[mythtv-users] Comcast encrypting World Series on FoxHD

[Gary Buhrmaster]

On Tue, Nov 11, 2014 at 7:10 PM, Bob Shanteau <rmshant at gmail.com> wrote:
....
> Channel 706 (not viewable in MythTV over firewire from STB)
> CCI: 0x02

Copy once.  Not going to be able to be recorded by anything
that does not have a protected path implementation (i.e.
WMC or TiVo or a provider DVR box).

If channel 706 is one of the OTA channels, Comcast is
mis-marking it per stated corporate policy.  You will need to
spend the time explaining this at least 3 times (once to
the CSR that will likely not understand it, once to the
supervisor that may understand the concept but cannot
do anything about it (which will be a true statement), and
once to the escalation engineer who should understand it,
but will need to work with the local market engineer to fix the
marking).  Note that 3 is the (likely) lower bound.  Expect
a much higher number in real life.  To minimize the confusion,
stick to the vocabulary that Comcast can understand such
as CCI flags, and other SCTE/CableLabs terms.  Try to
avoid bringing up firewire, or MythTV (they are distractions),
although if the Comcast engineer asks why it matters, let
them know.  Some (many) are interested in things like Linux
and MythTV, and one can end up in long tangential conversations
on such subjects.  And, you will need to be persistent.  Good
luck.

> I don't know whether the content on FOXHD, CBSHD and so forth is being
> blocked by MythTV or is simply not being output by the STB.

MythTV does not (can not) implement a true protected
path implementation, and does not try.  The STB is doing
the blocking to prevent recording of the content (based on the
flags).

> The Comcast guy also said that the flags are provided by the content
> providers (the networks in this case) and that Comcast does not change them.

You have been slightly misinformed.  CCI flags are set by the MSO
(Comcast).  They are set based on negotiated contracts (HBO,
Showtime, etc. contracts usually require CCI=0x02).  OTAs are
usually set to CCI=0x00, but it is possible to contract anything
if one is using the "consent" approach for the station carriage.
So while it is the content provider contract that matters in what
should be set, Comcast is setting the flags in their equipment.

It is not unknown for some franchises to get the flags wrong.
And, since probably 99% of the customers are using a Comcast
STB (or another protected path device), no one notices, and no
one cares.  Until you do.  Once the information of the mis-marking
gets to the right people it gets fixed, but it has been reported to
have taken weeks as it bounces around the organization
(Comcast is large, lots of different responsibilities).

> Huh? All hdhomerun_config shows is whether the channel is encrypted or not
> (they all are). I don't know how to find the "vstatus for that tuner."
> Locate does not find a file "vstatus*" on my system.

It is one of the variables one can "get" via hdhomerun_config.
Try 'hdhomerun_config <device> get help' for a list of what
you can get (or just read the source, it is easier that way).