[mythtv-users] Will we ever have Clear QAM WAS: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels
John Drescher
drescherjm at gmail.com
Mon Sep 14 22:17:25 UTC 2009
> What they need to do is to make a "Network Terminal" box. This box would
> sit on the outside of your house (like the phone company) and connect to
> their network. There would be a few connections off this box. One would be
> an ethernet jack, the other would be an RG6 coax, and the last would be a
> phone jack. The coax jack would output Clear QAM and connect to the cable
> in your house. The cable company would then be able to control which tier
> you get through the Network Terminal box (just as they do now on the DVR
> boxes). The NT box can be rented for the same cost as a DVR / month, or not
> at all. It'd be so much cheaper for them to manage one box per household
> versus 2 or 3 DVRs per household.
>
That would be extremely expensive, much more than a set top box
because it would need to simultaneously decrypt every channel the user
gets.
>
> It's basically taking Verizon's FiOS Optical Network Terminal and expanding
> on it. Verizon's ONT can already output clear QAM for local HDs (IIRC), so
> adding it for other channels really isn't an issue.
>
I think the difference for FIOS is the channels they broadcast clear
QAM are not encrypted on fiber.
John
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