CableCard Available?

JJDetroit · ‎02-02-2009

Is u-Verse offering CableCards now? I'm setting up a new Win7 Media Center PC, and ordered a Ceton digital tuner for it. I thought all cable companies had to offer CableCards, but when I called just now about returning a Set-Top Box and getting a CableCard, I was told u-Verse doesn't offer them.

JefferMC · ‎11-16-2009

AT&T is not a "Cable Company." Their technology is not compatible with CableCards.

That Don Guy · ‎11-30-2010

JJDetroit wrote:
Is u-Verse offering CableCards now? I'm setting up a new Win7 Media Center PC, and ordered a Ceton digital tuner for it. I thought all cable companies had to offer CableCards, but when I called just now about returning a Set-Top Box and getting a CableCard, I was told u-Verse doesn't offer them.

That's because, if I understand how U-Verse works correctly, it uses a method along the lines of Switched Digital Video (where, instead of the cablecompany sending you all of the channels at once and having each tuner choose one to show/record, the boxes send a signal to the head end and the head end sends back just the requested channels) - and just like with SDV, it would require additional hardware to get a CableCard to work properly with a digital cable tuner, since it needs the ability to send a signal from you to the head end. SDV tuners are proprietary, and I am under the impression that AT&T's interest in U-Verse is not high enough to warrant putting money into developing a device that few people would actually use (and this assumes that it is even possible with the existing technology).

JJDetroit · ‎02-02-2009

>>Their technology is not compatible with CableCards.

So what would I need to send an STB signal into my PC, then?

aviewer · ‎03-11-2010

JJDetroit - Match the input for the Ceton to an output of the STB - coax (analog ch3) composite, component or S-video.

bugmenot121 · ‎03-04-2012

That Don Guy wrote:
JJDetroit wrote:
Is u-Verse offering CableCards now? I'm setting up a new Win7 Media Center PC, and ordered a Ceton digital tuner for it. I thought all cable companies had to offer CableCards, but when I called just now about returning a Set-Top Box and getting a CableCard, I was told u-Verse doesn't offer them.
That's because, if I understand how U-Verse works correctly, it uses a method along the lines of Switched Digital Video (where, instead of the cablecompany sending you all of the channels at once and having each tuner choose one to show/record, the boxes send a signal to the head end and the head end sends back just the requested channels) - and just like with SDV, it would require additional hardware to get a CableCard to work properly with a digital cable tuner, since it needs the ability to send a signal from you to the head end. SDV tuners are proprietary, and I am under the impression that AT&T's interest in U-Verse is not high enough to warrant putting money into developing a device that few people would actually use (and this assumes that it is even possible with the existing technology).

I think so.

The technician was telling me that AT&T's TV signal goes through the internet, even though it uses the same wire that cable TV uses.

In addition, my cable TV provider would send me all the channels at once, and the box would magically decode them. AT&T's box "calls" for the channel when I tune to it.

JJDetroit · ‎02-02-2009

>>Match the input for the Ceton to an output of the STB - coax (analog ch3) composite, component or S-video.

The Ceton requires a CableCard to work, so I can't make a "direct" hookup to an STB.

aviewer · ‎03-11-2010

Then you need to get a different one -
http://sewelldirect.com/articles/PCtoTV.aspx

aviewer · ‎03-11-2010

oops - I think the Sewell is primarily for output from the PC to the TV. Although they do have a broad range of products.

The two big names for input to the PC from the STB are hauppage and elgato. Although, there are many others.

JJDetroit · ‎02-02-2009

>>The two big names for input to the PC from the STB are hauppage and elgato.

Yeah, I'm thinking about a Hauppauge Colossus.

aviewer · ‎03-11-2010

The Colossus is the first unit I have seen with an HDMI input. The U-verse STB may or may not pass some or all or none of the programming because it seems more sensitive to copy protection than other boxes.

If you go for one please be sure to share ypour experience - both good and bad.

That Don Guy · ‎11-30-2010

The documentation for the Colossus even warns you that HDMI input is probably copy protected - personally, I have a Hauppauge HD PVR using the component outputs from a UVerse (non-DVR) STB, and have had no problems with it (and this involves passing the audio and video to the PC through a USB port). I would expect at least the same quality from a dedicated PC card like the Colossus.

JefferMC · ‎11-16-2009

That Don Guy wrote:
That's because, if I understand how U-Verse works correctly, it uses a method along the lines of Switched Digital Video (where, instead of the cablecompany sending you all of the channels at once and having each tuner choose one to show/record, the boxes send a signal to the head end and the head end sends back just the requested channels) - and just like with SDV, it would require additional hardware to get a CableCard to work properly with a digital cable tuner, since it needs the ability to send a signal from you to the head end. SDV tuners are proprietary, and I am under the impression that AT&T's interest in U-Verse is not high enough to warrant putting money into developing a device that few people would actually use (and this assumes that it is even possible with the existing technology).

I guess you could call it SDV. It's video encapsulated in multicasted Internet Protocol packets, which are being carried through a packet switched network.

However, Microsoft has demonstrated the MediaRoom technology processing the IPTV signal in a PC (which is not a great leap of faith, as the feature has been delivered within the Uverse system on an XBOX). Given a fast enough PC, all it takes is software... and some decryption keys.

As to when AT&T might be interested in allowing subscribers to have this wonderful feature is anyone's guess.

JefferMC · ‎11-16-2009

bugmenot121 wrote:

I think so.

The technician was telling me that AT&T's TV signal goes through the internet, even though it uses the same wire that cable TV uses.

In addition, my cable TV provider would send me all the channels at once, and the box would magically decode them. AT&T's box "calls" for the channel when I tune to it.

U-verse's IPTV signal doesn't actually go through the Internet. It goes through AT&T's private network to your RG and into your home's private network. It uses the Internet Protocol, just like true Internet traffic, but it doesn't actually go through the Internet.

And, yes, your DVR and STB request (via the RG) that the VRAD send the IP multicast streams to your house that they need and tell them to stop when no longer needed.