UPDATE, 11/30/09: Cox confirms the tuning adapters are now available at Cox stores in Rancho Santa Margarita, Quail Hill and Laguna Niguel.
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After what was an apparently successful test run, Cox Communications has begun rolling out a special adapter for customers who prefer to record cable TV using a TiVo rather than a Cox recorder.

Thanks to reader Roger Elliott who spotted the message on the TiVo forums, Cox notified users this week that “Tuning Adapters are now available and are being offered to Cox Orange County and Palos Verdes / San Pedro Digital Cable customers with a CableCARD in a TiVo Series 3, TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL digital video recorders at no charge.”

I’m still waiting to hear officially from Cox. I’ll post any update here.

If you’re among those affected, another reader Michael Taube encourages you to get your adapter today. In an e-mail, Taube said this after getting his adapter:

“Well, I reviewed every single blessed HD channel Cox offers, now that I have my free, trusty Motorola Tuning Resolver (MTS). The picture quality on ALL HD channels is simply amazing! It makes my previous HD reception look positively awful. Please urge your TiVo audience to run, don’t walk, to their nearest Cox store to obtain their MTS. It makes a HUGE difference!”

Without such a device, TiVo users who rely on CableCARDs are unable to get several channels.

Since cable companies have limited space in the cable pipes to a customer’s home, they are trying to find new ways to squeeze more channels in the available space. Cox is using “switched digital video” technology to free up its broadcast stream for new HD channels. But it means some channels turn to on-demand status, making it impossible for CableCARD users to tune in.

The majority of customers probably won’t notice the change to switched digital. There could be a slight delay when selecting a switched channel, but just like an on-demand movie, the channel should tune in quickly. To see the channels affected, read the earlier story, “Cox moving 100 channels to on-demand format.”

CableCARD customers, however, who buy small cards to insert into TiVo boxes, TVs, computers or other devices in order to skip a cable set-top box, won’t be able to request those channels based on the limited technology of CableCARDs.

They will need an adapter and right now, Cox is providing one from Motorola for free to affected TiVo customers.  Non-TiVo CableCARD customers are still waiting for an adapter. In the meantime, Cox is providing an HD receiver free for six months or a standard digital receiver for $1.99 a month for the first year. If you’re interested in one of these, you can call Cox at 888-246-3465.

For those who want to order the new tuning adapter, call Cox at 1-888-246-3465. The adapters can also be picked up at all of Cox’s local retail centers except the Queen Creek Quail Hill, Laguna Niguel and Rancho Santa Margarita offices (updated 11/30/09). Here’s a link to locations: Visit Cox retail stores.

Related stories:

Beginning Nov. 25, Cox Communications in Orange County will roll out a new technology that will change how viewers watch 100 channels. Most won’t notice a difference but a small number — less than 1 percent — won’t be able to see the channels at all. (Thanks to reader TiVoGirl for the tip.)

In a letter mailed to customers this week,  Cox said it is migrating to the Switched Digital Video platform, which is one way cable companies can offer customers more channels. This opens up space for Cox to offer more HD channels. I’ll get to those new channels in my next post. UPDATE: And here’s that post: “Cox adding 15 HD channels in December.”

Cox, like other cable providers, is operating at maximum channel capacity. It can only air a certain number of channels 24 hours a day. But some channels take up more room than others — one analog channel occupies the same space as about 12 to 15 digital channels. Switching those analog channels to digital is one way for cable companies to free up space. This is what Time Warner is doing (see story: Time Warner makes room for 100 HD channels, kicks out others“).

The other method is by moving to switched digital video, which converts channels to a type of on-demand-only service. Customers still use their remotes as normal, turning to the channel they want. The majority of customers won’t notice the change — only, I’m told, a slight delay when they turn to a switched channel. But customers who don’t have a set-top box and rely on CableCARDs won’t be able to access the channels. Alternatives for these users are below.

“Switched Digital will allow us to maximize our network capacity, enable increased HD channels and entertainment options in the future. For example, now we have over 400 HD programming options [hours] and we continue to launch more HD channels,” said Cox spokeswoman Lana Ong. (Corrected at 4:45 p.m. Ong says she meant to say 400 HD hours of programming is available.)

Here are the affected channels — 100 in all:

There’s good and bad news for CableCARD customers. Those who use a CableCARD with a TiVo — about half of Cox’s CableCARD customers — will soon get an adapter so they’ll be able to get all those switched channels. The device, which will be free for all Cox customers, is expected to be available before the end of the year. See my earlier story: “Cox to begin testing TiVo adapter this week — only in O.C.”

For all other CableCARD customers, you’ll need to get a set-top box.  Cox is offering these customers a free HD receiver for six months or a standard digital receiver for $1.99 for the first year. If you’re interested in one of these, you can call Cox at 888-246-3465.

More on switched digital video:

On Dec. 8,  Time Warner Cable will move eight channels to digital for those in Orange County and Los Angeles. That means customers who get cable TV service by plugging a TV into the wall or using an older analog cable box will need to upgrade to digital equipment.

The change will make room for several new HD channels, including AMC HD, The Weather Channel HD, History International HD, ESPNU HD and “many more,” according to a letter sent to subscribers this week. Next month starts the company’s kickoff to reach 100 HD channels.

The analog channels that are moving – KWHY, Shop NBC, AMC, The Weather Channel, ABC Family, Oxygen, TruTV and Style — will all still be exist on the same channel number, but only in a digital format. If you don’t have a digital set-top box, you won’t be able to access them.

For customers who don’t have a digital box, Time Warner will let you borrow one for free for one year. This offer only applies to households without a digital box. If you already lease digital boxes but have an extra TV plugged into the wall, you’ll need to pay for a digital box to get all the channels on that TV.

“With more digital carriage space available, we will be able to free up bandwidth for future uses, such as launching new channels, providing more services and offering even more HD, not to mention, this will enhance picture quality and sound on existing services,” said Darryl Ryan, Time Warner Cable’s local director of media relations.

Lots of things are going on here including:

1. Time Warner is maxed out on capacity for TV channels so it’s moving some space-hogging analog channels to digital. Time Warner says that one analog channel occupies the same space as about 12 standard digital channels or about 3 HD channels.

2. This won’t end channel duplication. The Weather Channel, for example, will continue to live on 47 and 204.

3. As mentioned, this creates room for more HD channels.

4. Time Warner hints that another technology is on the way. In the letter, the company says certain users will need a special adapter to get the channels. That’s not totally correct, Ryan said. While the company plans to move some channels to switched digital video technology, it hasn’t done so yet except during a test in the San Fernando Valley. The technology turns a regular channel into on-demand only so it doesn’t take up space by broadcasting all the time. When a viewer turns to a switched channel, there may be a slight delay before it begins broadcasting. Customers with CABLEcards and TiVo’s or Digeo DVRs won’t be able to get the switched channels unless they have a special adapter. This hasn’t started in Orange County yet. If any readers notice they can’t get the channels, please let me know. (Read some earlier stories on switched technology HERE.)

Ultimately, the changes will affect a minority of customers, according to Time Warner. Most won’t notice any change. Time Warner says that about 80 percent of its Southern California customers have digital equipment.

Recent stories about Time Warner Cable:

Cox Cable will begin testing this week a brand new Motorola device to help TiVo users access all the TV channels Cox offers.

A small handful of customers have been clamoring for such a device for months after realizing that they couldn’t get all the channels and video-on-demand options other customers do.

This only affects customers who use TiVos and CableCARDs, a small device that slides into a TiVo (or some computers and TVs) so the customer can skip the bulky set-top box. Customers with TiVos and set-top boxes are not affected.

I mentioned this Motorola test in early September (see “Cox O.C. will be first to test TiVo adapters from Motorola“). The test was scheduled to start in September but was postponed when Cox rolled out new video-on-demand software instead (see earlier story, “Cox fix for TiVo users delayed“

The issue sprang up when Cox moved some channels to a technology called switched digital video in order to make more room for more channels. In switched video, the channel doesn’t broadcast constantly but only when a customer requests it. Cox turned channels like FitTV and Jewelry TV into switched video.

Customers with CableCARDs can’t access certain programming because CableCARDs can only communicate one-way with Cox. They only receive the show and that’s why they can’t get any switched video channels or on-demand features.

If you’re one of the lucky 50 Cox customers that are part of the TiVo test, let me know and share your experience with other readers.

Related stories about switched video:

The local Cox Communication delayed plans this week to be the first company wide to roll out the first Motorola- TiVo adapters. Cox was busy unveiling new software for its video-on-demand service. Cox now hopes to offer the TiVo device in Orange County before the end of the year.

That leaves some TiVo users without access to on-demand movies and shows, plus any channel that has been turned into an on-demand channel.

Because of a change in technology, TiVo users who rely on CableCARDs are unable to request on-demand shows without this adapter. This change doesn’t affect TiVo users who have a set-top box from the cable provider.

Cable companies are moving to the new switched digital video technology in order to use the pipe to a customer’s home more efficiently. By reducing the number of nominal channels streamed 24/7, a cable company can add new high-definition channels to the stream. The other channels are still there, but only broadcast when requested by the subscriber. To watch those, a TiVo user with a CableCARD will need this new adapter.

“We’ve maxed out on bandwidth,” said Lana Ong, spokeswoman for the Rancho Santa Margarita cable provider.

Earlier stories on TiVo and switched digital technology:

• Cox O.C. will be first to test TiVo adapters from Motorola
• No TiVo love from AT&T U-verse
• More HD channels coming to cable TV, TiVo users impacted

News that Time Warner Cable picked BigBand Networks to provide switched digital video technology means one major thing for cable customers: More high definition channels are coming sooner than later.

The Redwood City-based BigBand announced its new cable customer  in a press release. BigBand will handle Time Warner’s Los Angeles operation, which includes Orange County. BigBand is also deploying switched digital video in Time Warner’s New York and Dallas systems.

Cable TV companies have limited space to stream channels 24/7 in the cable line that feeds TV directly to a customer’s house. Switched digital video allows the cable company to turn some of those channel streams into a video-on-demand channel, which frees up space to add more HD channels or other new content.

Orange County’s former president of Time Warner operations mentioned this was coming last year. But so far, the technology has not been implemented here. Time Warner has been testing this in San Fernando Valley.

So far, the only customers that will be affected by the change are those with TiVos and CableCARDs. See my past stories about what to do if you’re in this situation:

• More HD channels coming to cable TV, TiVo users impacted
• Cox O.C. will be first to test TiVo adapters from Motorola
• Time Warner Cable plans more channels in O.C. despite fines

In a press release, Time Warner says technology has allowed the company to offer over 100 HD channels to customers, plus more HD Video on demand, said Kevin Leddy, Time Warner Cable’s executive vice president of technology policy and product management.

“We have launched (switched digital video) in over 20 markets to date and know firsthand that, if we want to deploy new programming options for our customers, SDV is the fastest, most cost effective method for our existing network,” he said. ”With the bandwidth that has been reclaimed Time Warner Cable is able to offer over 100 high definition channels to our customers …”

Can anyone guess what those 100 channels are?

Here’s a look at what the HD channels currently offered in Huntington Beach:

Earlier on Time Warner and switched video:

Some local Cox subscribers got a nasty surprise when the cable provider unleashed a slew of new HD channels last month: They couldn’t view  them.

That was the case of reader Lori Belski, a Cox customer and TiVo user who wrote to me voicing frustration with Cox’s lack of customer service about her issue.

What happened is that Cox is using a different technology to offer the new HD channels. The “switched digital video” technology turns content into on-demand channels so instead of a regular broadcast stream, the stream starts only at the customer’s request. Once requested, these “switched” channels should appear as normal channels. Most Cox subscribers probably didn’t notice the difference because Cox’s equipment can handle the two-way communication needed.

TiVo boxes equipped with special Cox CableCARDs, however, cannot. CableCARDs are one-way communicators and need an adapter to make requests. Cox currently offers no adapters.

Well, there’s good news and bad news.

The bad news is that there are still no TiVo adapters available.

The good news is that Cox is working with Motorola to develop an adapter and Cox customers in Orange County will be the first in the nation to test the equipment, said Lana Ong, a Cox spokesperson.

“Our current plan is to begin beta-testing the product in September and launch to Cox customers free of charge once testing is complete,” Ong said.

The adapter will allow TiVo Series 3, TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL can tune to access all new channels and on-demand content. Other TiVo tuning adapters look like this:

Switched digital is being implemented by cable TV companies nationwide because it’s a way to squeeze more TV shows in the existing cable pipe running to customer homes. Elsewhere in Orange County, Time Warner Cable plans to add switched video technology but as of last month has not implemented the service in Orange County. It did begin testing  in part of the San Fernando Valley. The company has a special page dedicated to the topic.

Some support tips from TiVo:

• Switched Digital Video – Will it impact you?
• How to install a Tuning Adapter for switched digital video
• Tuning adapter troubleshooting

Earlier stories about Cox cable:

After writing about a new cable TV service that could render TiVos useless, a reader wondered, what about TiVo and AT&T U-verse, a highly-desired alternative to cable?

Unfortunately, AT&T’s Internet-based TV service U-verse doesn’t support TiVo either. Like the cable companies who are rolling out switched digital video, U-verse uses the same two-way communication technology (see the earlier story, “More HD channels coming to cable TV, TiVo users impacted“).

Such technology allows a TV company to make the most of limited video capacity. By converting the least popular channels into on-demand only, there is more room in the live broadcast stream for high-definition channels. This requires two-way communication since a user must request a channel or on-demand movie that isn’t streaming live.

TiVos that use a CableCARD to get video service are one-way communication devices and can’t request the on-demand movies or any channels that moved to switched digital video. Those channels will appear missing. The cable companies plan to provide adapters when the service rolls out here in Orange County.

But not AT&T.

An AT&T spokeswoman told me that U-verse customers get Total Home DVR at no extra charge so why would they want TiVo? Okay, she didn’t quite say it that way but she pointed out  U-verse’s nifty multi-room system, which includes a DVR that can be accessed by multiple TVs in other rooms (TiVo has a similar feature).

TiVo lovers can still use their TiVos with U-verse but just as dumb recorders. Set the TV channel to the show you want to record and hit record on the TiVo. 

“…They will need to make sure their receiver is tuned to the channel they want to record at the time they want to record their program. Because our service is tunerless and uses switched video, the customer will need to go through this process manually to schedule recordings,” said the AT&T spokeswoman.

I checked with TiVo and the company pointed me to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Section 629 (search for ’629′), which ensures that two-way communication is available for consumers.   

However, AT&T claims that it is not a cable operator so it’s not subject to that requirement. The FCC currently is examining this issue, according to TiVo. Apparently, it’s a touchy topic for the AT&T, which in Connecticut is viewed by one faction as a cable company, but not by another.

For those wondering, TV provider Verizon FiOS offers CableCARDs like the cable TV companies. But because CableCARDs have limitations and need an adapter to access FiOS features like on-demand video, Verizon offers a set-top box as an adapter. FiOS users who use TiVo’s shouldn’t wake up one day and find channels missing. FiOS has a lot more capacity then cable companies so it doesn’t feel the need to squeeze any channels into on-demand only.

Previous U-Verse news:

If you’re a Time Warner Cable customer and you spot this on your TV:

… you can start getting excited. This blue screen of annoyance is a sign of new features to come.

Besides the debatable improvement in the program guide, the new Mystro Navigator software, which replaces Passport software in Time Warner’s Scientific Atlanta boxes, paves the way for the “Look Back,” “Start Over” and switched digital video, all features that Time Warner mentioned to us last year.

These features will let viewers watch a TV show they didn’t record for a day or two after its initial broadcast, or restart a show if you tune in after it already began. Time Warner, essentially, is upgrading its on-demand service and creating a networked DVR, allowing for some shows to be stored at the company’s offices rather than the home DVR box itself. Though there are unwanted consequences for some users (see earlier story, “More HD channels coming to cable TV, TiVo users impacted“), this also means customers will get a massive on-demand library of current TV shows they can view at the touch of their remote.

“It’s going to create a system for bandwidth to open up for more HD channels and it’s going to prepare us for the services we’re going to be introducing, Start Over and Look Back,” said Darryl Ryan, a Time Warner Cable spokesman.

Exactly when? Ryan doesn’t know or he won’t say. He’ll only say, “It’s still in development and should be coming very very soon.” But when we first learned that the features were coming, Time Warner gave us a mid-2009 launch date (strum fingers repeatedly).

The Mystro software began rolling out to Southern California customers last year, Ryan said. Those of us getting it now should be on the tail end of receipt, though Ryan won’t confirm.

My personal experience is that when Time Warner surreptitiously updated my HD-DVR box yesterday, I was stuck staring at the blue “DO NOT POWER OFF YOUR BOX” screen for more than eight hours! Apparently, that was a local problem. Ryan said that the upgrade shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes. If customers do experience issues, it could be old wiring or some other specific reason. Those customers should call for help, at 888-TWCABLE. The update works fine for me today.

While I haven’t heard of any upgrade issues from readers, there’s a lot of debate online about the good but mostly the bad of Mystro. Google, for example, hasn’t been kind to Mystro and its top search results focus on how terrible Mystro is. There are complaints about the box freezing, not being  ready for prime time and even a video showing how lousy Mystro is.

But customers can instantly look forward to other new features: On-screen caller ID for those with phone service, a DVR storage capacity indicator (see image on right — yup, I keep my DVR that full), and ability to view recorded shows by name or date. I haven’t fully checked out all the new features, but I noticed that blogger Selfish Mom offers an overview.

Mystro has been waiting for its public debut for a very long time. The technology, touted as TV’s first server-based, time-shifting service (in essence, the first TV-recording technology that stored recorded programs on the TV provider’s servers rather than on a home DVR box), has been around since at least 2001, when Cable Hall of Fame inductee Jim Chiddix founded the company (see the article, “Fiber and a Charmed Career” from Communications Technology) while working for Time Warner. I first mentioned the feature in an article in 2007, “What’s next for TV service.”

But it’s taken sooooo long to roll out. A big delay has been in getting permission from the TV stations to rebroadcast shows. But that appears to be resolved. Start Over and Look Back features started rolling out in 2006 in areas like New York, so we can get a glimpse of channels that will let us really Start Over: 

NY1 , Nickelodeon, CNBC, USA, Syfy, VH1, Cartoon Network, truTV, Spike TV, BET, Comedy Central, Oxygen, TV Land, G4, Boomerang, SOAPnet, MTV2, Noggin, Nicktoons Network, CMT (Country Music Television), LOGO, The Movie Channel, Fox Movie Channel, Showtime HD, Starz HD, Encore HD, NY1 HD, WCBS HDTV, TNT HD, WNYW HD, TBS HD, WWOR HD, CNN HD, Palladia HD, FX HD, ABC Family HD, History HD, Fox News HD, A&E HD, Disney HD, Food Network HD, BIO HD, HGTV HD, National Geographic HD, SPEED HD, Animal Planet HD, Travel Channel HD, and Versus/Golf HD

Then there was an issue with a cable company storing TV shows at its offices instead of on a home user’s DVR. This was resolved earlier this year when Cablevision won a lawsuit filed by the TV networks allowing the cable company to offer the networked DVR service. 

Let’s hope that the Start Over and Look Back service is worth waiting for. Cox, Orange County’s other cable TV provider, is also rolling out switched digital video and currently offers several prime-time shows on demand (see the earlier “Time Warner Cable looking more like Hulu“).

Recent Time Warner Cable news:

Sooner than later, Orange County cable TV customers may notice a lot more high-definition channels.

This is not an easy task, by the way. Cable providers have struggled to offer more HD channels because their aging systems are near capacity.  Now,  thanks to new technology called switched digital video, they have figured out how to get more room: Stop broadcasting every single channel 24/7.

By turning some of the least popular channels into on-demand channels, cable companies can use that newly opened space to squeeze in more HD channels. Channels that do go switched digital are still accessible. But there may be a slight delay after turning to that channel, as the cable box sends the request back to the main station. The delay should be just a split second and unnoticeable to viewers, the cable companies say.

But one reader from Yorba Linda, who uses a CableCARD and TiVo to watch cable TV, alerted me that some switching might be going on in his neighborhood. He woke up one day to find very few channels showing up on his TV — Food TV yes, but not the HD version; no Bravo and absolutely no HBO. A  Time Warner customer service representative mentioned to him the cable provider was switching to this new technology.

I checked with both local cable companies — Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications — and both plan to implement this technology. But Time Warner has not yet. Cox, however, is testing it out in Orange County.

“While our current network infrastructure is powerful, we know our customers want more from their Cox digital services,” said Cox spokeswoman Lana Ong. ”In order to provide our customers with new services and more HD channels, we’re currently using switched digital technology — this is transparent to our customers. Switched digital allows Cox to maximize our network capacity and offer more services including a variety of digital and HD channels to our customers.”

Cox is using switched video on about 90 channels in Orange County. Affected are some pay-per-view channels, foreign language channels and some digital channels, like FitTV and Jewelry TV, Ong said.

COX UPDATE, July 9, 2009: Since the cable provider is testing the TiVo adapter, they are not yet available. But when they are, Cox will be contacting customers to let them know an adpater is availalb e for free to eligible customers.

Time Warner, which has a special page dedicated to the topic,  has not started switched video in Orange County but is testing it in part of the San Fernando Valley.

It’s all good. Unless you’re a TiVo user who watches cable via a CableCARD, a thick credit-card-like device that slides into TiVos or other computer to decrypt the cable signal. Affected TiVos are TiVo Series 3 DVR, TiVo HD DVR and the TiVo HD XL DVR.

The problem with TiVo/CableCARDs and switched video is that switched video requires two-way communication — the user requests the channel, the cable company delivers. But cable cards are one way. If a cable system goes switched video, a TiVo user will see nothing on those channels, as was the case last year in Hawaii when Time Warner began testing the service.  (Read: Time Warner Cable plans more channels in O.C. despite fines. The fines, by the way, were later lifted).

“It is just important that any customer requesting a CableCARD understand that some of our channels are being delivered using technology known as Switch Digital Video,” said Darryl Ryan, a Time Warner spokesman, said that TiVo customers could get a free set-top box.

Of course, that would defeat the purpose of having a TiVo and CableCARD.

But there’s an easy, simple fix from both companies: A free adapter, which became available last fall. Time Warner, which says it has plenty, plans to offer them to TiVo users when the technology launches (You can order an adapter HERE). Cox also has an external tuning adapter that will be free to TiVo users with CableCARDs, but Ong adds, “We are currently in testing mode.”

TiVo’s Jim Denny, vice president of product marketing, said that TiVo has been working with various cable providers nationwide to offer a tuning adapter that turns a TiVo with CableCARD into a two-way device.

“If there are reports of it being out of stock, I will escalate that to our (cable TV) corporate contact,” Denny said. “What a TiVo subscriber should also do is call our customer support and say, ‘Hey, I’m trying to get a TiVo adapter.’ … Our motivation is to get (potential and existing TiVo subscribers) through this.”

Back to the Yorba Linda reader, we figured out that switched video wasn’t the problem. Time Warner told him it was auditing CableCARDs and sent a technician to his house to take the serial number and re-input the cards. It took 90 minutes to do four cards. Everything is now working, reports the relieved yet frustrated reader.

(Images from TiVo)
This story was edited from the original version published here on July 3, 2009.

Around the web:

Company sites:

• Switched Digital Video – Will it impact you? (TiVo)
• Switched Digital Video Tuning Adapter FAQ (CableLabs)
• How to install a Tuning Adapter for switched digital video (TiVo)
• Time Warner’s guide to Switched Video (Time Warner Cable)
• Order a switched video adapter from Time Warner (Time Warner Cable)

News:

• Current State of Switched Digital Video (SDV) and CableCard compatibility (Green Button Forum for Windows Media Center users)
• TiVo and cable industry unveil Switched Digital Video workaround (CNET’s Crave)
• FCC Vacates SDV Rulings Against Time Warner Cable, Cox (Multichannel News)

More TV news:

This is the second in a 3-part series of posts. Read the first at “Time Warner still cleaning up cable merger mess in O.C.” and third part at “Time Warner’s new HD channels and why Costa Mesa, Tustin get them first.“

A meeting with the president of Orange County’s Time Warner Cable operation resulted in more than just a tour for myself and learning why Time Warner prices are all over the O.C. map. 

Fred Stefany told me about these new features that are coming soon to Orange County residents:

Faster Internet - High-speed Internet users will see an increase in speeds, from 6 megabits per second to 10 Mbps by June 2009.

PowerBoost - Similar to what Cox already offers its customers, PowerBoost takes underutilized Internet capacity and gives high-speed Internet customers an extra burst of speed when they need it like when they’re downloading files. Speeds will be up to 22 megabits per second.

More phone features – With the equipment upgrades next summer, customers will be able to get caller ID on the TV, a feature already available in other Time Warner territories. An international plan is also in the works: 1,000 minutes for $19/month to more than 100 countries.

More HD channels: Stefany says HD is a priority. Most areas should have 50 HD channels by the end of the year. Certain cities, like Costa Mesa, will have 65 and up to 85 next year. The company is aiming for 100 HD channels in every city. I’ll mention specifics on this in a separate post.

“Start Over” and “Look Back”: Coming in mid-2009, these two services that let you watch shows you missed or forgot to record. Start Over lets a viewer who starts watching a TV show after it’s already started to restart the same show. Look Back offers on-demand access to TV shows from the past 24 to 48 hours. Time Warner mentioned this service to us before but it was delayed while they got permission from the TV companies to rebroadcast the shows. Right now, 28 networks have agreed to allow Time Warner to offer this feature but viewers won’t be allowed to fast-forward the shows.

Switched Digital: Since the cable pipe can only hold a limited number of channels, Stefany plans to take the 50 least popular ones and offer them on-demand through a technology called Switched Digital. That opens up space in the pipe for more HD channels and other features. If you’re a fan of one of these unpopular channels, you shouldn’t see any difference. You’ll still go to that channel and the service will instantly contact the on-demand center for the broadcast. While Time Warner customers in other parts of the country have cried foul because this means you can’t use a TiVo with ‘switched’ channels, Stefany says that channels in O.C. will be the 50 least popular ones. Switched Digital is expected to go live after the new video-on-demand service is upgraded sometime next year.

Previously:

• Time Warner still cleaning up cable merger mess in O.C.

Next up:

• New HD channels from Time Warner and why Costa Mesa, Tustin get them first

Related stories:

• How to get cheaper cable TV in O.C., part 2
• How to get cheaper cable TV from Time Warner Cable
• Time Warner Cable plans more channels in O.C. despite fines
• UPDATED: Verizon FiOS TV heavily targeting apartments, condos in O.C. and more
• Cox wants to give back to O.C.’s women-owned businesses
• Local TV update: The cheapskate package

A federal agency wants to fine Time Warner Cable for withholding some channels to certain customers. But here in Orange County, the local cable service is moving ahead with plans to do just that.

Next year, the local Time Warner Cable wants to take its 50 least-watched channels, such as some international channels, and turn them into an on-demand service. That, in turn, opens up room to offer channels that more people want — such as HD versions of popular channels. The technology is called ‘Switched Digital.”

But in order to access those channels, subscribers would need a piece of equipment that can communicate back to the cable company and request the programs. In Hawaii, where the two Time Warner offices were cited, subscribers with a non company-issued digital video recorder or a cable card, could not access those channels because those are one-way communication devices.  The FCC said that the cable companies should have sought a waiver to the rule, according to MultiChannel News.

According to a report by Dow Jones news service, the FCC ordered $40,000 and $20,000 fines against Time Warner in Hawaii and Cox in Virginia, respectively, for “preventing some subscribers from receiving certain channels.” Plus the cable companies needed to refund customers for the lost channels and any equipment they had to buy to access them.

The FCC also noted that the number of customers affected was a very small percentage of all subscribers. But, the FCC added, “we consider the consumer harm resulting from actions here, which frustrate the commission’s broader goal of achieving a competitive navigation device market, to be significant,” according to the report.

Fred Stefany, president of O.C.’s Time Warner Cable operations, said that his company doesn’t agree with the FCC’s action.

“It was more related to properly notifying (the FCC) what we are doing,” Stefany said.  

“So we are moving full speed ahead (in Orange County) and in fact, as I mentioned we have it deployed in many systems already,” he added.

No Time Warner DVR is needed for the ‘Switch’ service. But customers will need one of the company’s digital boxes.

“A customer simply tunes to the channel they want to watch.  The box sends a signal to initiate the channel and the video starts.  You do not go to ‘On-Demand’ or anything special.  It will be totally invisible to the customer.  They will never be able to tell if it’s a ‘switched channel’ or a regular one,” he said.

Consumers who do watch those other channels would be none the wiser because when they flip to them, the broadcast works just as before — maybe with a minor delay. 

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