Rant-Charter Spectrum CableCards support ends

[p37307]

In 2020, the FCC reversed a rule requiring cable companies to have CableCard support. (1. FCC drops rule requiring cable companies to provide CableCARDs)

Today, Charter Spectrum cable turned off support for CableCards, at least in my location. For over a year, they have been sending emails notifying me support was ending and offering limited trial of their so called cloud dvr, but. today that day finally came. Thus ends decades long recording hobby and habit.

I also used to record over-the-air but when we moved in 2019, our location gets zero stations, not even PBS! Prior to 2019, We used to live on the cusp of 3 major network DMA markets. Yes, there were a lot of duplicates but each market had unique stations. Here, we even installed a 40-foot antenna. We are in a valley at 512 feet above sea level and ridge where the signals come at is 742 feet above sea level. It doesn't help we are also surrounded by at least 700 feet above sea level 'mountain' peaks and more.

I guess we are beholden to commercial systems and services. 

This really bums me out. I still grieve over them shutting QAM off.

I know I said this was a rant, but I am leaving that unspoken out of respect for the NextPVR Mods. Just know I am violating every rule in the book with my unspoken rant.

It is what it is.  

[BrettB]

In 2020, the FCC reversed a rule requiring cable companies to have CableCard support. (1. FCC drops rule requiring cable companies to provide CableCARDs)

Today, Charter Spectrum cable turned off support for CableCards, at least in my location. For over a year, they have been sending emails notifying me support was ending and offering limited trial of their so called cloud dvr, but. today that day finally came. Thus ends decades long recording hobby and habit.

Paul: I'm really sorry for your loss!

It is super annoying that the FCC changed the requirements for CableCard support allowing the cable companies to go back to having a monopoly on providing the hardware/software for consuming their service. So far, Xfinity (Comcast) here hasn't been threatening to cut off CableCards (although I'm not sure that you can get new ones at this time). But, as soon as they do, I will be completely getting rid of them. I've already replaced my Xfinity Internet and mobile (cell phone) services.

-Brett

[BrettB]

I also used to record over-the-air but when we moved in 2019, our location gets zero stations, not even PBS! Prior to 2019, We used to live on the cusp of 3 major network DMA markets. Yes, there were a lot of duplicates but each market had unique stations. Here, we even installed a 40-foot antenna. We are in a valley at 512 feet above sea level and ridge where the signals come at is 742 feet above sea level. It doesn't help we are also surrounded by at least 700 feet above sea level 'mountain' peaks and more.

Do you know if there is any chance that broadcasters moving to ATSC 3.0 (and co-locating/sharing transmitters) might end up giving you some OTA coverage? (I don't recall which part of the country you live in.) At my place in Asheville, I think that will be the case.

[mvallevand]

ATSC 3.0 probably won't replace cable card though and local broadcaster even DRM local channels and I don't see that changing. Local viewers who use personal "open"" PVR probably have a right to rant but their market is tiny. TiVo couldn't lobby for cablecard for a much larger audience to the same ears in government.

We never had cable card but here in Canada but I never really needed it since NextPVR works pretty well with a HDPVR, an STB and a blaster. Used HDPVR are pretty cheap, and HDMI grabbers are even cheaper. In combination with OTA recordings (we don't have ATSC 3 DRM) the setup works pretty well. Our cable provider just dropped legacy cable so my monthly charge for 5 devices was zero so the life cycle cost was cheaper than cable card. I don't know what your STBs rent for there but they would be $7.50 a month here. The box I use is the same as Comcast and I have two of them and they are really stable with NextPVR. To add to the rant though these boxes should be able to be purchased or at least rent to own like they used to do with the legacy boxes. In bulk they can't cost more than one years rental.

Martin

[p37307]

I'd rather lobby for better OTA access where I live than cablecards, but local broadcasters are DRM'ing their ATSC3 channels, at least the primary stations. So far, the big 3 are co-sharing.

I have two Hauppauge quad-cards for OTA. I'm going to setup a card in my brother's computer, who lives in a metro area with great signal, and setup remote recording. He has fiber, so internet shouldn't be an issue. That should provide me with a full OTA experience again until they hit the ATSC 3 switch for everything. Right now, you don't need an ATSC 3 tuner and probably won't for a while.

Spectrum is in the process of dropping cable TV completely and going to bundle streaming devices, so, it was just a matter of time anyway. Setting up STB's won't work when they do that. It's not worth the hassle when I can drop a tuner in my brother's' box. I should've done that 4 or 5 years ago.

Either way, we'll be hitting the switch on Spectrum cable now and giggle every time a report is on the news about them losing subscribers.

[BrettB]

I have two Hauppauge quad-cards for OTA. I'm going to setup a card in my brother's computer, who lives in a metro area with great signal, and setup remote recording. He has fiber, so internet shouldn't be an issue. That should provide me with a full OTA experience again until they hit the ATSC 3 switch for everything.

That will probably work fairly well for you. I've got fiber 1G/1G Internet at home with a VPN to my place in Asheville. It is very usable to run uidroid client on TVs there connecting over the VPN to the server in Minnesota. It really doesn't feel any different than using the client at home.

[hdpvr-doug8796]

You can use spectrum on channels dvr and pop it back into nextpvr

[mvallevand]

You can use spectrum on channels dvr and pop it back into nextpvr

How is ChannelsDVR getting Spectrum or are you just talking the TV Everywhere rip?

Martin

[hdpvr-doug8796]

You can use spectrum on channels dvr and pop it back into nextpvr

How is ChannelsDVR getting Spectrum or are you just talking the TV Everywhere rip?

Martin

CC4C - Chrome capture for channels - it works for all the streaming sites, spectrum is especially easy.

[mvallevand]

With that you actually don't need ChannelsDVR, except perhaps for TVEverywhere. HDMI capture with blasters with NextPVR is higher quality and lower overhead.

Martin