My Cable System is Converter to All Cable Box Service

[EdwardATeller]

I just found out my local cable provider, RCN, is going to convert their system to require all customers to use a cable box by the end of 2009. Since I'm currently able to record 4 simultaneous shows, that means four cable boxes with their monthly fees. F**K!!! Sorry to vent, but it's a real pain in the butt.

Anyway, there probably is a way to control a cable box with STV, but is there a way to control more than one cable box? Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I'd certainly appreciate any help people have to offer.

[stanger89]

Welcome to the world those of us with Satellite have been in for years

You'll need an IR blaster. The USB UIRT will control 3 boxes, I'm not actually sure how you'd do the fourth.

Are you really going to need 4 boxes, or do you record a lot of stuff on local channels? If the later, you can use a tuner card to get your locals either OTA or hopefully via clear QAM (digital cable) and reduce the required number of tuners.

[reggie14]

You can actually use multiple USB-UIRTs on one system. But, I'd really think two STBs and two clear QAM digital tuners would be enough for most people.

[EdwardATeller]

Thanks for the replies. As I understand it, every cable channel is going to be encrypted. Their ad says, "No cable box, no signal." I'll probably just get two cable boxes to save some $'s. My tuner cards have IR blasters, and I was assuming I could use them, but maybe that's wrong. Thanks for the tip about USB-UIRT.

http://www.usbuirt.com/

BTW, I can only get two OTA channels here, PBS and a crappy local station, so it's cable or the internet for me.

[Tiki]

By the way, at the top of this Hardware Support Forum is a sticky called " Information Resources for Remotes, Receivers, and IR Blasters"

You should check it out if your are planning to use a USBUIRT to control multiple cable boxes.

[PLUCKYHD]

Any chance you can get firewire on the boxes being cable? Much better channel changing option then ir blasters.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by EdwardATeller

Thanks for the replies. As I understand it, every cable channel is going to be encrypted. Their ad says, "No cable box, no signal." I'll probably just get two cable boxes to save some $'s.

You have to realize that the commercials are dumbed down to the point of almost causing more problems (unfortunately they probably really need to be that dumb.

Judging by current trends my guess is that the following is happening:

1. Your cable company is moving everything to digital.
2. This means most people (since they don't have TVs with QAM tuners) will receive bupkis.
3. The cable company will however leave at least the local channels in the clear, and if you're lucky, all your standard lineup (the stuff that's clear analog).

This seems to be a trend, though the availability of standard lineup over clear QAM is questionable.

Has your cable company said whether you'll need DTAs or full STBs?

Regardless, you should get all the major locals (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS) clear with a QAM tuner. So if a couple of your tuners are usually occupied with those, something like the HDHomerun would fit the bill there.

[kmp14]

My local cable co, comcast, is eliminating all analog on the wire except the locals. They offered free STBs (Very basic ones, RF out only). This is actually good for me, because now all of the standard basic SD channels (MTV, E!, TLC, etc) are QAM clear, so my HDHomeRun is getting them. Better quality than analog, too. Works out better for me!

My guess is that, because the free boxes are so cheap an basic, they are not able to decrypt QAM, so the put the basics out there unencrypted so the basic boxes can get them.

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by kmp14

My guess is that, because the free boxes are so cheap an basic, they are not able to decrypt QAM, so the put the basics out there unencrypted so the basic boxes can get them.

That was the original plan. But, it's not quite true that the cheap Digital Terminal Adapters (DTAs) can't decrypt channels. They always had the ability, it's just that, until now, Comcast was prohibited from using that functionality in the DTAs.

This is something that was discussed in this other thread. But, it suffices to say that Comcast now has FCC approval to start decrypting channels on the DTAs. So don't expect to keep your expanded basic lineup in clear QAM very much longer.

[EdwardATeller]

One of these days, I'll be masochistic enough to go through IVR hell on the phone in order to get someone knowledgeable enough to answer my questions, but that day hasn't come yet. At least now I know I have some options with my rig. Thanks for all the replies.

[EdwardATeller]

I just called, and here is the ugly truth. First SD box is free, additional boxes are $2.95 a month. HD boxes are $9.95 a month. Everything will be encrypted. No conversion date yet set for my area but expected to be in 2009.

http://www.rcn.com/j/morehd?bid=vani...-07-30--morehd

[EdwardATeller]

Here is a story from the local paper.

http://blogs.mcall.com/watchdog/2009...s-to-work.html

Looks like they are definitely encrypting all channels. My conversion date is Oct 15, and I'll post results then.

[EdwardATeller]

The conversion date is today, and all analog is gone, but the broadcast stations are available on clear QAM. I finally talked to someone at the cable company who had half a brain, and they had confirmed this some time ago. All their promo material had been misleading up to that point.

[stanger89]

Yeah, I'm still guessing it was somewhat a concious decision on their part. Just tell everyone they need a box to get anything and that will result in less support calls than trying to explain to the masses the difference between clear QAM and encrypted, and which channels fall into which category.

[reggie14]

Cable companies still, in general, aren't allowed to encrypt local broadcast stations. So, everyone should get those stations in clear QAM. As I've said in other threads though, Cable Vision did ask the FCC for a waiver on that rule.

[waynedunham]

Originally Posted by EdwardATeller

The conversion date is today, and all analog is gone, but the broadcast stations are available on clear QAM. I finally talked to someone at the cable company who had half a brain, and they had confirmed this some time ago. All their promo material had been misleading up to that point.

Yep, same for Comcast here in Ct. Their fear mongering promo material indicated that you HAD to have one of the new boxes, or HD box if you wanted to keep getting the "expanded" basic channels.
I just sat on my hands until the changeover date and kept my fingers crossed. The date came and suddenly all my local HD's were gone (local digitals still there), other networks like USA, TNT, etc digital were gone as well..... or so I thought.
I did a rescan with my HDHR and found they'd moved the channels, so I had to redo my channel lineups for the HDHR's. They moved them 3 times over the next couple weeks. But it finally looks like they've settled down (for now). Also USA, TNT, etc (digital, not HD) reappeared in the clear too. Right now a channel scan shows just over 90 channels with about 70-75 "viable" channels once you remove all the shopping channels and some other channels I would never watch.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will stay true. I sure wish they'd put out a QAM mapping list. It sure would make it a lot easier when trying to match the HDHR scans with the proper EPG channel.