[mythtv-users] OT: Comcast DTA to full digital subscription

[James Klaas]

On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 6:20 PM, Dave Richardson <mythtv at derdev.com> wrote:
> Comcast (Chicago) is now moving some channels from the newly digitized
> analog programming (Expanded Basic) into the full digital subscriptions.
> I see the writing on the wall: "We're going to keep taking your content
> away until you move to a digital subscription".
>
> I currently get QAM (still) for the broadcast HD channels which I can
> continue to record on Myth 0.21 via the HDHomerun.  This helps keep the
> number of DTAs I need down (controls cost)
>
> QUESTION: If I take the bait and convert to fully digital Comcast, does
> anyone know if that affects what Comcast sends on the wire concerning QAM
> HD?  (i.e. can I still get local affiliates in HD QAM?)
>
> Why worry??  Decide: sell/ditch the HDHomerun?  Or can I can retain the
> HDHR and make due with fewer digital boxes from Comcast which keeps the
> monthly fees down (for box rental).
>
> (friggin' Comcast monopoly here... grrrrrrr)  Thanks in advance.  D.
>
>
>
>
>
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We have a Comcast monopoly in Ann Arbor too.  In all likelyhood, you
have most of your expanded basic channels in clear QAM already, though
who knows how long that will last.  They're starting to hand out
digital converter boxes for SD here already.  They gave my folks a
handful for their house.

I used the scte65scan utility to scan for digital channels.  It
matched all the odd digital channel numbers with Comcast channel
numbers and also gave me a list of PSIP labeled channels for the local
affiliates and other odd channels that were mostly duplicates.  I
thought it worked quite well, although it only grabbed the local
affiliate HD channels as PSIP, I figured out their Comcast channel.
Assigning them after the fact wasn't really too hard and the mythtv
web interface worked really well for that.

I've been really pleased since I've gone all digital, though the
direct tuner on my TV doesn't have the scte65scan benefit and all the
channels come in with the odd 123-34 channel number.  I don't have a
piece of Comcast Cable TV equipment in my house.

James