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Time Warner Cable Runs Out of HD DVRs
jalvear writes "According to TV NewsChannel 9 in Syracuse, NY, Time Warner Cable said that they have run out of HD digital video recorder (DVR) boxes. Apparently, there's a shortage of HD DVRs because the company that makes the boxes have been 'overwhelmed by requests for them.' Seems like almost everyone has bought an HDTV during the holidays and wants to watch the Super Bowl in HD format."
Wow cable companies doing a piss poor job of taking care of consumer needs. I'm Shocked
Fortunately it's possible to receive HD cable programming without one of their HD boxes ... Oh, wait, you can't...
Why! why for the love of HDTV?
Just go download the commercials on your fav torrent site or youtube. Don't waste your life watching the filler.
Grump
Is it true that more people vote for the winner of American Idol, than vote for the president? -Ali G.
It might be, but I think most of these type of stories are created for publicity or an advertising stunt. Will like to read others comments.
With Regards, V Raimond
A considerable amount of commentary concerning the format war between Blue Ray and HD-DVD is based on the notion that standard definition is "good enough," for most owners of HDTV's, thus neither format will achieve deep penetration in the short term. However, this run on HD-DVR shows a clear demand for HD content. Comcast offers rental for their HD-DVR for a modest price, and no contract, and customers are snapping these units up. ON DEMAND had HD movies that can be viewed at the customers leisure, much of this content is at no additional charge. It has been posited that the format war is irrelevant due to people downloading HD content over the intertubes; however, the cable companies may make this argument irrelevant with the ON DEMAND feature, and the growing HD content. People want HD content, but are not willing to get hosed in the process by greedy corporations trying to win an unnecessary format war.
Many people (including me) got an HD-DVR not because they have an HD TV set at home (I don't). The disk in those HD-DVRs are the largest ones (160 or 120GB) and they work just fine on standard definition TV sets. The disk space is the only reason why I and many others went with an HD-DVR. I was about to replace my other old Explorer 8000 with an 8300HD this weekend. I sure hope I will be able to get one.
I'm a recent Adelphia to TWC transfer. Adn I can tell you that it's not exactly HDTV demand that pushing these units.
Under Adelphia, it was roughly $5 for a standard digital box, and $10 for a HD DVR. last month, I get a rate adjustment that raised the Standard box by $3 and dropped the HD DVR by $2. That's right, the HD DVR is now the same price as the cheap SD box with no DVR. So basicially, if you already had DVR service, you might as well replace all of your SD units with the HD DVR's because you're paying the same price anyway for the SD units, and you can get the free HD channels as well. (even without an HDTV, the HD local channels are much clearer than their analog equivelant)
I'm sure I'm not the only person from the Adelphia changeover that noticed this.
In Soviet Russia, Trojan exploits YOU!
The problem here, is patents.
The enitre HD scene is chock loaded with patent upon patent dealing with nearly every aspect of the hardware, software and content of the Cable/PVR/TV suite. It is impossible for competitors to emerge when the big companies involved are bristling with frivolous lawsuit ready patent portfolios.
Without fear of patents, imagine the possibilities. There's probably two dozen people reading this story who could string together a company selling linux based PVRs. I've half toyed with the idea of setting up some kind of company making pimped out terabyte TiVo/PVR home servers streaming content wirelessly to Joe SixPack's TV. I'd sell it to him like a microwave oven, and I'd make it usable. Off the shelf parts, screw it together yourself. You could make 30 a month in your garage.
But its a fantasy, and not only because I'm no real entrepreneur. For a start, thanks to the cable monopoly, I could never really get the PVR to "Just Work" with the cable signal. And that's before TiVo et al come pounding on my door with cease and desist orders.
Imagine how real entrepreneurs must feel. There's honest to goodness market out there, waiting with its cash for a good product. People want it, you can make it, but you just can't sell it.
But hey! Thats what patents are all about right? Stopping those greedy garage geeks dishonestly profiting from the tireless innovations of companies like Time Warner. Without patents, Time Warners CEOs would starve!
May the Maths Be with you!