[mythtv-users] comcast digital box and mythTV

[Steven Adeff]

On 3/27/06, Dewey Smolka <dsmolka at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Here in Chicago, Comcast requires a box for basic cable. Its a small
> > motorola device which decodes the encrypted channels and provides a
> > channel guide. Without the box you only get the broadcast channels.  I'm
> > at work so I cant give the model number,
>
> Hey Mike,
>
> I was in the same boat after moving to Chicago about six weeks ago.
> Was mad as hell at Comcast about it as well, since they sold me an
> 'analog' package that was 90 percent digital.
>
> It doesn't much matter what Motorola box you have as they all work
> pretty much the same way. As another poster noted, you should figure
> on controlling the box via an infrared transmitter.
>
> You may or may not have on the cable box a serial port, which may or
> may not be active. I had at least four Comcast techs swear up and down
> to me that there are no serial-enabled boxes in the Chicago area,
> although I've found a few people on this list who have them. Go
> figure. Just don't count on getting one.
>
<snip>
> For your capture card, unless you want headaches, get a Hauppage PVR
> x50 card. The 150 is probably your best bet. If you run coax from the
> decoder into the 150 you'll get audio and video together. If you use
> composite (the yellow RCA) or S-Vid, you'll also need to run an audio
> patch from the cable box into the PVR card. S-vid is the best quality,
> followed by composite, followed by coax.

My experience with a DCT2xxx series cable box was that the port was
not enabled when I got it. I called up tech support and the lady said
she didn't know anything about it, and that she'd have no problem
enabling it if she *knew how*.

I happened to get one of the nice phone techs so she told me to hold
on while she asks some of her colleagues, so I waited, and googled and
found some thread (which I no longer have a link to) where some kind
soul posted the exact command the cable company needs to send your box
to enable the serial port.

She came back and said no one she talked to knew how, so I told her
what I found, which she entered, commented on how poorly informed the
techs are, and bingo! it was enabled and worked! We went on to talk
about stuff, she told me some interesting "insider stories" into how
ComCast operates, we had a few laughs, and bid farewell. All in all a
great experience, I lucked out, and I got the port enabled.

BUT, they are not required to enable the serial port because of the
existance of IR Blasters. So ask, if needed, call back a few times to
see if you can get a kind soul on the other end of the line who will
enable it, and if needed, google for the command to enable it.

Good luck!

--
Steve