[mythtv-users] Can't tune to certain channels with HDHomeRun Prime

[Gary Buhrmaster]

On Mon, Oct 3, 2022 at 8:14 AM Scott Simpson <simpson1000 at live.com> wrote:
>
> Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS, mythtv-backend-master/jammy,jammy,now
> 2:32.0+fixes.202209121203.b6ef30288f~ubuntu22.04.1
>
> I recently moved from California (Comcast) to North Carolina (Spectrum)
> and I reconfigured my mythtv box (and upgraded to latest Ubuntu). I'm
> using an HDHomeRun Prime with a Spectrum provided cablecard. Everything
> seems to work fine for most channels. The low ones like NBC, CBS, etc
> work great. However, for many of the other channels I get errors when I
> try to record off them.

> These channels work fine in the HDHomeRun app on Windows. Thanks.

First, I presume you have, and have properly installed
and activated, the Tuning Adapter that came with your
CableCARD (it is a requirement to receive most channels
other than (typically) the OTAs in Charter franchises).

Since you mention that Live TV works in Windows, the
most likely thing is Charter's requirement of a protected
content path.

While Charter (branded as Spectrum) has location dependent
implementations(*), most of Charter's franchises that used to
be Time Warner Cable (aka L-TWC as in Legacy-TWC) set
the CableCARD flags to "copy-once" for all but the basic (OTA)
channels, which means that only implementations that support
and are certified to provide a protected content path can view
or record them using the digital recording path.  I believe (at
least part of) NC Charter locations are L-TWC franchises.

SiliconDust's app on Windows implements a protected path
(thanks to Windows itself supporting such a path) for viewing
live TV, but open source projects such as MythTV do not.
Note that SD itself does not support recording protected path
required content (it has been a stated goal since ~2015, but
has never shipped).

If one goes to the Prime's web page(s), and select Channel
Lineup, you will likely see most of the channels (other than
the OTAs and PEGs) have a DRM word on the right which is
SiliconDust's way to indicate that those channels require a
protected content path (technically all the channels have
a DRM marking, but only those marked copy-once or
copy-never get the DRM word on the device web page).

Comcast (branded as Xfinity) marked pretty much all
channels (premiums excepted) as "copy-freely", which is
why Comcast is considered to be more MythTV friendly.

The analogue hole still exists as a fully legal solution if you
wish to continue to use MythTV, but it is differently complex
than you are used to on Comcast.



(*) As stated, Charter is location dependent.  Those acquired
franchises that marked most content as "copy-freely" before
acquisitions are still mostly "copy-freely"(**)(***), and those that
marked most content as "copy-once" as still mostly "copy-once",
and L-TWC was mostly "copy-once", and (at least some parts
of) NC is L-TWC.

(**) L-BHN (Legacy BrightHouse Network) is a strange
aberration due to historical engineering, and while
old accounts with old packages may have most TV
channels marked as "copy-freely", if you change your
package (say to save money, or get newer channels
that are only in newer packages, or even to get higher
Internet speeds), you may end up with (mostly)
"copy-once".  Some people are choosing to pay more
or get less in order to not touch their package to keep
their "copy-freely" channels.

(***) There was some expectation that after Charter
completed their integrations they would mark all
content in all locations the same (no one was sure
what that would be) to make it easier to know what
is what, but that never happened, and now in a (very)
few locations, neighboring towns have different settings
because one was a L-TWC location, and one was
a L-Charter location.