enhanced HD tier:

• HD Net
• HD Net Movites
• Mojo
• Universal

But Universal is on switched digital. This is also where Battlestar Gallactica in HD airs...

I told the cable guy I was goint to sue Time Warner. Maybe I should.

The tech support lady was somewhat helpful, she gave me three months free on the HD tier, so that is $21. Since I only get 3/4 channels, that seems like a decent break (almost).

The real problem is the plethora of HD channels I am missing due to use of switched digital. Home and cooking channels for my wife. Music and videos.

Although they advertise channels available in HD "free with basic cable subscription" at http://www.timewarnercable.com/SouthCarolina/products/HDTVAvailableChannels.html

I cannot get many of them due to the switched digital issue.

• HGTV
• History HD
• ESPN2
• TBS HD
• Food HD
• M HD
• A&E HD
• Golf HD
• National Geographic HD
• CNN HD

So this is false advertising and I really think I should sue...

They have a solution. A USB dongle that allows for 2-way communication. Due out in the second quarter of 2008. Time Warner is a monopoly and they are abusing their monopoly power and should be sued for not getting FCC mandated cable cards to work.