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cablecards - question

S

sdadept

Limp Gawd
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Jul 3, 2004
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433
does a cablecard unscramble all channels or is it told which channel you want unscrambled and it only outputs that channel?

the reason I ask is that if I put a cablecard in the following configuration

cable line in -> cable card -> htpc

could my htpc record say 5 channels at once? Or does the htpc have to tell the cablecard which channel it wants to unscramble at any given time?
 
the cablecard will only tune one channel at a time. If you want to record multiple channels, you will need multiple cable cards. Not only that, but they are proprietary and will only work in a cable-card specific htpc.

Add in the crappy support for cable-cards, the fact that many, if not all, cable companies are planning to move to a different digital transmission that isn't compatible with the current iteration of cable cards and IMO cable cards are fighting a loosing battle.

At this point in time I would rather get a HDPVR, but even that has a downside at $180-200 per tuner :rolleyes:
 
so I was reading through the cablecard spec and it says that you can record 2 and watch 1 channel through one at a time. What am I missing? My original question still applies.
 
From the various things i have read and information compiled on the subject only 1 cable card can record or watch 1 channel only. the version 2.0 cable cards are able to do up to 5 channels but are still a ways off.
 
Another issue with cable card is that the recivers are pretty much tied to cable card pcs. You can't just buy a cable card tuner and hook it into any media center machine. If you hook one of the cable card tuners(currently the ati ones) into another machine the cable card support is disabled. It will work as a standard tuner only. Durning the setup it will bitch and say that the cable card feature is not supported on the current system.
 
The cablecard (aka OCUR) is essentially a TV Tuner card with the decryption engine for cable channels.

Therefore, like any TV Tuner card, 1 tuner = 1 channel. Some tuners are hybrid or dual tuner capable which means they can handle multiple inputs (i.e. 1 ATSC signal and 1 NTSC signal), but that requires mulitple lines coming into it.

To my knowledge, there are no OCUR cards that are combo tuners, therefore, 1 OCUR Tuner = 1 Cable channel.

There is M-OCUR whic allows you to bring Multiple OCUR signals in for decode, but I don't know of any cards that support this yet.
 
I have seen three different types of cards from Scientific Atlanta.

To the best of my recollection,
The blue labeled or "S" card, which is one stream , one way card.
The Green " M" card, which is two streams in and can handle two tuners,but has no reverse capabilities.

Then the White multi stream card that can also talk back so you can get the guide services,On demand video services etc.

Both the blue and green I have seen used with TIVO's, so there may be more info there
 
The single tuner will only tune one channel, regardless of it being cable card or not.
 
I thought ATI's latest digital ccard tuner had TWO tuners and the card can hold permission for accessing whatever service you bought... HBO/Showtime/etc. All the cablecard CARD does is hold some encrption keys/permission info to allow the cablecard reader equiped system to access the data.

I can't see them making a single tuner board with two digital cable tuners to implement a DVR settop box with a single ccard slot, and yet require a second card to activate the second onboard tuner?

So far that ATI tuner is only available bundled with a complete system from an OEM. Very frustrating. But at least its a start. And apparently it allows the dual tuner to work flawlessly with Vista Media center.... VMC if I understand correctly wont work voluntarily with clearQAM for TV, seems MSoft has some agreement with the cable industry to fight the future. :eek::rolleyes::p
 
TV Pack adds support for QAM. :rolleyes:

ATI's CableCard tuner is only a single tuner. :rolleyes:
 
The ATI Digital Cable Tuner is a SINGLE tuner that will only tune one channel at a time, regardless of what type of CableCARD is present. If you want to tune multiple streams, you need multiple ATI tuners.

It's not cheap nor is Vista MC problem-free but it is hands-down the best setup to integrate all of your media. I'm running a dual-CableCARD setup and absolutely love it.
 
ok, so comcast swears that the cable card they are sending me can do 2 channels and that it will work with my tivo series 3 hd dvr. I have it ordered, I'll post the results here after I get it.
 
2 Channels maybe with their STBs, I doubt a Tivo will do it but I could be wrong.
 
The tech just left and I now have the multi-stream cable card (what they called it) in my tivo series 3 hd dvr. It can do as many channels as the tivo can do (and in HD at that). According to the tech that installed it, the card just supplies the unlock key. Anyway, with this single cable card, I am recording 2 HD channels at once right now and it is all working flawlessly. I'm pleased!
 
Well, congratulations on getting it to work!

Of course, not I'm just ticked off more that they allow Tivo's to work this way yet those of us who use PC-based DVRs constantly get jerked around :mad:
 
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