High Defnition without a Cable Card

[suehubb]

I live in a retirement communityof about 400 units with its own cable system. The system's antennas are three "dishes" which feed signals into a central "head end" where the signals are amplified and converted to QAM cable frequencies. Cables from the "head end" distribute both standard and high definition (HD) TV signals. Since there is no encryption, everyone receives all 113 TV channels on the cable. Those with analog TVs receive the standard definition stations and those with digital TVs receive both standard and high definition stations. "Set top boxes" or "cable cards" are not required.

An HD TiVo requires a cable card to operate on high definition signals. Although HD channels can be viewed and recording set up MANUALLY, TiVo's features to search for programs by name and use the channel listing to schedule future recording only work on the standard channels. For example, even though Channel 9 (KQED standard) and channel 9.1 (KQED-HD) show identical programs, TiVo only "knows" the program schedule for channel 9.

Our cable system currently provides the residents with a broad selection of standard and high definition TV at a reasonable cost. Implementing cable cards or set top boxes) would be very expensive and would not improve the TV service unless a resident had TiVo.

TiVo has not been receptive to requests to make a change that will support high definition without cable cards.

Is there another solution?

Thanks,

Sue

[socrplyr]

The only other solution is to change the PSIP data. This data tells the TV and Tivo what channel number to show (right now it shows 9.1 for KQED for you). If they were to make that number 209 instead of 9.1 and publish the data that KQED HD is on channel 209, then the Tivo will correctly associate the guide data from what I hear.

[ThAbtO]

The cable cards are used to decode encrypted cable signals not for HD channels/signals.

I use Over-the-Air only on the Tivo HD and have 38 of 40 channels with 99% of those with guide data. KQED 9.1, 9.2 is showing KTEH, 9.3 PBS World.

[fyodor]

I believe that the Moxi HD-DVR supports the mapping of QAM signals to channel data. It's considerably more expensive up-front, but doesn't have monthly service charges.

Depending on your technology comfort level you could set up a SageTV or Windows Media Center computer to work as a DVR. I imagine you could put together a decent system for $400-500.

F

I live in a retirement communityof about 400 units with its own cable system. The system's antennas are three "dishes" which feed signals into a central "head end" where the signals are amplified and converted to QAM cable frequencies. Cables from the "head end" distribute both standard and high definition (HD) TV signals. Since there is no encryption, everyone receives all 113 TV channels on the cable. Those with analog TVs receive the standard definition stations and those with digital TVs receive both standard and high definition stations. "Set top boxes" or "cable cards" are not required.

An HD TiVo requires a cable card to operate on high definition signals. Although HD channels can be viewed and recording set up MANUALLY, TiVo's features to search for programs by name and use the channel listing to schedule future recording only work on the standard channels. For example, even though Channel 9 (KQED standard) and channel 9.1 (KQED-HD) show identical programs, TiVo only "knows" the program schedule for channel 9.

Our cable system currently provides the residents with a broad selection of standard and high definition TV at a reasonable cost. Implementing cable cards or set top boxes) would be very expensive and would not improve the TV service unless a resident had TiVo.

TiVo has not been receptive to requests to make a change that will support high definition without cable cards.

Is there another solution?

Thanks,

Sue

[wmcbrine]

The cable cards are used to decode encrypted cable signalsThey are also used to map QAM channels from their real numbers to the virtual ones used in the lineup -- even for unencrypted channels. That's what the OP is talking about.