Rumour - SA STBs to be used on Shaw Discussion - Split from CSR thread.

[jvic]

Regarding the update to New cable boxes being released in the future.


SA will be in testing soon, with a possible release in Calgary this fall if everything goes accordingly.

[idearat]

Originally Posted by jvic

SA will be in testing soon, with a possible release in Calgary this fall if everything goes accordingly.

Now that I haven't heard before. What's the source of your info, jvic? Can anyone else confirm?

Does this mean we'd get Rogers-like pricing for cable boxes too??

[jvic]

no info on pricing, Calgary is suppose to have a test equip wirelink and sa boxes in testing soon.

my source: My Dreams.

[hedge]

sorry, but what is SA?

[JohnnyCanuck]

Scientific Atlanta. A platform used by many cable operators instead of Motorola.

[57]

The Shaw headends are incompatible with SA equipment. It is highly unlikely that Shaw would change all of their headends (probably 100's of millions of $, if not Billions) and switch to SA, also alienating their customers who have purchased Motorola Equipment.

Rogers uses SA in Ontario and Motorola in Atlantic Canada.

[jvic]

Originally Posted by 57

The Shaw headends are incompatible with SA equipment. It is highly unlikely that Shaw would change all of their headends (probably 100's of millions of $, if not Billions) and switch to SA, also alienating their customers who have purchased Motorola Equipment.

Rogers uses SA in Ontario and Motorola in Atlantic Canada.

You should not assume, it is not in millions, stop making up numbers. It will happen just like the launch of the new shaw phone modem which got pulled but will relaunch.

[57]

jvic, if it were as easy as you say, Rogers would have changed their headends in Atlantic Canada to handle SA by now. I'm hoping someone with some actual knowledge of the technology involved and the cost of changing reads this thread.

Perhaps SA has some firmware/hardware that can emulate the Motorola STB functionality?

[oxford]

Back in 2000 when Rogers and Shaw swapped some territories, Vancouver went to Shaw from Rogers. I had digital with a SA box w/ Rogers and Shaw switched out everyone who had digital at the time to Moto boxes. Either they spent the money (millions?) then to switch the headends or they were already compatible with both.

[MacTVJunkie]

Let's see (and this is just off of the top of my head so the figures are a bit of SWAG):

A DNCS (which would have to replace the Moto DAC) is roughly $100,000.
Each Moto OM1000 (Out of band modulator) would have to be replaced with an SA QPSK Modulator: $1000ish each (and we're talking dozens if not hundreds of devices depending on the number of homes passed).

Each Moto RPDx000 (Return Path Demodulator) would have to be replaced by an SA QPSK Demodulator (and in fact, they would have to add a QPSK demod for eack QPSK Mod whereas the Moto headend can have up to six OM1000s per RPD chassis) so there's another $100,000 or so.

So far, we're already at or close to half a million and we've only dealt with out-of-band signals. We haven't replaced anything that deals with in-band signal delivery (actual content). Now a good chunk of that equipment would be useable on both headends but there would be various pieces of equipment that *would* have to be replaced. Interfaces between the headend and the billing systems would have to be re-worked. VOD systems would require software upgrades. All of these things cost a big pile of money and we still haven't factored in the labour costs to make all of these changes to their infrastructure.

Then you have the upfront cost of replacing *thousands* of digital set-top boxes. That alone would be millions.

I'm not saying that Shaw won't do it. But it *will* cost them MILLIONS if they do.

I will re-interate: Moto and SA headend technologies are *not* interchangeable. When/if OCAP rolls out then it's a different story but until then, you will not see Moto boxes running on legacy SA headend or vice versa.

[jvic]

there is something coming, I can't relase more, where there is a will, there is change, thats all, end of discussion.

New Arrisi phone modem relaunched also.

Thanks

[bigoranget]

Passport does make software for the DCTs now. It's the exact same interface as the SA boxes. There is Passport DCT which is for all SD and HD receivers and Passport Echo which is for the DCT PVR units.

[fami]

If Shaw got SA terminals Does this mean I would have to buy 4 new digital cable terminals thanks

[JohnnyCanuck]

As both 57 and MacTVJunkie have posted, it is extremely unlikely that Shaw will switch to SA. It simply makes no business sense.

In the very unlikely event they did, it is hard to imagine that they would disable the Motorola platform and render thousands of terminals instantly obsolete. I am not sure of the technical issues around running dual headends, but an instant switch to SA would be a business disaster.

[fami]

I just checked out Shaw.ca and typed in vancouver and calgary postal codes and Shaw is still selling the motorla boxes. Im sure if they were no longer going to be supported they would no longer be selling them. So maby they might get two headends or maby there headend now can support both motorla and SA. Is that possible? thanks