Comcast switch to MPEG-4 - How to change config with least impact/hassle?

[mvallevand]

I uploaded a chunk of the first 25MB of a recording to dropbox: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2693...m-chunk.ts

That file shows your video and audio PIDS are marked with the scrambled bit. Interesting you can easily remux it and the data is fine.

Lots of CRC errors in the file too perhaps because of the flag.

The second audio track is interesting because the only way I can hear it easily is with NextPVR It is marked SPA but really it is descriptive video english.

Martin

[HarryH3]

Can you list out the channels you see that have changed? I have an hdhomerun prime and nextpvr setup and getting ready to move the intel nuc into the master bedroom as the cable box to get rid of the monthly comcast box...id like to try them and see if that works. I know in my master bedroom (has the low def cable box) and I lost spike tv and a few other channels to the HD world...

The channels totally depend on the market you live in. Comcast is rolling out h.264 on different schedules in different parts of the country. I haven't been able to find the schedule listed anywhere. We also lost Spike earlier this year, but that was because they moved it to a higher tier. (I.e. You need to pay for a LOT more channels to also get Spike now).

Silicon Dust just released a new firmware for the HDHR Prime. If you update it, then do a new scan from the device webpage (do NOT do a new scan from within NPVR!!!!) then all of the h.264 channels will show up with an AVC symbol listed next to them.

[HarryH3]

Thanks Martin! I suspected that it must be something that Comcast is doing wrong. I suppose that their rented boxes don't have a problem with it, or they would have fixed it by now. Interestingly, the HD HomeRun Prime does not list that channel as DRM'd, just AVC. I see fun times ahead with Comcast support. Perhaps I'll try to skip most of the scripted reading nonsense and just post in their direct support forum over at dslreports.com

[ga_mueller]

They finally finished the transition here. Everything is now h264 except for the basic cable local channels. It took about a month. There was no rhyme or reason to it.

[zdub303]

Thanks Martin! I suspected that it must be something that Comcast is doing wrong. I suppose that their rented boxes don't have a problem with it, or they would have fixed it by now. Interestingly, the HD HomeRun Prime does not list that channel as DRM'd, just AVC. I see fun times ahead with Comcast support. Perhaps I'll try to skip most of the scripted reading nonsense and just post in their direct support forum over at dslreports.com

Harry, did you ever figure out your problem? I am having the exact same issue on Comcast with only USAHD (621). HDHomeRun VIEW shows it just fine for me, leading me to believe it is a NextPVR issue, though its hard to understand why it's only the one channel...

Attaching logs from when I tried to Tune and Record around 5:15-5:30pm.

[HarryH3]

Not yet. I'm going to start a post in the Comcast Direct forum over at dslreports.com right now.

[HarryH3]

zdub303, Comcast is looking into it. They've already been in touch with me twice today and are escalating it to the folks that run the Houston area video system.

[zdub303]

Okay good deal. I'll keep checking in and see what you find out. My next USA recording is 12/1 but I'm expecting to miss it at this point...

[HarryH3]

Seems that lots of Cisco cable card users are seeing problems with MPEG4. Just got this response from Comcast Advanced support, who has been surprisingly helpful.

This issue is actually related to a national issue that is affecting some Cisco branded Cablecards and channels being delivered in MPEG4 format. Our national engineering teams continue to investigate this.

[zdub303]

Seems that lots of Cisco cable card users are seeing problems with MPEG4. Just got this response from Comcast Advanced support, who has been surprisingly helpful.

This issue is actually related to a national issue that is affecting some Cisco branded Cablecards and channels being delivered in MPEG4 format. Our national engineering teams continue to investigate this.

hm... it still bugs me though... why can HDHR decode and view the stream while NPVR cannot? If it was a Cablecard issue, wouldn't HDHR also be unable to view the channel?

Some progress here, looks like MPC-HC can decode the recording after all. might be an issue with the codecs im using to view liveTV with NPVR.