[merc]

One of the things that I'd find annoying about the Moto DCT 5100 cable HDTV tuner, is its' inability to delete or hide those many channels with shopping and non-English dialogue. Surfing is made much harder when you have to scan through 10 channels in a row of Spanish and shopping.


Do ANY of the new HDTV cable PVRs allow you to delete channels like the OTA HDTV tuners do? I'm not sure if our TWC is going to be using the 6208 or the SA8000HD units yet, but right now, they are using the Moto DCT5100 cable HD tuner.

 

[Jamie E]

I'd like to second this question, but expand it to include the Dish PVR921 and HDTivo. I currently use a ReplayTV to record from Dish, and I delete all my non-subscribed, shopping, and PPV channels from the guide to improve the browsing experience and prevent attempted recordings from invalid channels. Do Satellite PVRs allow channel deletion?

 

[shannonv]

In the cable space, it depends on the MSOs desires and the ability of the software that runs on the boxes. For example, our software supports this feature but an MSO may choose to not enable it.


I guess what I'm saying is that in the cable space, you shouldn't confuse the box model with the software that it is running. For motorola, you're usually running Pioneer or TV Guide. For SA, you're usually runing SARA or Pioneer.

 

[merc]

Shan,


It really doesn't matter to us consumers why or who is to blame for missing features, or even connections.


If the Moto doesn't have channel delete, it doesn't have it. If the Moto doesn't have active firewire, it doesn't have it.


It is about time that the manufacturers stop passing the buck and take some responsibility for what their gear doesn't offer which we consumers want... If they put hardwired firewire on ALL their boxes, then the boxes would have firewire. As for an add/delete channel function on their boxes... that is simply ridiculous. Even my 4 year old Replay units have this rudimentary feature...? There is NO excuse for a brand new HDTV box to NOT to have it... IMO.

 

[collven]

I think it mainly depends on what software your cable company is using. I'm on Cox, and my 6200 most definitely has a channel add/erase function. Then again, we use a different guide than TWC does, and also have different menu options. I know, I'm basically just repeating what shannonv said, but it is your cable company's fault, not Motorola.

 

[tater2792]

Quote:

Originally posted by merc Shan, It really doesn't matter to us consumers why or who is to blame for missing features, or even connections. If the Moto doesn't have channel delete, it doesn't have it. If the Moto doesn't have active firewire, it doesn't have it. It is about time that the manufacturers stop passing the buck and take some responsibility for what their gear doesn't offer which we consumers want... If they put hardwired firewire on ALL their boxes, then the boxes would have firewire. As for an add/delete channel function on their boxes... that is simply ridiculous. Even my 4 year old Replay units have this rudimentary feature...? There is NO excuse for a brand new HDTV box to NOT to have it... IMO.

It's not the fault of the manufacturers. The manufacturers have to put out a product that their customers will buy. In the case of Digital Cable boxes their customer isn't you the consumer, their customers are the Cable Cos buying the equipment. If the manufacturers include features that the Cable Cos have no way to exclude should they choose to not offer that feature then the Cable Cos will seek the product they desire elsewhere. An example is the Motorola Digi box that Comcast provided me with. Motorola included Firewire and DVI in the box, however Comcast is choosing to not implement these features at this time, so am I to blame Motorola for providing a product that their customer wanted or is Comcast to blame for not implementing all the features designed into the product. I believe any resonable person would lay the blame on Comcasts doorstep. A simple feature such as add/delete channels is not likely to be a hardware limitation. If the Cable Co requested an add/delete channel feature to be added I'm quite certain that the manufacturers engineers could write a firmware that included the code for that feature. That said there are many reasons why a business such as a cable company would choose to prevent one from deleting channels that you don't intend to watch. In the case of premium, ppv, and tiers that you choose not to purchase the intent of leaving those channels there are the consideration that while flipping through the guide you may see something you want to see on a channel that you don't currently subscribe to. If you are able to delete the channel from the guide the likelyhood that you would sub to that channel based on upcoming programming is dramatically decreased, however with the channel staring at you the likelyhood is increased for you to sub that channel. Simply put they don't want you to delete the channel because by deleting the channel it's out of sight, out of mind, whereas with it in constant view the channel is in sight, in mind, more likely to be subbed. The other likely channels for deletion are home shopping channels. The service provider nor the consumer pay for the channels in fact the shopping networks pay the service provider to carry their network. If you delete the shopping channels the odds that you won't ever purchase from these channels are dramatically increased as you will never see the products offered. This in turn lowers the possible purchases to be made, which lowers the amount the content provider is willing to pay for their channel to be carried. So my point is whether one likes it or not, it is a good business decision for the service provider to keep these channels in front of you especially with the shopping channels as they do in fact bear some of the cost to provide you with service. I'm not a supporter of this type of marketing, however if I were calling the shots I would likely make the same decision as would anyone in that position wanting to be successful at their position.

 

[Randi]

I haven't been able to locate a channel delete on my Comcast box (Moto 5100). I presume that they want me to see the channels I don't subscribe to, so that I'll see what I'm "missing" and want to subscribe to more.

 

[merc]

Quote:

I haven't been able to locate a channel delete on my Comcast box (Moto 5100). I presume that they want me to see the channels I don't subscribe to, so that I'll see what I'm "missing" and want to subscribe to more.

Good Point Randi! I think that is also the reason why some folks have that "testing" box.... to see if they may someday want to subscribe to those pay for view channels......


I guess that extra channel thing works both ways,,,,?

 

[tater2792]

Even though your statement is likely correct. The provider not letting one delete the channels is hardly an excuse to justify "testing." One is a debatable business decision, the other is criminal so I hardly feel they fall into even a similar category.