comcast encrypts everything

[Hornet]

This morning Comcast ran an "Important Notice" in the Atlanta Journal saying that as of April 7th, televisions and other QAM digital receivers will only be able to receive Limited Basic service without additional equipment. Anyone else seen this? This is "a network enhancement to bring our customers more HD channels and faster internet speeds". Is this just local to Atlanta or is everyone seeing the same notice.

* merged *

[nyplayer]

That is all over the place they already did it in Portland Or. you can only get basic cable with Digital Tv's or tuners. That is channels 2-31. To get all other channels requires a digital box

[Hornet]

can you still get clear QAM HD on local network stations?

[matt91]

can you still get clear QAM HD on local network stations?

Washington DC is just rolling this out now. There is one set of channels disappearing this month, and then another set next month.

The flier I received from Comcast specifically mentioned QAM tuners as one of the options that would be needed to continue to receive programming.

[wrems]

Originally Posted by matt91

The flier I received from Comcast specifically mentioned QAM tuners as one of the options that would be needed to continue to receive programming.

That means that we'll only be able to receive 2-31 like Nyplayer indicated. Right?

[Hornet]

IN order to get the FCC to allow them to quit broadcasting analog stations,I think I remember that all cable companies are required to broadcast the local network stations OTA and on basic cable in clear QAM decryption. Has this changed?

[Hornet]

Originally Posted by wrems

That means that we'll only be able to receive 2-31 like Nyplayer indicated. Right?

I think that is exactly what it means

[WellThen]

Sorry to belabor this, but I want to make sure I understand. I have an HDHomerun. Is this saying that I won't be able to receive anything above Channel 31 when this is rolled out in my area? Meaning that if ABCHD is 231, I won't be able to receive that with the HDHomerun?

[Hornet]

Originally Posted by WellThen

Sorry to belabor this, but I want to make sure I understand. I have an HDHomerun. Is this saying that I won't be able to receive anything above Channel 31 when this is rolled out in my area? Meaning that if ABCHD is 231, I won't be able to receive that with the HDHomerun?

I too am using a HDHR as my tuner. Now I receive all channels in the extended basic package in SD although I subscribe to the HD Premium package, with only the local network stations being broadcast in clear QAM HD. I don't know if the HD signal in included in the Limited Package (2-31), but I would think they are. If you can get them OTR we should be available with the basic service. I's wonderful when the Government steps in to improve our lives.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Hornet

I too am using a HDHR as my tuner. Now I receive all channels in the extended basic package in SD although I subscribe to the HD Premium package, with only the local network stations being broadcast in clear QAM HD. I don't know if the HD signal in included in the Limited Package (2-31), but I would think they are. If you can get them OTR we should be available with the basic service. I's wonderful when the Government steps in to improve our lives.

Please tell me how the government is involved here? AFAIK, all they did is REQUIRE them to keep the locals in ClearQAM. There is no mandate to prevent them carrying them in analog, they are choosing to do so to go to an all-digital service, which is far easier to manage, provides higher quality, AND provides more channel count capability.

[MrE]

Comcast's site that explains the changes

http://digitalnow.comcast.com/

Under FAQ on right hand site, click "View All"

[flavius]

Here's a discussion at silicondust: http://www.silicondust.com/forum/vie...er=asc&start=0

[hemicuda]

happy happy joy joy


NOT!!!!!

[wigglytoes]

I'm using a Hauppauge 1800 card. To get this to work, I split my cable into two cables, and attached both to the card. This means that in SageTV I have to setup an analog source, and a digital source.
About a week ago a number of my channels just disappeared. I've been trying to recover them ever since. It appears that Comcast is switching almost all of their channels from analog to digital. (and they are doing it in increments) So my guess is that the channels that I've lost were some of those switched.
I can't seem to get them back. I've reloaded SageTV a couple of times, and deleted and reloaded sources more times than I can count.
It looks to me as if the channel lineup that I download when setting up the sources doesn't match where they really are. For instance Channel 72 is Comedy Central.
If I download the basic channel list - it's there. But prior to scanning all channels I can't preview any of them. After scanning all channels 72 is not in my list.
And yet if I scan for channels without downloading a list, I can watch it go right past channel 72, and there's a good signal there.

Has anyone figured out how to handle these changes that Comcast has tossed our way?

* merged *

[Naylia]

The reason your 1800 can't handle them is that the channels are now encrypted. They didn't just move the channels to digital only, but moved them and encrypted them. To tune them you'll need to use a cable box or DTA and connect the analog outputs from that to a the AV/Svideo/Component in on a tuner card. Then setup an IR blaster or firewire to control channel changing. I now use both a ClearQAM tuner (for HD locals) and the HD PVR with a cable box (for everything else HD) and firewire channel changing.

[wigglytoes]

I'm getting confused as to how many boxes I need now.

I actually have the cable split so that one cable runs directly to the TV, and the other (splits again) and runs to the 1800. The TV handles these changes - no problem. Nothing has changed there, except a couple of channels were moved by Comcast.
So I don't need anything at the TV end there.
Down the other split, I now need another box, before my TV card? Do I have to buy that from Comcast, or do third party manufacturers offer them?
So I have a box infront of the 1800, then SageTV after it. This is getting very complicated. You'd think that someone would make a TV card which does what my TV already does.

[davephan]

Originally Posted by wigglytoes

I'm getting confused as to how many boxes I need now.

I actually have the cable split so that one cable runs directly to the TV, and the other (splits again) and runs to the 1800. The TV handles these changes - no problem. Nothing has changed there, except a couple of channels were moved by Comcast.
So I don't need anything at the TV end there.
Down the other split, I now need another box, before my TV card? Do I have to buy that from Comcast, or do third party manufacturers offer them?
So I have a box infront of the 1800, then SageTV after it. This is getting very complicated. You'd think that someone would make a TV card which does what my TV already does.

If you are splitting the cable TV coax between the TV and the Hauppauge 1800 card, and the TV can receive the cable TV signals, directly, without a cable box, then Hauppauge 1800 card should also be able to receive the same signals directly.

If you need connect the cable TV coax to a cable box, then to the TV, then a cable box will also be required between the cable TV coax and the Hauppauge 1800. If the Hauppauge 1800 is a dual tuner unit, then you will need two cable boxes between the cable TV coax and the Hauppauge 1800.

If Comcast removed the analog and clear QAM channels, then you will need the boxes. You could use the cheaper DTA boxes with the no monthly charge, for up to two DTA boxes. However, in the future, Comcast could start charging for each DTA box. A DTA box has an RF input and RF output. The RF output is channel 3 or 4. If you have only one RF input on the Hauppauge 1800, and it is a dual tuner unit, then one DTA would be set for channel 3 and the other for channel 4. Both outputs would be connected to a channel combiner, not a simple splitter, then to the single Hauppauge RF input, assuming there is a single RF input. A simple splitter will cancel out both the channel 3 and channel 4 signals, leaving you with nothing.

The picture quality of the DTA boxes is worse than the other Comcast boxes, since it only has RF output, and does not have component or S-video output.

It's not clear to me from post if you are using analog cable TV or clear QAM cable TV. If Comcast removed the analog channels and clear QAM channels, then you are stuck using the extra Comcast boxes. If you still have analog or clear QAM, then you should be able to connect the cable TV coax directly to the Hauppauge 1800.

Dave

[waynedunham]

I can't say for sure in your situation, but when Comcast started killing Analog and moving things to digital here there were days where ClearQam channels would disappear only to return a couple days later, and then they did a lot of moving the ClearQam's around with new channel assignments over the space of several weeks.

I was getting very frustrated to find in the morning that a bunch of recordings didn't get recorded because my HDHR's couldn't tune the channels.

After a couple weeks of this which caused me to rescan the HDHR's several times everything settled down.

At least here, the low analog channels are still working. (Analogs up to around CH 22 and then a few local access channels in the 90's) All the locals and many of the SD Digital's (including things like CNN, ESPN, USA, TNT, etc)are in the clear.

[mike_15]

I have comcast and they just did the conversion. I have two of their complimentary digital sd tuners, I am recording somewhere around 80 ClearQAM channels, using one of the digital sd tuners going into a pvr-150 using the incorporated blaster for channel changes. and I have a hava device on my comcast HD box. in all this is working rather well for us. I rarely run into conflicts for any show that matters. and the picture quality on the hava is generally acceptable. I switch sources and watch the direct feed from the comcast hd box when needed, (hockey season, hava quality related)

(the other digital sd box is my emergency all my tuners are used and I want to watch another show. or my inlaws are visiting and don't want to explain my remote again)

so to sum up the comcast conversion means extended basic is now clear QAM, though many channels are digital SD feeds only the locals are full HD clear QAM.

[phelme]

Well, the Silicon Valley area of California just lost its in-the-clear QAM extended basic today and my HDHomeRun suddenly has a lot less to do.

Time to order up another HD-PVR for DirecTV.

I wonder how many home-brew DVR types (i.e. SageTV users and the like) will downgrade their Comcast service to limited basic now that this has happened...