Comcast and Cable Cards

[RGHessel]

Big, enormous apologies to start of, cuz I am sure this info can be culled elsewhere. Alas, my 10 minute of searches found lots of stuff, but my teensy-weensy little brain remains confused.

I am a current Series 2 TiVo user with Comcast digital Cable.

A couple of basic questions about TiVo Series 3 and Comcast:

[1] To get two cable cards from Comcast, do I just call them up and they come out and shove them into the back of my new S3 TiVo (once I actually get one)? I've read lots of "horror stories" with other providers, so I'm confused why it's potentially such a big deal. Just cuz cable companies all s*ck, or is there more to it than that?

[2] On a more basic and fundamental level, I've read the S3 FAQ and see that cable cards aren't required to use an S3. Can someone quickly explain to me what functionality having the cable cards provides (other than allowing you to get rid of the set top box and record two channels simultaneously)?

Thanks for your patience!

[talmania]

I have Comcast and yes you just call them and they'll come out to do the install and coordinate enabling the access codes on your account. I think it's a big deal because it's relatively new technology for them. I've had a cablecard installed on my television and it was a flawless process. Took all of about 5 minutes and it works great.

The cable cards will allow you to view all digital cable channels that Comcast provides (anything past channel 99). If you only have basic cable then there would be no need for the cablecards.

Hope that helps.

[hube]

When you say digital channels does that include the HD stations as well? I assume yes, I just question it because when ordering through comcast you have to get HD in addition to what they call digital. Which make them sound like different beasts

[jscozz]

No CableCard is needed to get basic channels on Comast in NTSC, SD Digital and the in-the-clear HD channels (locals). But, you will not have them on the channels you want them on... they will be on the channels they are broadcast on. You just have to find them.

[HomieG]

No CableCard is needed to get basic channels on Comast in NTSC, SD Digital and the in-the-clear HD channels (locals). But, you will not have them on the channels you want them on... they will be on the channels they are broadcast on. You just have to find them.


If the SD Digital channels are encrypted, then you will need a CableCARD, correct?

[Stephen Tu]

Yes, you need CableCard for anything encrypted (which SD digital almost always is). Also, according to the FAQ, since it doesn't support manual QAM ch mapping (which changes with some frequency in many areas, making it a pain to update even if this was later added), in order to use guide/season pass/wishlist for those channels you'd need CableCard. W/O cablecard you'd be limited to hunting down the channel manually & setting a manual record.

So S3, w/o Cablecard, is only really usable at this point for digital/analog OTA purposes + analog cable. Plan on getting 2 Cablecards if you get one in the near future for any digital cable usage. (Reports are that using 1 only Cablecard cripples it into a single tuner machine, asymmetric operation not yet supported).

[jscozz]

If the SD Digital channels are encrypted, then you will need a CableCARD, correct?

Correct.

In my last couple months of waiting for S3 I have been quite happy with my new HDTV, no cable card and full local HD and large # of digital SD for free (my apt complex includes basic cable in the rent). Except when I need to watch a Tivo'ed show from DTivo via S-Video on 1080 LCD... then I remember why I am looking forward to S3.