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PostPosted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:42 pm 
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Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 10:08 am
Posts: 1637
Location: Virginia, USA
Speed_D wrote:
... pay as above and use degraded resolution from component out on the comcast box.


Are you _sure_ they're downsampling the component out signal to something less than HD? Groups have certainly threatened to do so to combat the "analog hole" but I haven't heard of any instances where they have actually done so.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 4:14 pm 
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Posts: 1206
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Yes, I agree with ceenvee703. My HD set has no HDMI at all so Comcast had better not turn off component outputs. Still, its not an ideal situation to have to buy a $200 box to digitize the component signal to use with Myth.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 5:54 pm 
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Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 1:47 am
Posts: 31
Quote:
Still, its not an ideal situation to have to buy a $200 box to digitize the component signal to use with Myth.

Encrypted content is not an ideal situation, period. Most people here have spent additional money on devices because of it. Clear QAM tuners rendered obsolete, ir blasting necessary to work around cable company boxes, or specialized devices like you mentioned. That's progress for ya. :roll:


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 6:58 am 
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Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:07 am
Posts: 1532
Location: California
Speed_D wrote:
I left on vacation Dec 8 with my system working and got back on the 15th to find everything except the OTA channels encrypted (partial LAMc lock) - no picture or sound anymore. Game over. Note that I'm still paying the same basic cable fee I've been paying all along. The only options now are:


When I read this I was left with the impression that everything but OTA channels were encrypted. I just read Comcast's published memoon the topic and it looks like we should still be able to tune the entire basic tier using clear QAM -- relevant portions of the memo quoted below. I realize that this still locks us out of the expanded basic tier that we are paying for -- on my end I am simply going to reduce my level of service to basic service for $18/month, which will give me the first ~30 channels plus all the OTA hidefs.

Marc

Quote:
Furthermore, Limited Basic customers with QAM TVs will be able to view Limited Basic digital channels without additional equipment.

Quote:
Limited Basic customers with a QAM TV would continue to be able to view broadcast HD channels without Comcast equipment. There is no charge for HD content only equipment.

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The views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 9:14 am 
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Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:13 pm
Posts: 480
Location: IN
Please note that there is a BIG difference between Limited Basic cable and Basic Cable.

Limited Basic is pretty much just your locals plus maybe WGN, ABC Family and maybe a home shopping channel I believe. Basic is the first ~30 channels.

Only the Limited Basic channels are unencrypted. At least that's the way it was when I dropped Comcrap like the smoldering turd that they are!

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 8:03 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:07 am
Posts: 1532
Location: California
Martian wrote:
Please note that there is a BIG difference between Limited Basic cable and Basic Cable.

Limited Basic is pretty much just your locals plus maybe WGN, ABC Family and maybe a home shopping channel I believe. Basic is the first ~30 channels.


I went to the Comcast siteand 3 of the packages they have listed are defined as follows:

1. Limited basic: The first 30 channels plus a few, as listed below.
2. Expanded basic: A bunch more channels including USA, MTV, SciFi, etc.
3. Standard, which appears to be the union of "Limited basic" and "Expanded Basic".

It looks like there technically is no package named "Basic" and limited basic is those first ~30 channels I was referring to in my original post.

Marc

Code:
2      KTVU-2 (FOX)            
3      KNTV-11 (NBC)            
4      KRON-4 (My Network)            
5      KPIX-5 (CBS)            
6      KICU-36 (IND)            
7      KGO-7 (ABC)            
8      KTSF-26 (IND)            
9      KQED-9 (PBS)            
10      KTEH-54 (PBS)            
11      TV Guide Channel            
12      KBCW-44 (CW)            
13      KBWB-20 (IND)            
14      KDTV-14 (UNI)            
15      Public Access            
16      KKPX-65 (I TV)            
17      KCSM-60 (PBS)            
18      KSTS-48 (TLMD)            
19      KTNC-42 (Azteca)            
20      KFSF-66 (TF)            
21      KCNS-38 (IND)            
22      C-SPAN      News & Info      
23      C-SPAN 2      News & Info      
25      KTLN-68 (IND)            
26      The City Channel            
27      CCN 1            
28      TBS            
29      The Discovery Channel      Children & Family      
30      California Channel (9AM - 3:30PM)            
31      Home Shopping Network      Lifestyle      
32      KMTP-32 (IND)            
33      WGN      Sports      
34      QVC      Lifestyle      
76      Country Music Television      Music      
77      Access Television Network            
189      KQED - Encore            
190      KQED - World            
191      KQED - Life            
192      KQED - Kids            
194      KGO Plus      News & Info

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The views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:22 am 
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Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 5:47 pm
Posts: 65
Have you all tried the scte65scan program as defined on mythtv.org?

http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Comcast_Users_And_scte65scan

I followed the directions on this web page yesterda and was able to tune my HDHomeRun to the extended basic channel (i.e. those below 100).

It appears that the channel IDs are scrambled, but once discovered and mapped into the myth database all is well![/quote]


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:48 am 
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Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:07 am
Posts: 1532
Location: California
mark60050 wrote:
Have you all tried the scte65scan program as defined on mythtv.org?

http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Comcast_Users_And_scte65scan

I followed the directions on this web page yesterda and was able to tune my HDHomeRun to the extended basic channel (i.e. those below 100).

It appears that the channel IDs are scrambled, but once discovered and mapped into the myth database all is well!


Yes, I do use that program -- its great. The point is that Comcast is in the process of encrypting the expanded basic channels -- see the link to their memoin my earlier post. They have already done this in some markets. Once this is done, your clear QAM tuner will not be able to tune those channels.

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The views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 2:56 pm 
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Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 1:47 am
Posts: 31
marc.aronson wrote:
mark60050 wrote:
Have you all tried the scte65scan program as defined on mythtv.org?

http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Comcast_Users_And_scte65scan

I followed the directions on this web page yesterda and was able to tune my HDHomeRun to the extended basic channel (i.e. those below 100).

It appears that the channel IDs are scrambled, but once discovered and mapped into the myth database all is well!


Yes, I do use that program -- its great. The point is that Comcast is in the process of encrypting the expanded basic channels -- see the link to their memoin my earlier post. They have already done this in some markets. Once this is done, your clear QAM tuner will not be able to tune those channels.

Thanks - you explained it much better than I did.

The irritating part is the free DTA that Comcast supplies outputs *analog*, which leads to annoying setup issues that I discussed in another thread.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 3:13 pm 
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Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 5:47 pm
Posts: 65
marc.aronson wrote:
Yes, I do use that program -- its great. The point is that Comcast is in the process of encrypting the expanded basic channels -- see the link to their memoin my earlier post. They have already done this in some markets. Once this is done, your clear QAM tuner will not be able to tune those channels.


Well. I read the memo a little differently and was curious. Comcast recently did an upgrade in my area. They changed the channel frequencies used from HRC to standard cable. They still transmit the analog signals from 1 to 77. I am told the analog will go away by March. They also simulcast the basic channels in digital. In general, those digital channels are not available to QAM capable devices as they scramble the table that maps station callsigns and virtual channels. I could not scan for channels with my HDHomeRun or my Toshiba HDTV. Therefore, by definition my QAM tuners do not work. I could receive QAM on my HDHomeRun only after I ran scte65scan. I thought one could interpret the Comcast memo as simply scrambling the table of call signs and virtual channels. I was hoping that was all Comcast would do. I'll wait and see. I'm in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 4:40 pm 
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Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2006 6:23 am
Posts: 70
It's happening in Atlanta. As of April 7 2010, the analog signals will be greatly diminished. According to the web site:

Quote:
4. What if I don't do anything?
Any TV connected directly to Comcast service without a digital device will eventually lose access to some of the channels it currently receives. You’ll keep the 15-30 Comcast Basic Cable channels, (local broadcast TV stations, plus local government, education and public access channels) but you'll lose all Expanded Basic channels, like Disney, CNN, Lifetime and 30 to 50 others.


I installed the DTA converter and the new signals look good to me.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 11:13 am 
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Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 5:47 pm
Posts: 65
mark60050 wrote:
marc.aronson wrote:
Yes, I do use that program -- its great. The point is that Comcast is in the process of encrypting the expanded basic channels -- see the link to their memoin my earlier post. They have already done this in some markets. Once this is done, your clear QAM tuner will not be able to tune those channels.


Well. I read the memo a little differently and was curious. Comcast recently did an upgrade in my area. They changed the channel frequencies used from HRC to standard cable. They still transmit the analog signals from 1 to 77. I am told the analog will go away by March. They also simulcast the basic channels in digital. In general, those digital channels are not available to QAM capable devices as they scramble the table that maps station callsigns and virtual channels. I could not scan for channels with my HDHomeRun or my Toshiba HDTV. Therefore, by definition my QAM tuners do not work. I could receive QAM on my HDHomeRun only after I ran scte65scan. I thought one could interpret the Comcast memo as simply scrambling the table of call signs and virtual channels. I was hoping that was all Comcast would do. I'll wait and see. I'm in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.


Well. It happened. On 3/19/10, I lost all my non over-the-air channels over my hdhomerun. Too bad, it had worked so well....


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:41 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:07 am
Posts: 1532
Location: California
mark60050 wrote:
Well. It happened. On 3/19/10, I lost all my non over-the-air channels over my hdhomerun. Too bad, it had worked so well....


Sorry to hear that. All the standard def channels digital channels are still "in the clear" here in the bay area, but I don't expect it to stay that way forever.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:39 am 
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Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:37 am
Posts: 1
Western suburbs of Chicago took the hit... nothing but LAMc partial locks for 29+ (except OTA HD). Bummer.


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 Post subject: Drop Comcast
PostPosted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:48 am 
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Joined: Fri Mar 24, 2006 10:35 pm
Posts: 89
Location: Detroit, MI
I finally bought a 46" LCD. I got the HD channels going thru the TV tuner and was geeked. Within a month of knowing how good it can be Comcast in SE Michigan removed many of the channels so that a box would be required. I got so frustrated with them. I am now with WOW.

I am finding since using Myth DVR for 3+ years that I barely have the TV on unless I planned out what I'm going to watch. I can get alot of content at local Library, or NetFlix $15/month and the primary networks I watch mostly anyways and they are OTA free. Hulu and other content websites are great also. Problem is 2 kids require Disney and Nick.


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