[mythtv-users] Easy Cable Box Integration

Joe Votour vulturej at vulturesnest.net
Thu Mar 27 16:34:53 UTC 2008


Quoting Andrew Barbaccia <andrew at monolithmc.com>:

<snip>

>
>
> That is actually pretty typical. FCC only requires cable companies to
> distribute local broadcasts as unencrypted - and that's all they usually do.
> In my experience I usually get 5 - 15 digital channels. As Feb. 19 moves
> closer, this number should go up.
>
> --
> Andrew Barbaccia
>

Actually, as we get closer to the cutoff, I would expect the number to  
possibly decrease.

The digital mandate does not necessarily affect cable operators,  
they're still allowed to go analog for some time afterwards.   
Naturally, it's in the best interest of the cable operator to migrate  
to all-digital in order to preserve the bandwidth, and force set-top  
boxes on customers.

Thus, by then, I'm suspecting that by February 2009, we will be seeing  
an influx of operators moving (almost) everything to digital, using  
"switched digital video" and the replacement for CableCard (that  
supports switched digital video).

If we're lucky, then the FCC-mandated channels will actually stay at  
the same frequencies, and not moved around (as Comcast seems to do on  
a bi-weekly basis), but everything else will be the equivalent of  
"on-demand".  Channels won't be pumped out over the wire until  
somebody wants to watch them, and based on people's viewing habits,  
they will move around in the spectrum, and they will also likely be  
encrypted.  If you have the cable co's STB or whatever the FCC  
mandates as the "open" solution, you will be fine - otherwise, you're  
screwed.

Yes, folks, the world is moving to this model, and based on the demos  
and trial installations that the company I work for have been doing,  
it looks very promising.  It's either that, or cable operators have to  
spend much more laying new wire, and they won't go for that.

-- Joe


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