[mythtv-users] Comcast & Firewire STB's without 5C/Firewire equipment

[Mark Knecht]

On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 5:22 PM, Robert McNamara
<robert.mcnamara at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 5:14 PM, Mark Knecht <markknecht at gmail.com> wrote:
<SNIP>
>> 5) As for Firewire, the people at the counter called elsewhere to
>> determine that the 1394 interface is not supposed to be enabled by
>> default and can be disabled remotely if they find you are using it but
>> not paying for it. To get it enabled you have to pay the additional
>> $6.99 to allow the STB to drive a second digital device. She didn't
>> know anything about FCC laws so possibly this is true or not true.
>>
>
> Again, total bullshit.  The firewire is exactly like any other video
> output in most respects.  There is no way for them to tell if you are
> grabbing video from an unencrypted feed, *they* are the ones blasting
> it out the port.  Sounds like someone didn't know their asses from a
> hole in the wall and would prefer to charge you than learn anything.
>
> Not trying to make *you* feel silly, I'm angry on your behalf.  This
> kind of bullshit is intolerable.  I worked in a cable headend for a
> few years, this BS is atrocious.
>

I didn't think you were and I don't feel silly or stupid. I was just
gathering information and reporting it back as clearly as I can. If
it's garbage in to me then it will be garbage out.

If the design of the box simply takes tuned video, converts it to each
and every format in parallel and then spits it out of every port then
that's good. Having worked on 1394 for years before I quit silicon
Valley I can tell you that if they want to find out you are using 1394
they can. They can read the registers in the Phy layer of the STB and
see that a device is connected. If they want to they can then shut
their Phy off. It's one bit in the Phy's register set. Probably they
don't have much cause to do these things, but if they want to
everything is there, at least in a standard 1394 Phy layer interface.

I guess the issue then, assuming they don't shut off the 1394
interface, is whether the STB accepts tuning commands via 1394 or even
USB as someone suggested earlier. Then I wouldn't need the Blaster. I
do have a Blaster here to play with. I've just been scared of the task
of getting it running. I don't find the instructions on MythTV.org
very clear in this regard, but I fear that's just me.

Again, THANKS for the info.

Cheers,
Mark