[mythtv-users] Seeking advice on transition to Ceton InfiniTV

[Gary Buhrmaster]

On Mon, Dec 31, 2012 at 1:37 PM, Craig Huff <huffcslists at gmail.com> wrote:
> .....  I am
> currently running a pair of PVR-500s drawing video feeds from a
> three-pack of Comcast DTAs and a STB, but Comcast has just changed
> their pricing so I now have to pay $2/mo for each of the DTAs.

The good news is that Comcast is more enlightened than most,
so most channels other than the premiums can be recorded via
a CableCard device.

> Can anyone tell me if:
>     A) There's a rental cost from Comcast for the cablecard,

The first CableCard is "free", but that is currently inside
your STB (or the equivalent is inside the STB).  Each franchise
has their own pricing, so the prices are estimates, but typically
Comcast charges a few dollars/month per CableCard.

>     B) The rental cost for the cablecard would change if I upgrade to
> HD recording,

Each franchise has their own pricing, but typically Comcast charges
a few dollars ($5?) per month to enable your account for HD.  In some
franchises that is "per outliet" (i.e. per CableCard), in others it seems
to be once per account.  I do not know if Comcast will provision (the
first) CableCard without the HD fee these days.

>     C) Comcast has finally learned how to provision the cablecard for
> us "wierdos" that don't use it "right"

Every situation is unique (and each franchise will vary), but in general
it is as easy as going to the local office, collecting the CableCard,
and then activating it over the phone.  The problems that occur
usually are due to the CableCard is not properly staged, your account
is not properly associated with the correct head end, or the signal
arriving to the device is poor.  Most people report easy activation.
There are always the special cases.

>     D) I might need to upgrade my motherboard to support concurrently
> recording four HD streams

Recording digital streams requires little processing power, just the
ability to move the required number of bits/sec to the hard drive.
Even at the theoretical best, one HD stream is less than 40 megabits
per second (and usually less, since the MSOs multiplex multiple
streams on the same frequency).  Recording 4 HD streams seems
likely to be well within your system capabilities as long as you
follow the usual recommendations for balancing the disks.

Back to actual pricing, contact your local Comcast office.  There
are just too many franchise's for anyone else to know.

Gary