MythTV and Comcast.
Written by Luke MacNeil   
Sunday, 08 July 2007
MythTV is amazing. Really. Amazing. I don't have a single bad thing to say about MythTV. Comcast on the other hand.... So I'm sure everyone has heard about the terrestrial migration to digital cable. I think it's a good thing. Free up some frequencies, use better ones for entertainment. I dig that.

But comcast.. what the fuck.

The FCC requires cable companies to pass on some digital channels unencrypted. So comcast does that. The only thing is... there aren't that many. The rest of the channels comcast encrypts with 5C encryption.

Why do I care?

Because at the moment I'm using NTSC tuner cards to record analog television. Soon, there will be no analog television, so my setup won't work. I could get some QAM tuner cards, fair enough... and with them record the unencrypted channels, but the rest of them..no. Comcast makes you rent their set top box to decrypt their programming. Won't even sell me the set top box. They force you to rent it.

This is starting to get rediculous, and we aren't doing anything about it.

I'm a consumer, and I buy things. When I want something, I get it. When I do that, I should be able to do whatever I want with what I buy. Now I'm being insulted by this monopolistic dynasty. And it's not only comcast. All of them are doing it. Aren't supposed to mod the Microsoft Xbox, can't use the iphone on non cingular networks, DRM on DVDs and Digital Music.. This is bullshit, and we need to do something about it. If business started pulling this crap 200 years ago, we'd be throwing a lot more than tea in the river.
Comments
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This is true.
luke (SAdministrator) 2007-09-13 03:41:39
Yes, You're right. But luckily, I can record the regular broadcast channels in
HD. That's all I really watch anyway. Just glad they came through with Schedules
Direct.
Reply
yes and no
goji (132.177.119.xxx) 2007-09-12 18:38:39
It is true that the MythTV guys established Schedules Direct, however the above
rant has to do with decrypting individual channel broadcasts (so that he can
record them with mythtv).

having tv listing data in XML format doesn't help if
you can't decrypt the channels you want to record on.
Reply
The MythTV Guys are on it.
Luke (205.156.188.xxx) 2007-07-15 21:36:10
I read an article today that the Mythtv guys are getting the paperwork ready for
a new nonprofit that's going to provide the tv listing data in XML format. I
knew they would come through.
Reply
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