Will an NTSC and ATSC tuner card work with Comcast Digital Cable?

[trevomatic]

Since Comcast switched over to digital, our old TIVO series 2 doesn't pick up half the stations, so we had to get a cable box from Comcast. Right now, I have it set up so that the TIVO talks to the Cable Box with the IR emitter that came with the TIVO, but its performance is very lackluster, it doesn't change the channels for recording, and barely changes the channel when we use the remote.

So I set out to build a PVR with a PC, but now Im reading a lot about ATSC / NTSC tuner cards not working with all of the Comcast channels. Is this right? Do I need a Tuner card that accepts a CableCard?

I would appreciate any help on this matter

Trevor

 

[lilfleck]

Since Comcast switched over to digital, our old TIVO series 2 doesn't pick up half the stations, so we had to get a cable box from Comcast. Right now, I have it set up so that the TIVO talks to the Cable Box with the IR emitter that came with the TIVO, but its performance is very lackluster, it doesn't change the channels for recording, and barely changes the channel when we use the remote.

So I set out to build a PVR with a PC, but now Im reading a lot about ATSC / NTSC tuner cards not working with all of the Comcast channels. Is this right? Do I need a Tuner card that accepts a CableCard?

I would appreciate any help on this matter

Trevor

I also have Comcast; also have a PC w/ a tuner. You can use the tuner w/ the set top box but it will be the same situation as your TIVO w/ the IR blaster.

Comcast encrypts most of the "free" digital channels. You will literally only be able to get 4-5 (I know it's less than ten).

CableCard will work with a tuner that has a slot for it, unfortunately I dont know of one you can buy. The only thing I know that you can get is a premade media center PC that has a cablecard slot to put into. It is a very expensive solution.

There is discussion going on now with the Cable companies regarding CableCards. By law (an old one actually, from the 70's), Cable companies are not allowed to encrypt any channels that are locally broadcasted (ABC, CBS, NBC, etc.) but Comcast does it anyway. Additionally, they aren't supposed to have a monopoly on the way we use the cable subscription (the digital cable box they rip us off with).

Take a look at the following links:
http/www.geektonic.com/2009/09/multi-channel-cablecard-tuner-for.html
http/www.missingremote.com/index.p...=4098&Itemid=1
http/community.winsupersite.com/bl...ia-center.aspx
http/www.engadgethd.com/2009/09/09...m-requirement/
http/www.microsoft.com/Presspass/p...MCCEDIAPR.mspx