Cablecards do not support HD or Premium channels
1 - 20 of 35 Posts
Joined
·
9,953 Posts
The point of CableCards is to provide authentication for any channel the cable system elects to encrypt to control unauthorized access to. Cable systems are required to provide an option for just basic cable, just broadcast analog channels and public access channels. Therefore, in many areas, anything else, even the most basic cable channels like TBS and CNN, require authentication, to ensure that viewers have paid the higher fees associated with the additional channels. CableCards bridge that gap.
Having said that, my CableCards have no problem working with HD and premium channels.
Having said that, my CableCards have no problem working with HD and premium channels.
You were talking with a confused person. CableCARDs sole purpose in life is to decode encrypted channels (well, providing channel maps is another purpose but lets leave that on the back burner for now).Joybob said:
Unfortunately, you are not the first to deal with confused reps.
They are not confused at all. Those of us who have been given CableCards have our High Def and Premium channels shut off despite the fact that we pay for access to them.ah30k said:
My question is, again, is there any specific FCC mandate saying that they are not permitted to do this.
Joined
·
6,511 Posts
Yes. They ARE confused, and it sounds like your whole cable company is being run by confused people.
The cable companies have been told by the Feds that they MUST provide cable cards to sub for cable boxes.
They do NOT have the option of giving you cards that don't replace a cable box. (If the cards aren't getting you HD and premium channels, what ARE they getting you, by the way?)
The only cable companies that are excempt from the "must provide cable cards" rule are smaller "Mom'n'Pop" type cable systems.
If YOUR cable company is providing cards, they HAVE TO make them do the job a cable box would. (Possible exclusion? Cable systems using switched video. )
The cable companies have been told by the Feds that they MUST provide cable cards to sub for cable boxes.
They do NOT have the option of giving you cards that don't replace a cable box. (If the cards aren't getting you HD and premium channels, what ARE they getting you, by the way?)
The only cable companies that are excempt from the "must provide cable cards" rule are smaller "Mom'n'Pop" type cable systems.
If YOUR cable company is providing cards, they HAVE TO make them do the job a cable box would. (Possible exclusion? Cable systems using switched video. )
Joined
·
18,711 Posts
Perhaps you could give us more details--which cable company/location for starters.Joybob said:
There are thousands of use who use cablecards, and get HD, HBO, etc. Your blanket statement doesn't speak for me. But with more info, perhaps we can illuminate your problem. And with any luck, resolve it! :up:
Joined
·
19,382 Posts
yep, step 1 is to determine if your cable company has a waiver from the FCC mandate on cable cards.astrohip said:
if they did though, chances are they would not even provide a cable card versus have to do all the work and overhaead to support cable card but tehn not have a way to sell you HD or premium channels. That just makes no sense from a monetary perspective by the cable company. Something is indeed confused and specifics are needed to determine the actual situation you are facing.
If they shut off your premium services it is NOT because the CableCARDs do not support them it is because they f^%'ed up your account setup and did not enable those channels on your CableCARD address. Totally separate issue from the nonsense that the cards do not support those channels.Joybob said:
Joined
·
19,001 Posts
Mostly. If you cable company is large enough, they have to do it. It doesn't have to be cheap but it does have to work. Now, if your company is small, they can get a waiver and not be required to support cablecards. If they support them at all, say in their own Set to box, I think they have to do the same for you and they have to charge the same feeds for you as they do for their own box. That means the level of service fees, not the cablecard fees.Joybob said:
Joined
·
9,953 Posts
There is nothing in CableCards that is tied to the nature of a channel. What channels the CableCard enables for you versus doesn't enable for you is NOT encoded in the CableCard, but is configured at the cable system head-end. We cannot answer the question you're asking because it doesn't necessarily apply to the way CableCards actually work.Joybob said:
Joined
·
105 Posts
Joybob -- I think, but don't know for sure, that it is OK for them to not offer HD & premiums through cable card (with the exception being HD Locals).
I base my reasoning off of TimeWarner here in WI, who does not offer ESPN2HD and a few other channels to CableCard subscribers. The general consensus around here is that it is anticipation of SDV -- better to never have offered them than to offer and then revoke.
If TW can not offer me a default channel in the HD tier (that I pay for), I imagine any company can pick and choose so long as you are aware and agree.
That's just my guess though. I don't have any literature to back that up.
n
I base my reasoning off of TimeWarner here in WI, who does not offer ESPN2HD and a few other channels to CableCard subscribers. The general consensus around here is that it is anticipation of SDV -- better to never have offered them than to offer and then revoke.
If TW can not offer me a default channel in the HD tier (that I pay for), I imagine any company can pick and choose so long as you are aware and agree.
That's just my guess though. I don't have any literature to back that up.
n
We are being given 1 Scard per person total which only allows access to digital channels but not HD and premium. (I am being charged for them however.gastrof said:
They do not have a waiver for the Cablecard mandate.
I still need a link to an FCC regulation that says that I should be given access to HD channels. (They do not use SDV).
All the reps and the people who have had these cards installed have said that they are not allowed access to the premium and HD channels. The reps say it is a limitation on the cards; but clearly that cannot be the case.
We are speaking about Onelink Communications in Puerto Rico. All FCC rules apply the same in Puerto Rico as in the United States. Their cable boxes are supplied by Scientific Atlanta and the DVR box they supply does carry a M-Card which when plugged into a Tivo permits access to premium and HD channels. What I'm asking is if they're required to A. Sell more than 1 card and B. Sell the same card their DVR's come equipped with, which allow access to premium channels.
And I'll answer whatever other questions you might have.
Joined
·
8,417 Posts
There's no TECHNICAL reason they are doing this. Perhaps they just don't have enough cards and they're "saving" them for people who need them for digital cable? Otherwise, why limit them to 1x person?
Sounds like you're dealing with a pretty f'ed up company...
Sounds like you're dealing with a pretty f'ed up company...
I would ask for a cable box and a cable card.
Take the cable card out of the box (which gets your premiums), and put it in your TiVo. Take the cable card out of your TiVo and put it in the cable box.
Call them and tell them you no longer want the cable box. They will take it away, leaving you with a TiVo that gets all of the premium channels.
Take the cable card out of the box (which gets your premiums), and put it in your TiVo. Take the cable card out of your TiVo and put it in the cable box.
Call them and tell them you no longer want the cable box. They will take it away, leaving you with a TiVo that gets all of the premium channels.
File a complaint with the FCC, only takes a few minutes.
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints_general.html
My cable company gave me a free STB for one year so I could watch the channels, but that is hardly a solution.
Either way, the more complaints on file the better the chance that the FCC will take action.
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints_general.html
My cable company gave me a free STB for one year so I could watch the channels, but that is hardly a solution.
Either way, the more complaints on file the better the chance that the FCC will take action.
1 - 20 of 35 Posts
