Switched Digital Video Questions

[kevinturcotte]

How exactly does SDV work, in comparison to DVRs? No, no intention of dropping Directv, just always curious on how stuff works.

[Drew2k]

Here's a good primer on SDV from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switched_Digital_Video

If it's a cable-company supplied DVR, it will work just fine with SDV. If it's a standalone DVR (TiVo) you're best bet is to head over to http://www.TiVoCommunity.com for information. Cable companies were supposed to be developing a "dongle" to permit standalone DVRs to work with SDV, but absent that dongle, the standalone DVR can only access channels that are not using SDV.

[kevinturcotte]

Does it work pretty much like a regular DVR does though? Or is it more like a giant VOD? Like right now, I have the entire season of Chuck sitting on my HR20 waiting for me to watch it. Would I be able to do that with SDV?

[bicker1]

If it's a standalone DVR (TiVo) you're best bet is to head over to http://www.TiVoCommunity.com for information. Cable companies were supposed to be developing a "dongle" to permit standalone DVRs to work with SDV, but absent that dongle, the standalone DVR can only access channels that are not using SDV.The "tuning adapter" has indeed been developed, and is generally deployed where SDV is deployed, and that does help TiVos navigate to SDV programming. I haven't heard anything indicating that the competing Moxi HD DVR supports the tuning adapter yet, but don't quote me on that.

[bicker1]

Does it work pretty much like a regular DVR does though? Or is it more like a giant VOD? Like right now, I have the entire season of Chuck sitting on my HR20 waiting for me to watch it. Would I be able to do that with SDV?With the "tuning adapter" in place, SDV is pretty-much transparent to the TiVo.

[kevinturcotte]

With the "tuning adapter" in place, SDV is pretty-much transparent to the TiVo.

Without Tivo, as far as how the cable company wants it to work. Could I save up an entire season of a show and have a marathon? Or are shows only available for a limited time, and then you're out of luck?

[bicker1]

You mean with a cable company-provided DVR? SDV is transparent to users of those DVRs, just like it is transparent to users of the TiVo HD with the tuning adapter. It will have no effect on any kind of timeframe issue along the lines you're asking about.

[BobaBird]

I believe the thread topic is actually intended to be the cable company head-end DVR server, from the tangential discussion in the TiVo vs EchoStar thread, that was recently upheld by the courts.

[Drew2k]

I believe the thread topic is actually intended to be the cable company head-end DVR server, from the tangential discussion in the TiVo vs EchoStar thread, that was recently upheld by the courts.Well that takes the thread in a whole different direction. There was another thread here recently about that Cablevision remote DVR solution and the court case, but I can't find it right now.

There's also this thread about SDV: SDV (Switched Digital Video) Found Anti-Competitive By FCC (http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=142822)

[bicker1]

Well that takes the thread in a whole different direction. And probably calls for a change to the thread title, eh? :)