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NewTeeVee asked a question today. “Does TiVo have A Chance?” I responded with a comment on their blog, and here is more pertinent information.

Please forgive my incessant run on sentences. In continuing with my series about Cox, my cable company. Today I received in the mail a letter pertaining to my use of the CableCARD technology on the Cox Digital Cable Network.

Here is an image of the extortion letter from Cox, trying to get me to get rid of the CableCARD technology they developed, in order to access to their networks for use in Consumer Electronics Goods like the, commercial skipping TiVo and Televisions with built in DVR functionality, that are far superior even with their basic functionality, to the crap technology cable companies call Set Top Boxes and Advanced Digital Receivers.

Their attempt to offer me a “great deal” or helping me out is quite lame and I hope it does not sway TiVo users into submission.

As I am not a viewer of much of the ethic programming being moved to the Switched Digital Video service it does not bother me, but I am sure it bothers those who do watch this valuable programming which is in their own language.

I do take issue with the fact that they are again making channels I already am able to watch, like G4TechTV, with my current technology unavailable to me. Their continuing efforts to extort money out of me in the form of forced renting their inferior technology, which is never for sale, and isn’t inexpensive to the consumer like the $1.99/month CableCARD, makes me sick.

So if I want the even some of the same functionality as my TiVo HD, I need to shell out $12.99 or more a month, for their piece of shit DVR receiver, not counting the supposed discount they are trying to offer as compensation for the lost access to channels and services I know I’m already not able to receive thanks to the hours of time spent on the phone with the Customer Service people and constant beating in of messages repeated to you while waiting on hold.

Need I even mention the countless ads you are subjected to for their triple play services, of telephone, cable tv, and high speed internet, that they place on every non over the air broadcast channel. If they allowed you to easily and quickly skip their “subliminal” advertising then you would win. At what point does seeing something so often just become embedded in your mind like a catchy song. Is this right? I don’t think so.

Below is the letter reproduced textually in it’s entirety for search engine goodness.

Dear Rob Friedman:

Effective April 8th, 2008, Cox will implement a new technology(Switched Digital Video) that will allow us to maximize our network capacity. As with other services we offer, such as On Demand, and the Cox Interactive Program Guide, this new technology requires a device capable of two-way communication. Currently two-way communication is only availible with a digital set top receiver. Switched Digital Video is not compatible with one-way digital cable ready devices that require a CableCARD.

Due to the limitations of the one-way DCR device that you own, a Cox digital set top receiver will be required in order to view the following channels after April 8, 2008.

• Pay-Per-View Channels - including movie, events, sports packages, and preview channels.
• Paquete Latino Tier
• Foreign Language Channels: TV-5, ART, RAI, ZEE TV, The Filipino Channel, TV Japan, TV Asia and CTI Zhong Tian.
• The following digital cable channels: CCTV-9, California Channel, CMT Pure Country, C-SPAN2, C-SPAN3, Fine Living, Fit TV, Fox Reality, Fuel, FUSE, Game Show Network, G4TechTV, HRTV, Jewelry TV, Leased Access (Ch. 109), ShopNBC, TVG and WeatherScan Local.

Additionally, new channels added to the Cox Digital Cable and HD channel lineup may not be availible to customers with a one-way DCR device. Cox can offer you continued access to these networks with a digital or advanced receiver. These receivers enable access to the above channels, and any new channels, the Cox Interactive Program Guide and OnDEMAND on Channel 1.

If you are interested in a digital or HD receiver from Cox, we will offer you one for the same price as a CableCARD for the first year ($1.99 a month). Please call us at 1-888-202-2314 if you would like to take advantage of this offer or make any changes to your account.

Sincerely,

Colleen Langer

Vice President, Marketing and Sales

I made an investment in my television watching habits and chose to save money when I purchased a TiVo HD and 3 year subscription just a few months ago. Now I do have a bit of a hard time trying to comprehend how the needed subscription to television guide information, which is public information available via the internet, news papers, and television itself, has to cost so much, hell it’s free to DirecTiVo users. For all the reasons imaginable it is important to develop and support free, as in beer, solutions for everyone in an age where information can be conveyed in the blink of an eye. The mere ability to reproduce something without any loss of quality tells me that it’s time to change the way a lot of companies do business.

Could you imagine if Hollywood would actually allow a company to develop software and DVR hardware with automatic commercial skipping enabled by default?  It is technically possible with all the junk in the television streams.  But already it’s bad enough they forced TiVo to “hide” 30 second skip by making users enter a code via their remote first.

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I’m sure the company would make wheel barrels of cash, only to be sued by and legally stolen by the TV, movie, and other related industry conglomerates.