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Vchat20
Landing is the REAL challenge
join:2003-09-16
Warren, OH
| [Rant] Biased Modem Fanboys/HD Bandwidth Crunch
This is one thing that has been bugging me for a while and absolutely baffles the educated mind. Why is it that, in the cable HSI business, people are so biased as to be fanboys over one specific model of modem let alone a specific brand of modem.
In the past 4-5 years of having HSI service through Time Warner I have dealt with about 3 different brands of modems (Toshiba, Motorola, and SciAtl) and about 5 models spread across these brands (Toshiba PCX1100 'brick', Toshiba PCX2500, Motorola SB5101, Webstar DPC2100, Webstar DPX2203) and aside from the archaic PCX1100 which seemed to like to constantly lock up on sustained single connection http downloads over 75MB in size on a 5mbit connection, none of them have EVER had any problems at all and have really only been replaced at times of switching between cable and DSL except for the DPX2203 which replaced the DPC2201 when getting Digital Phone service.
Now granted, IF these modems had more USEFUL functionality in them past just being a standard bridging modem, I could see being loyal to one model. But all of these are anything but. Even if you have something like digital phone service, there are numerous brands offering capable EMTA-embedded modems from SciAtl, Motorola, and Ambit. Again, these modems don't have any brand-exclusive features beyong what the cableco provides on their network to begin with.
So what is it with the fascination of some people to be so hellbent on one specific brand/model if 95%+ of what is available works just the same?
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This is also another thing that has just come to mind after reading a post from another member elsewhere on this forum.
As it is now, CATV and Sat providers have been in this so-called 'Bandwidth Crunch' in this nw era of HD Television. It's a major juggle between offering HD and SD channels, and also analog channels for CATV providers.
Now here's the major aha!: Every HD set-top that I have seen from both CATV and Sat providers have, in some way, been capable of down-ressing HD material to SD 480I and output over standard baseband coax, composite, or S-video alongside Component as well. Even on the OTA realm, set-top tuners are capable by default (partly in thanks to the digital transition and offering SDTV owners a way to keep viewing OTA programming even though most stations are HD exclusive currently.) of downressing HD programming to SD and so are SD televisions with built in ATSC tuners.
My question is this: Why haven't the Cable and Sat providers actually used some brains and cut out all of their SD only set-tops and provided SD customers with HD set-tops with HD outputs and/or resolutions locked out if not subscribing to HD material then just cut out SD channels of those with HD simulcasts and have ONE channel for everybody? Granted, this isn't a 1:1 solution, but it would be a major step forward imho. And as it stands, most primetime material now is already letterboxed on SD channels so SD customers would not miss much to begin with.
Quite simple: Cut out digital SD channels and have the set-tops do the downressing work in place of wasting valuable bandwidth. Easy solution to the matter, don't you think?
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I swear, some people should have pace-makers installed to free up the resources. Breathing and heart beat taxes their whole system, all of their brain cells wasted on life support.-two bit brains, and the second bit is wasted on parity! ~head_spaz | |
sivran
God Save The Suite
Premium
join:2003-09-15
Arlington, TX
clubs:
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| I have a Toshiba PCX2600, and a Motorola SB5101.
I'm partial to the Motorola, as it provides an always-accessible diagnostics page, where the Toshiba's is only accessible prior to sync. 
quote:
My question is this: Why haven't the Cable and Sat providers actually used some brains and cut out all of their SD only set-tops
So that they can charge more for the HD boxen.
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Think outside the fox...Seamonkey | |
dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| reply to Vchat20
I can't count how many times ive seen issues go away when user dumps their webstar for a moto.
the surfboard is the gold standard for cable internet.
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When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee | |
Vchat20
Landing is the REAL challenge
join:2003-09-16
Warren, OH
edit:
July 6th, @07:03PM
| reply to sivran
said by sivran  : quote:
My question is this: Why haven't the Cable and Sat providers actually used some brains and cut out all of their SD only set-tops
So that they can charge more for the HD boxen. Here's the problem with that thinking though: At least either with TWC or in my region the very least (not sure if it's nationwide), both the SD and HD set-tops cost the same and the standard HD programming is included in the core digital cable package at no extra cost. DVR functionality is a separate fee, but once again the same for both SD and HD set-tops.
But with other providers I guess that could be true.
said by sivran : quote:
I'm partial to the Motorola, as it provides an always-accessible diagnostics page, where the Toshiba's is only accessible prior to sync.
That is a very valid point. It's one of the only things that I hated about the later model toshiba's after TWC had started to nuke the diag page. But most, if not all, other brands/models have been good about keeping the diagnostics available even in lieu of cableco alterior motives. Otherwise, the later model toshiba's have also been rock-solid and 'just work(tm)'
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I swear, some people should have pace-makers installed to free up the resources. Breathing and heart beat taxes their whole system, all of their brain cells wasted on life support.-two bit brains, and the second bit is wasted on parity! ~head_spaz | |
Vchat20
Landing is the REAL challenge
join:2003-09-16
Warren, OH
| reply to dvd536
said by dvd536 :I can't count how many times ive seen issues go away when user dumps their webstar for a moto. the surfboard is the gold standard for cable internet. I really want to know what those issues were in the first place as I have seen both in my own situation and countless others in this area where the webstars have been absolutely rock-solid from day one and going on months of uptime.
Half the time I see people claim these 'issues' and start blaming the modem and go replacing it left and right when it's either marginal signal issues or CPE hardware issues to begin with.
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I swear, some people should have pace-makers installed to free up the resources. Breathing and heart beat taxes their whole system, all of their brain cells wasted on life support.-two bit brains, and the second bit is wasted on parity! ~head_spaz | |
dadkins
Merry Whatever
Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA
·Comcast
| reply to Vchat20
I have seen several brands/models get real unstable when the line signals get close to the limits, and when the customer gets a Motorola SB51xx(SB5100 in particular), the problems go away - even though the signals are borderline still.
I would guess that if one had fairly ideal signal levels and line quality, that *ANY* DOCSIS 1.x modem would be fine.
Now, if for some odd reason the line went sour, some modems would balk.
MOTO makes some rather rock solid modems.
Currently running on MY OWN ~5 year old Motorola SB5100 and it has dealt with 55dB upstream and -12dB downstream signals and has *ALWAYS* delivered my assigned speeds.
Yeah, I suppose you could say I like my Moto...
I have to ask... why did you have several brands and models? Were they dying?
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Think outside the Fox... Opera | |
Vchat20
Landing is the REAL challenge
join:2003-09-16
Warren, OH
| said by dadkins :I have to ask... why did you have several brands and models? Were they dying? Actually, it was during a time when we were trying out the local DSL service and switched to and from a couple times over the course of 2 years before Sprint/Embarq finally screwed the pooch and we switched permanently.
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I swear, some people should have pace-makers installed to free up the resources. Breathing and heart beat taxes their whole system, all of their brain cells wasted on life support.-two bit brains, and the second bit is wasted on parity! ~head_spaz | |
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