# Brighthouse Indianapolis SDV roll-out - Sorry NO Tuning adapter for you -WTF!!!!



## hannaman (Dec 27, 2008)

Well, just got a "Dear Valued Customer" letter the other day from my friends at brighthouse networks in Indianapolis regarding the exciting SDV technology roll-out. 

Bottom line according to the letter; "..on or after October 12, 2009 Bright House will deliver the several new HD channels on teh SDV system and this programming will no longer be available on unidirectional retail devices (TivoHD Series 3) until further notice."

Soi of course I called and most of them are totally clueless and didn't even knwo what SDV is let aone how to help me. Getting very steamed at these clowns not only are they significantly lacking in HD content companred to their competition their rates are insane!

Not sure what to do at this point - is it possible I now have a $500 paperweight? Can i switch back to DirectTV with the TivoHD?

Please help????


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

Aren't they legally required to provide a TA, at least eventually?

I thought naptown was ComCast country. What side of town?


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## hannaman (Dec 27, 2008)

I'm in Carmel - Bright House has a lock on us in Carmel no Comcast for you!


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

I don't believe that there is any requirement to provide access to non-linear channels. Ostensibly, even though we personal would disagree vehemently with the idea, SDV channels are treated legally just like On Demand options.

My suspicion is that TWC went down the TA route, to preclude the FCC from mandating it, or imposing some other requirements that TWC would find less palatable. Bright House may be small enough that the FCC wouldn't take such actions.


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

bicker said:


> I don't believe that there is any requirement to provide access to non-linear channels. Ostensibly, even though we personal would disagree vehemently with the idea, SDV channels are treated legally just like On Demand options.
> 
> My suspicion is that TWC went down the TA route, to preclude the FCC from mandating it, or imposing some other requirements that TWC would find less palatable. Bright House may be small enough that the FCC wouldn't take such actions.


Although not the most current, this is an interesting read supporting your statement: http://www.dwt.com/LearningCenter/Advisories?find=16730


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## bencjenkins (Sep 30, 2008)

I'm in the same boat. I emailed BH earlier this year to find out when/if they were going to support the SDV adapter. Got some canned response that didn't even address my question and tried to upsell me on their cable packages. BH has my area locked up, and my Tivo boxes won't work with Satellite. 

I've been a loyal Tivo customer for over five years. I tried the free DVR from BH, but it was PoS compared to Tivo's user interface and features. But something's gotta give. Either BH starts supporting the SDV adapter or I gotta ditch Tivo (and BH) and go to satellite. :-(


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

bencjenkins said:


> .........I've been a loyal Tivo customer for over five years. I tried the free DVR from BH, but it was PoS compared to Tivo's user interface and features. But something's gotta give. Either BH starts supporting the SDV adapter or I gotta ditch Tivo (and BH) and go to satellite. :-(


Remember my motto:

*Living well, err... switching providers, is the best revenge!*

Keep your eye on the upcoming DirecTivo .


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## monkeydust (Dec 12, 2004)

I just got off the phone with Brighthouse in Indy. After being transfered a couple of times, nobody seemed to know what a Tuning Adapter was or when they might be available. I just got the second letter today from them saying they are converting more channels to SDV. Guess I'm screwed.


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## PPC1 (Sep 16, 2006)

It's not surprising that the CSRs don't know what a TA is. You will see posts from others from other cities where the TAs are available, and the CSRs don't know what they are. If BH has TAs in other cities, they most likely would have them here. Give it a little bit of time, and hopefully a few of the CSRs will learn what they are, and can help us.


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## monkeydust (Dec 12, 2004)

I was transfered to Tech Support and they didn't know what they were either. I told them that other Brighthouse branches in other cities were supplying them and they laughed at me and said "where did you hear that?"

I tried to email them with a address on their site with all the information that I had on the TA's and the email was rejected saying the email address did not exist!

Very frustrating...


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## PPC1 (Sep 16, 2006)

Frustrating, to be sure. I can't wait to deal with it my self.


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

monkeydust said:


> I was transfered to Tech Support and they didn't know what they were either. I told them that other Brighthouse branches in other cities were supplying them and they laughed at me and said "where did you hear that?"...


Not that it helps any now, but until recently Central Florida's (and maybe others?) Brighthouse site had an itemized pricing list for the various plans and hardware. I'm not sure if the Cisco STA1520 Tuning Adapter was a part of that, but I do think it was. It would have been nice to send a link showing the item on a "brighthouse.com" site! Maybe you could conference the Indy Tech Support into a call with a CFL rep, asking about availability of the TA? 407.291.2500 is the local number.


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## NickIN (Dec 26, 2002)

orangeboy said:


> Maybe you could conference the Indy Tech Support into a call with a CFL rep, asking about availability of the TA? 407.291.2500 is the local number.


If you do this let me know how it goes. I switched from BH to Directv a couple years ago because they practically disabled my S3 from receiving all of their new HD channels. As much as I hate BH, I would gladly switch back if I could use my standalone Tivo. I know Directv has new TiVos coming out next year (hopefully) but I would much prefer using a standalone with cable. I've emailed BH several times asking about the adapter but haven't been able to reach anyone that has a clue what they are. I wish Carmel was Comcast country.


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

Sounds like yet another case of <insert cable co. here> preventing customers from being able to fully use their Tivo, forcing them to use cable co. equipment if they want certain features.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

steve614 said:


> Sounds like yet another case of <insert cable co. here> ...


 ... running their business, and doing what they're permitted to by the regulations.


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## JWThiers (Apr 13, 2005)

hannaman said:


> Well, just got a "Dear Valued Customer" letter the other day from my friends at brighthouse networks in Indianapolis regarding the exciting SDV technology roll-out.
> 
> Bottom line according to the letter; "..on or after October 12, 2009 Bright House will deliver the several new HD channels on teh SDV system and this programming will no longer be available on unidirectional retail devices (TivoHD Series 3) *until further notice.*"
> 
> ...


At least they left the door open of a TA at some point.


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## NickIN (Dec 26, 2002)

http://twitpic.com/20bs0

Claims to be a Brighthouse tuning adapter... Maybe could be used as proof it exists since they claim it doesn't.


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

bicker said:


> ... running their business, and doing what they're permitted to by the regulations.


Just because it's legal doesn't make it right.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

steve614 said:


> Just because it's legal doesn't make it right.


Just because you don't like it doesn't make it wrong.

It is right because it shows proper and requisite respect for the best interests of the owners.


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## alethanicole (Nov 4, 2009)

I just called the office located in the Hendricks County and CSR told me that they do *NOT *have them & do not know when they will be getting them in.... I was really hoping to watch Top Chef finally in HD... oh well. Hopefully, we'll get them soon.


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## mchief (Sep 10, 2005)

bicker said:


> Just because you don't like it doesn't make it wrong.
> 
> It is right because it shows proper and requisite respect for the best interests of the owners.


Give it rest. Where is that POT STIRRING icon?


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## PPC1 (Sep 16, 2006)

bicker said:


> Just because you don't like it doesn't make it wrong.
> 
> It is right because it shows proper and requisite respect for the best interests of the owners.


I don't care. I still want a tuning adapter.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

And I wish you the best of luck in that. :up:


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## PPC1 (Sep 16, 2006)

Thanks. My guess is I will need more patience than luck-- for all of the reasons stated above.


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## NickIN (Dec 26, 2002)

If anyone is still looking here...I wrote the following to Brighthouse Indiana "I'm writing to find out if you are offering the tuning adapter that allows CableCARD devices (Tivo) to tune in to the switched digital video channels that most of your HD channels are on. The Brighthouse office in Central Florida is offering this device. Are you also offering it or are you going to in the future?"

The reply I got was this: "Thank you for emailing Bright House Networks. We apologize but at this time we do not have a date that the Adapters will be available, only that it is in the near future. To give our customers the best service possible we must make sure the equipment we provide is completely ready to be placed in your home. We have experienced some technical difficulties and are working to resolve them to make the update of your service go smoothly."

Significant because this is the first time they've even acted like this spaceship existed. If Directv doesn't have a TiVo box available by the time my contract is up in February then hopefully I'll be able to get an adapter from BH and switch.


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## indychadp (Dec 9, 2009)

I also live in Carmel, IN. Called Brighthouse just this morning to ask about Tuning Adapters. The first person I talked to had no clue and had to transfer me to a 2nd person. The 2nd person knew what I was talking about, but said that they have not heard of any plans to offer TAs yet. She said that if they were going to offer them, the sales reps had not been notified. She then went on to say that they were recommending that customers with Tivo devices switch to the Brighthouse cable boxes, and I said "Of course you would recommend that".


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## NickIN (Dec 26, 2002)

The end of their response email also suggested renting one of their boxes. Seems like the TA will for sure be available at some point. It's just going to be difficult to pry one out of their hands.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

bicker said:


> Just because you don't like it doesn't make it wrong.
> 
> It is right because it shows proper and requisite respect for the best interests of the owners.


it sounds more like a piss poor local cable franchise to me. If that was my option there I would be building a good OTA antenna setup for my TiVo and telling them to get lost


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

ZeoTiVo said:


> If that was my option there I would be building a good OTA antenna setup for my TiVo and telling them to get lost


Without a doubt the appropriate approach for someone feeling the way you indicate you would.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

bicker said:


> Without a doubt the appropriate approach for someone feeling the way you indicate you would.


I would complain to the whatever authority regulates them as well and express my reasons for ending my business with them as well.


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

Absolutely. You should actually even try to get onto the franchising authority, yourself -- why rely on someone else to represent your interests? Do it yourself.


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## ZeoTiVo (Jan 2, 2004)

bicker said:


> Absolutely. You should actually even try to get onto the franchising authority, yourself -- why rely on someone else to represent your interests? Do it yourself.


Can not argue that logic.


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## Phantom Gremlin (Jun 20, 2002)

ZeoTiVo said:


> it sounds more like a piss poor local cable franchise to me. If that was my option there I would be building a good OTA antenna setup for my TiVo and telling them to get lost


Hmmm. Let me think about that. How big an antenna would I need to pick up CNBC? I'm in Oregon, they're in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. So what's that, about 2500 miles? Do you think that same antenna will work for ESPN out of Bristol, CT?

Oh, they don't actually broadcast OTA from those locations? Maybe I could use Van Eck phreaking to pick something up. Now how big of an antenna will I need?


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

I think you guys should try to get a discount (even if you have to call monthly for it) for the channels that you're paying for and not actually able to watch due to the lack of tuning adapter.

(While it's minor in comparison, they didn't have M cards when I went to get cable cards due to the move of expanded basic to digital, so I slightly complained and my 2 S cards are being charged at the price of 1 M card.. and no, it's not the only digital device in the household.)


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## bicker (Nov 9, 2003)

mattack said:


> I think you guys should try to get a discount (even if you have to call monthly for it) for the channels that you're paying for and not actually able to watch due to the lack of tuning adapter.


Because needling CSR for discounts they're not authorized to provide is less work than actually getting involved in your local community and trying to remedy what you feel is not working well?


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

They're not authorized to provide? I've had credits in the past for problems.

They said they'd eventually get tuning adapters.. so there doesn't seem to be any way they can remedy it -- they could potentially get discounts now.


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## samo (Oct 7, 1999)

bicker said:


> Absolutely. You should actually even try to get onto the franchising authority, yourself -- why rely on someone else to represent your interests? Do it yourself.


And when you do get onto the franchising authority board you should consider interests of the community ahead of your own. It is not in a best interest of majority of the community to force cable company to provide TA. The cost of doing so will be spread over all of the customers and will only benefit few customers who happen to have TiVo.


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## steve614 (May 1, 2006)

bicker said:


> Because needling CSR for discounts they're not authorized to provide is less work than actually getting involved in your local community and trying to remedy what you feel is not working well?


Yep, because money talks and BS walks.
If enough people get fed up asking for discounts, maybe the company will change how they do things to avoid the hassles.
If they don't want to make the changes necessary to accomodate ALL customers, then I have no problem with them losing money (as if ) when someone asks for a discount.
If I'm paying to get HBO but can't recieve the channel due to the cable co's lack of working with my equipment, you better believe I'd be asking for a discount.


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## CrispyCritter (Feb 28, 2001)

In our particular area. the agreement with the county states that Comcast will give a substantial discount if it takes them longer than 24 hours to restore any missing channels (which would include SDV if they offered it). So it is possible to get such agreements with the cable systems.


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## JohnsonGregA (Oct 20, 2005)

I found this thread this morning and decided to give it a shot myself with Indiana Brighthouse since I have two HD Tivos and would like to watch a couple of the SDV channels. I sent an email to the customer service address on their indiana.brighthouse.com and just got a call back tonight that they have tuning adapters available now. 

I have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow morning to install 2 tuning adapters. Will post results of the attempt. 

The agent that called back knew what tuning adapters were for and that they were only recently made available. She said they not the easiest thing to add to the account but she had the right codes in front of her. 

She confirmed that first 12 months were free on the first adapter and was checking to see about the second one but the system was showing a monthly fee. 

Now I need to search for any detailed install threads since last couple cable card install I knew more than the first installer.


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## JohnsonGregA (Oct 20, 2005)

So contractor came out with no Tuning adapters and said they asked him to swing by since they were not sure what I was needing. After a few minutes and calls found out they do have them but are out of stock and a brighthouse tech not a sub contractor has to install them and will have them in next week. Have rescheduled for Sat Jan 9th. 

Will post updated after that. If anyone else in Indianapolis gets one let me know


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## orangeboy (Apr 19, 2004)

JohnsonGregA said:


> So contractor came out with no Tuning adapters and said they asked him to swing by since they were not sure what I was needing. After a few minutes and calls found out they do have them but are out of stock and a brighthouse tech not a sub contractor has to install them and will have them in next week. Have rescheduled for Sat Jan 9th.
> 
> Will post updated after that. If anyone else in Indianapolis gets one let me know


Hang in there! :up:


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## monkeydust (Dec 12, 2004)

Great, thanks for the update, JohnsonGregA! I will call them today and get an appointment scheduled for next week if possible.


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## monkeydust (Dec 12, 2004)

I called, got transfered, neither person had any clue what I was talking about and they said they'd have somebody call me back.


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## PPC1 (Sep 16, 2006)

I had a tech out on December 31st for an unrelated issue. I asked him, and he had no clue what I was asking about. Thanks for the tip. Do you have a name and extention number for the agent who knew about the adapters?


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## JohnsonGregA (Oct 20, 2005)

I just had a Brighthouse tech out with 2 TAs. First one took almost 1 hour to finish updating and loading the channel map before it had a solid green led. The second seemed to never complete loading. The Tivo never saw the TA attached. We switched TAs and both Tivo see the good TA so sounds like on be may be bad or never finished provisioning. I saw on other posts here that a Repeated 8-blink-then-pause sequence means the TA has lost is authorization in the DNCS & needs a "provisioning hit"( also called a "staging hit").

The tech that came out said he at installed 10-15 in the last two weeks here in Indy. It said some take 15 minutes and work and some can take all day to fix. 

He is going to check with sup on Monday to see about getting a replacement TA.


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## JohnsonGregA (Oct 20, 2005)

PPC1 said:


> I had a tech out on December 31st for an unrelated issue. I asked him, and he had no clue what I was asking about. Thanks for the tip. Do you have a name and extention number for the agent who knew about the adapters?


PPC1 - I sent an email to [email protected] and ask about availability and then called back same day to setup an appointment. I referenced my account number and phone number so that they knew it was a real request.

I was told only the bright house techs can do the installs so if the tech you had out was a third party contractor them are not installing them. The tech also told me he was doing 90%+ in Indianapolis so it may be a limited knowledge base also.

PM me if above does not help and can can send you a copy of the work order info on what to ask for.


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## JPA2825 (May 15, 2000)

My brother in Carmel is trying to get an install tomorrow. He asked about TAs, but they had no clue. Is it best to just get the CCs installed in the TiVO HD and then have a separate appointment scheduled w/ a BH tech to get the TAs working?

What channels will he be missing if he has the TiVo HD w/ a Mstream CC but with no TA? Thanks for any help.


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## willard (Oct 3, 2007)

JPA2825 said:


> My brother in Carmel is trying to get an install tomorrow. He asked about TAs, but they had no clue. Is it best to just get the CCs installed in the TiVO HD and then have a separate appointment scheduled w/ a BH tech to get the TAs working?
> 
> What channels will he be missing if he has the TiVo HD w/ a Mstream CC but with no TA? Thanks for any help.


I live in Broadripple and have been trying to get a tuning adaptor for my Tivo HD with cable card for almost two months. At this point, I am ready to give up. Brighthouse service reps either dont know what I am talking about, or vaguely know what I am talking about and promise to email someone or have someone call me back (which never happens)

Unfortunately, your brother is going to be missing most of the HD channels. They added a TON of them since November all of which are on SDV.


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## JohnsonGregA (Oct 20, 2005)

So I had the Tech out last Friday Morning to replace the one DOA TA. He tested the original one for 20 minutes and could not get the Tivo to show it attaching. ( when the Tivo sees the TA, the TA diagnostics screen becomes active). 

He tried to cycle the new TA a couple times, unplugged the USB and Power cables with no luck. We then rebooted the Tivo and it found it right away. They did not need to reboot the other Tivo to get that one to work. 

The Tech said they are doing a soft roll-out right now and they only have 2-3 BH techs not contractors doing the installs. He said they have done 20-30 installs in the last two weeks. He also said some work right away, so it seems to take hours. 

On the paper work and when he called to have then try and send the hit, they all called the TA, a Tivo Adapter not a tuning adapter. There was also a note on the paperwork telling them to see a 12/30 memo, not sure what that means. 

I think I mention in an earlier post that I had tried calling and the rep had no I idea what I was talking about so I sent and email to sales and they called back later that day. 

Hope that helps others.


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## JohnsonGregA (Oct 20, 2005)

From memory and pasting the complete list for BH.com I think this may the SDV channels. If other posters see ones that they receive or don't with out TAs please correct me. 


701	MSNBC HD
714	WGN America HD
715	WE HD

740	CNBC HD
742	Bravo HD
745	Cartoon Network HD
746	ABC Family HD
747	Fox Sports Indiana HD (FS Midwest HD)
755	History HD
756	TLC HD
758	E! HD
759	FOX News Channel HD
762	Big Ten Network
763	MLB Network HD
764	SPEED HD
766	Science Channel HD
767	National Geographic HD
770	HGTV HD


Tennis Channel HD (Sports Pack) Channel 864
Outdoor Channel HD (Sports Pack) Channel 865
HLN HD Channel 726
STYLE HD (Digital Variety Pack) Channel 860
FUSE HD (Digital Variety Pack) Channel 840
INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY HD (Digital Variety Pack) Channel 804
IFC HD(Movie Pack) Channel 794
MAV TV HD (HD Pack) Channel 753
BBC AMERICA HD (Digital Variety Pack) Channel 847
TV One HD (Digital Variety Pack) Channel 866
G4 HD (Digital Variety Pack) Channel 810
NBA TV HD (Digital Variety Pack) Channel 862
NHL Network HD (Sports Pack) Channel 863


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## willard (Oct 3, 2007)

Here is the email I just sent. It summarizes my experience with Brighthouse Indiana customer care. I thought it was difficult getting the cable card set up almost two years ago. Compared to this that was apiece of cake. BTW, not an idle threat at the end. I am really sick and tired of Brighthouse crappy service. The only reason they have kept me as a customer is I really like Tivo. But without a Tuning Adapter and many of the channels I pay for, there is no way a company as disorganized as this who treat customers as poorly as this will continue to receive my hard earned dollars. I will just suck it up and learn to live with one of the satellite TV co's DVR's or the ATT Uverse DVR. Note, I replaced names with X,Y,Z etc. to protect identities.

Hi,

I am a Brighthouse Indianapolis customer and I have a Tivo with an M cable card in it.

I am trying to obtain a Tuning Adapter to allow my Tivo with cable card to receive the new SDV (Switched Digital Channels) such as 847 BBC America HD and 742 Bravo HD.

My quest to obtain a Tivo Tuning Adapter began back on 12/04/09 when I called and spoke to X in Technical Support. X checked with Y who is the Cable Card Installation Training Manager and was told that the Adapters would be available in approximately 1 Month. X told me he would call me when the Adapters were available.

On 01/06/10 at 2:55 pm X called me to tell me that he had received an internal memo stating that the Tuning Adapters were now available and that I could obtain an adapter by calling sales on 317-972-9700 and adding the Tuning Adapter to my account. X provided excellent customer service, he should be commended. unfortunately the remainder of my experience was not so good.

On 01/08/10 at 1:46 pm I called sales and asked to add a Tivo Tuning Adapter. The representative I spoke to said that the department she worked in was not authorized to add the product (even though she found it in the system) and that I had to call the main office at 317-713-1730, which I did. The first representative put me on hold and said they were transferring me somewhere. I waited on hold 30 minutes before giving up and calling back in. The second representative also said they were transferring me somewhere, except they just hung up on me. Eventually I got through to someone who was able to locate the Tivo Tuning Adapter in the system, except she said that she could not schedule an install until she had confirmation the adapters were actually available. She said she would send an email to find out and call me back, she never did.

Finally, most recently I spoke to Z 0n 01/14/10. He called 'Helpdesk' (?) and they forwarded him a memo that said that if a customer called to obtain a Tuning Adapter for a Tivo with a cablecard then the representative should send an email to some 'specialist' with the customers details. The customer would then be called back to schedule a Tuning Adapter install. I am still awaiting the phone call but I am not optimistic it will ever come given my past experience.

I have been speaking with a customer of yours in Carmel who has recently had two Tivo Tuning Adapters installed, so they are definitely available. He told me the technician installing the adapters had told him they had deployed 20 or 30 adapters so far. I told him of the hoops I have been through trying to obtain one and he advised me he obtained his by emailing this email address. He also told me the first Adapter was provided free for the first 12 months whereas I have been given prices for the Adapter between $4 a month and $6 a month.

So this is my last attempt before I give up trying to obtain the Tuning Adapter, cancel my service with you, sell my Tivo and move to Direct TV or ATT Uverse. The frustration I feel at knowing that other customers have the Tuning Adapter yet I am unable to obtain one despite all the time and energy I have invested is immense. It is also very upsetting. If you are able to facilitate my obtaining the Tivo Tuning Adapter I would really appreciate it.

For the record, my account is in the name xxx, Address xxx, Home Phone xxx If you need to contact me please call my cell phone at xxx or reply to this email address.

Thanks for your help.

William


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## willard (Oct 3, 2007)

UPDATE: I called the local office number again (317) 729-700 and asked to speak to a customer service representative whose name JohnsonGregA gave me via PM.

Success! Finally! I have an installation appointment scheduled for Wednesday between 8 and 10 am. She knew what I was referring to (although as JohnsonGregA pointed out she called it a Tivo Adapter) and confirmed it is free for the first year, $4 thereafter and installation is also no charge.

Hopefully installation is not a debacle. We will see... I will post how it went following the installation attempt. I have spent so long chasing this I dont want to get my hopes up too high....


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## monkeydust (Dec 12, 2004)

willard said:


> UPDATE: I called the local office number again (317) 729-700 and asked to speak to a customer service representative whose name JohnsonGregA gave me via PM.
> 
> Success! Finally! I have an installation appointment scheduled for Wednesday between 8 and 10 am. She knew what I was referring to (although as JohnsonGregA pointed out she called it a Tivo Adapter) and confirmed it is free for the first year, $4 thereafter and installation is also no charge.
> 
> Hopefully installation is not a debacle. We will see... I will post how it went following the installation attempt. I have spent so long chasing this I dont want to get my hopes up too high....


Can you please PM me the CSR's name too? They have no idea what I'm talking about when I call in and they never call me back when they say they will.


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## PPC1 (Sep 16, 2006)

monkeydust said:


> Can you please PM me the CSR's name too? They have no idea what I'm talking about when I call in and they never call me back when they say they will.


Can you PM me too? Thanks.


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## JPA2825 (May 15, 2000)

JPA2825 said:


> My brother in Carmel is trying to get an install tomorrow. He asked about TAs, but they had no clue. Is it best to just get the CCs installed in the TiVO HD and then have a separate appointment scheduled w/ a BH tech to get the TAs working?
> 
> What channels will he be missing if he has the TiVo HD w/ a Mstream CC but with no TA? Thanks for any help.


Install last FRI did not go well. Third Party contractor came with 4 Mstream CC and started by saying "these never work." 3 of the cards had tape on them and the other had a big "X" in marker on it!!! Not surprisingly, it didn't work. Moreover, brother didn't update software so he was only at 9.4 on the box. TiVo support said not to even bother trying the CC until software was updated. Software is now updated but no 2nd installation scheduled -- despite BH telling them on SAT that they would call back to schedule a time.

Haven't even gotten to the TA discussion yet. We'll see. They may just punt and look at satellite.


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## willard (Oct 3, 2007)

The Tuning Adapter installation yesterday did not go well. The Tech arrived at 9:30 and hooked up the TA. However, he couldnt get the TA to lock on (solid green light instead of blinking light). 

After several reboots and calls to dispatch to check provisioning and have hits sent the Tech determined that the TA was not in two way mode because the diagnostic summary screen said READY-Bcast only vs READY and the TA had no IP address. Tech left around 11:30 to drive downtown to check at the head end why the TA was not in two way mode. He and the head end figured out that the TA he was installing was from a batch that only arrived yesterday and as such they had not yet received software from Cisco (the TA manufacturer) that is required to activate the TA's in their system. Apparently each TA 'batch' requires a unique piece of software that is specific to the serial numbers in the TA batch... what a PITA!!!

Tech called me around 5:00 pm yesterday to tell me they had received the software for the TA batch that included my TA and it was loaded so pending a tivo reboot when I got home from work my TA should be up and running... alas not the case.

I called the Tech this morning and told him I still had a flashing green light and the TUNING RESOLVER screen in the diagnostics said 'Authorized:No' 'Status:Initializing' 'Powerkey status:0 EMM's'. He jsut called me back and said the rate code was not entered correctly for the TA in my account and he has sent some more hits. If it is not fixed when I get home (pending a Tivo reboot) then I should call him back.

The Tech cannot be faulted in all this. He is on top of his game and knows his stuff and never failed to return my phonecalls and call me with status updates when he said he would. The trouble is Brighthouse and their disorganization internally (as usual). There are very few people aware of what the TA is, what it is for and how it needs to be added to the account, configured etc. Until they train their employees on the TA then however knowlegable and dilligent the Tech they are just going to be chasing errors across the entire spectrum. That is exactly what happened to me yesterday. The head end let the Tech take the TA without entering it into their system. The person who added the TA to my account did not add my account rate code to it... etc.


I was really impressed with the Tech yesterday. But Brighthouse in Indy is the same old terrible story that I had with cablecards two years ago 

I am not going to get my hopes up that the TA will be working when I get home. However, assuming it ever works if it gives me any trouble after it is finally correctly configured I am punting (to use the previous posters phrase) Tivo and Brighthouse once and for all. I cant deal with these half baked cobbled together solutions (Cablecards, Tuning Adapters) that cable companies support grudgingly and half-assed because the FCC forces them too and which require me to take days of time off work (uncompensated) to stay home and meet Technicians.


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## willard (Oct 3, 2007)

The wife just got home from work. No suprise, the adapter is still blinking. Had her restart the Tivo to no avail. And the adapter, also to no avail. Nothing has changed from my previous post. The adapter still reports that it is not authorized. Its status is disabled and powerkey is awaiting EMM's.

I am so freakin angry and frustrated it is not even funny


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## JPA2825 (May 15, 2000)

My brother claims that his CC and TA installation yesterday went swimmingly. His wife claims the Brighthouse tech was knowledgeable and helpful. At least for now, they think TiVo is working properly. We'll see if that lasts.

Just wanted to update. Willard -- hope your situation gets straightened out soon. I agree with your sentiment. It is a shame TiVo must operate in such an openly hostile and adverse environment. That said, it is the business model they chose and when you don't control your user's experience from cradle to grave, you are subject to all of those intervening factors. I suspect they planned on greater backing from the FCC, but they probably shouldn't have.


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## willard (Oct 3, 2007)

just posted this update in my other thread located here: http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=441541

UPDATE:

I just got a call from the tech to tell me the head end had sent a staging/provisioning hit. So I went home at lunch and found the green light on the front of the TA was off instead of blinking. Once I pressed the power button it came on solid green. I checked the TA diagnostics and powerkey was ready, status was authorized and opstatus was ready. I had to disconnect the usb cable and power cycle the tivo to get the tivo to redetect the TA and download a channel map. But I am finally up and running (for now).

Interestingly enough, the TA installation and troubleshooting progressed almost exactly the same way as my cablecard installation and trouble shooting 2 years ago: Cableco screws up provisioning and installation, waste 2+ days of my time rebooting disconnecting sending balancing hits etc. I email or Pm cableguy who tells me the device needs a staging/provisioning hit from the head end. Once I finally convince a tech this is what is needed then the hit is sent and the device works.

Oh well. At least I am up and running... finally


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## ctvbtcfd (Feb 11, 2010)

If someone could PM regarding what I need to ask Indy Brighthouse to get a tuning adapter that would be great. I spoke to a rep. and she didn't know what I was looking for. I would PM others but I only have 1 post.


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## ScottyinIN (Feb 12, 2010)

Finally got in touch with someone, just by chance, that informed me that the other reps that had told me that a supervisor would be calling me back to set up the install were incorrect. I've called once a week for the last three asking for a status and today, week three and two days, I called with the intention, if I received the same run around, that I wanted a credit for the SDV channels I was unable to receive. At no point have I been the 'angry customer' as I was hoping to get someone on the phone that knew what they were talking about. Well, today was the day. I called the 317.713.1730 number and when the rep answered, I explained my issue very calmly. She (not sure if I'm allowed to post her name on here or not) told me that she had just come from the dept where the escalations took place and she knew exactly what needed to be done. She was very apologetic for the previous experience and entered in my info and escalated to the individual that would be calling me back. 20 minutes later, I was called to setup the install for next week. One step down and now I hope the install goes well.


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## monkeydust (Dec 12, 2004)

I got my Tuning Adapter installed today after another round of phone volley. I finally said put me in touch with one of the names that somebody in this thread PM'd me and it went smooth after that. The install took about 10 minutes. I have a bunch more channels now but I'm still missing a couple that I can get on my other TV with the cable's DVR. I've rebooted my Tuning adapter but nothing, just a black screen on a couple of channels. Any ideas?


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## NickIN (Dec 26, 2002)

How much are they charging for the adapter? I have Directv now but I'm think about going back to Brighthouse and getting a couple TiVo Premiers.


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## ejanderson (Nov 11, 2010)

I used this thread to guide my actions, so I want to contribute to it.

Since moving back to Carmel we've had Brighthouse for their turbo internet, but no other services. We've been using a Tivo Premiere to get OTA channels and streaming from Netflix and Amazon. However, Conan going back on (and not wanting to watch him next day) pushed me into getting cable TV back. (Yes, I'm paying hundreds of dollars a year to watch Conan...)

I started with their website, which I found to be useless. I could search for terms such as "CableCard" and get results, but they were basically just glossary definitions. I wanted to know how to order them and make sure that the install went right the first time, not a "for dummies" definition of what to do. The only concrete information the website gave me was for the tuning adapter; it said that it was not available in my area.

After lunch I used their website to send them a mail explaining what I wanted and waited. The same day about 7PM I got an email from a sales rep named Crystal saying that what I wanted was available and would me about $38 per month more than I was paying. To make sure I got the right thing she recommended that I call her and she left her extension.

I tried calling the provided number and ended up in their voice system. After arguing with the computer long enough to get annoyed I finally got a person, asked for the extension, and waited. She was busy with another customer, so I mailed her back and asked her to call me when she was free.

About 24 hours later she called me, we confirmed everything, and I managed to make an appointment for this morning.

I worked at home so my wife wouldn't have to deal with them. The installer showed up on time, had the right work order, and brought the right equipment with him. The equipment included a tuning adapter; the very thing their website said wasn't available. He installed everything, called in to activate, and everything worked the first time. We tried several channels including some SDV ones so I signed the work order and sent him off. He also put in an order to have my line remounted; it was hanging lower over the road than allowed.

After he left I continued to explore channels and found a few that I wasn't getting. I dug on their website and found that there was a block of HD channels that I was getting some of but not all. I also noticed that the work order form showed a higher total price than what Crystal quoted me.

I emailed her about the two issues, asking about the bill and if the missing channels were a package or technical issue. She responded within two hours saying that the work order shows list prices, but I had gotten a bundle price, so the lower one was correct. She also said that the channels I was missing should be available to me and she copied a service supervisor.

Knowing that I'm SUPPOSED to get the channels is a huge deal for me; when I get the chance I'm going to reboot everything and run through the Tivo setup one more time. If that doesn't work I'll engage their service people unless I hear from them first.

So at this point it's taken me about 48 hours to get set up. The service guy showed up on time with the right work order and equipment. Everything their sales rep has told me has proven to be true. The only issue is that I'm not getting all the channels I should, but I have an email from them saying that I SHOULD have them so it's just a matter of working at it until things work.

It's probably because my last cable company was Comcast, but at this point I'm pretty happy. I've gotten good service and I haven't gotten angry except when I was talking to their phone-bot. If I can get the missing HD channels sorted out in the next day or so I'm going to call the whole experience a relative success.

They do need to work on their information systems though. If you give me a piece of paper with a price it should be the same price I was quoted. Also, they're missing a huge opportunity with their website. How hard is it to let me log in and pick from the options to upgrade my account?

Thanks for this thread, it let me face this process with much less anxiety than I would have had to deal with otherwise.


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## vstone (May 11, 2002)

Got a cablecard installed in my Premiere on Monday. Some channels won't work until I go check signal stregnth, then they work fine. ???


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## willard (Oct 3, 2007)

Is anyone else having an ongoing problem with their Tuning Adapter losing authorization about once a month and going into 'blink' mode? Every month I have to call up Brighthouse and ask for balancing hits to reset my TA, its getting REALLY old. I think for some reason my subscription info is not updating. If I look in the TA diagnostics I find a date and time listed as 'Sub Expires'. I have read in other threads this date and time is supposed to update on a nightly basis but mine doesnt and when the date and time is reached the TA inevitably goes into 'blink' mode. When I call and have the hits sent to reset the TA the date is reset 30 days in the future.

The Sub Expires date is listed in TA diagnostics under POWERKEY, third page (highlight POWERKEY, press enter, then press enter 3 more times).

If any other Brighthouse Indianapolis TA users can let me know if they are experiencing similar issues I would appreciate it. It would be helpful to figure out if it is a problem with all TA's or just my account before I 'go up against them' again.

Thanks


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## huntercr (Feb 26, 2003)

I'm in Carmel, IN and in a similar boat. I got the tuning adapter but some channels are missing. Ones where I have the SD equivalent, but not the HD version... I've contacted brighthouse about this twice before and they play dumb and say "some channels can't be received by Cable cards"

For instance I don't get any music choice channels. I double checked with my plan and I am supposed to be getting them. No dice. The onsite tech literally just shrugged his shoulders. 

Anyone else in the Carmel/Indy area with this problem?
I get *most* of the channels, so I have a hard time believing this could be anything on my end. The tech tested my line and said everything looked good. He went ahead and replaced the coax connectors on nearly everythign and blamed some of it on my gold ( or brass whatever it is ) coax in the wall saying they were crap.


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## pbennett (Mar 4, 2013)

Any updates?


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