[mythtv-users] HDHR Prime queries

[Gary Buhrmaster]

On Thu, May 21, 2015 at 6:12 PM, James Miller <gajs-f0el at dea.spamcon.org> wrote:
....
> This is TWC, upper midwest.

TWC.  *sigh*.  I have good news and bad news.

The good news is that TWC is basically CableCARD
fluent, so activation should not be a great hassle
(as always, your experience will vary).

The bad news is that as part of TWC's MAXX rollout(*)(**),
they will complete the digital conversion (removing
the last remaining analogue) and then at/near the
same time encrypt all the channels (eliminating any
current Clear QAM channels), and then mark
everything (other than the OTAs?) with copy-once DRM.

TWC is one of the members of the club that is not
friendly to solutions that can not be certified to
provide strong content protections (i.e. open source
projects).  Recording DRM protected digital content is
currently limited to the providers STB, WMC, TiVo,
or when using MythTV the HD-PVR using the
analogue hole.  The alternative for some is to use the
"free for the first year" DTAs that TWC will be offering
in newly MAXX'd markets and record via the analog
output for a period.

Unfortunately, with the bad news, I think you may
need to rethink your long(er) term plans.

Gary

(*) While technically there is no tie between rolling
out the higher internet speeds promised with MAXX
and encrypting/protecting the channels, they have
chosen to do all at (about) the same time in
addition to removing the analogue channels (for
which there is justification to tie to the long term
need for increased bandwidth for MAXX).

(**) I am presuming that they reason you got
started down this path was due to TWC's
announcements of an (eventual) MAXX upgrade
in your area.  TWC has announced that upgrades
for most (although not all) markets are intended
to be complete in the next 12-18 months (with
some already done, some in progress, some
announced but not yet started).