FCC Regulation for Firewire / 1394 port on cable STB

[bogyver]

Hello Everyone
I'm getting digital cable installed today and I'm going to ask about getting a cable STB with a firewire port and it being enabled. I have a feeling that the cable company will be very resistant to giving me what I want. I know that there is a FCC regulation that says that they are required to provide me with a STB with firewire and it enabled it I ask. The problem is I dont know what the regulation is called or its number, or what ever its listed as. I will probably need to actually have a printed copy of the regulation to prove it, does any one know what the regulation is called so that way I can find it.
Thanks guys

[zehd]

Hello Everyone
I'm getting digital cable installed today and I'm going to ask about getting a cable STB with a firewire port and it being enabled. I have a feeling that the cable company will be very resistant to giving me what I want. I know that there is a FCC regulation that says that they are required to provide me with a STB with firewire and it enabled it I ask. The problem is I dont know what the regulation is called or its number, or what ever its listed as. I will probably need to actually have a printed copy of the regulation to prove it, does any one know what the regulation is called so that way I can find it.
Thanks guys

Perhaps you will be luckier in the States. In Canada, although, the CRTC (Canadian FCC) says something similar, my cable provider is protected under a different law that allows them to secure that and other ports due to network security issues. Apparently, when these ports are enabled, hackers are able to hack and get free PPV.

Not only are they permitted to be resistant, the yahoos that answer the phone (and I was one of them) haven't a clue what you're talking about, let alone how to do it...

Good Luck

[whurlston]

I believe it's part of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Mine have the firewire port enabled but everything is either 5c encrypted or has a broadcast flag set. The cable company is playing dumb in regards to the broadcast flag saying it must be already set when they get the feed. Of course, the broadcaster says the opposite. So basically I have active ports that are essentially useless for HTPC. Good luck.

[carpeVideo]

I have had 3 cable companies and 4 stb's and the firewire port has always been enabled without even asking. Some even don't encrypt the basic advertising supported cable channels (ie discovery etc.)

[bogyver]

Even if you got this hooked up then what? So can you access the SATA drive in the unit and does it show up as another HDD?

I don't think that I'm going to be getting a DVR STB, I don't even think that you can even access the drive or the videos on the DVR.
I at very lest want to be able to change the channel though the firewire interface, and hook up to the RCA outs and record.
What my hope is, I want to be able to record shows that are unencrypted on the firewire interface. I should be able to record local HD programing and maybe other channels that are on the digital signal part of my cable

[wtg]

I believe it's part of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Mine have the firewire port enabled but everything is either 5c encrypted or has a broadcast flag set. The cable company is playing dumb in regards to the broadcast flag saying it must be already set when they get the feed. Of course, the broadcaster says the opposite. So basically I have active ports that are essentially useless for HTPC. Good luck.

Strange whurlston, since you and I live in the same city and have the same cable company. My HD STB DVR's firewire port is active and I can record from it, though the list of channels and what I can record is a bit odd. I can record most local channels in HD, but not all broadcasts. For instance 5C encryption is turned on with the NFL HD broadcasts and some others. Other non-local HD channels are available for recording though, including TNTHD and a couple others. All of the premium channels have 5c turned on, and I assume PPV though I'm not sure if I've tried it. I never tried it with any of the non-HD channels so I don't know if 5c is turned on for them either.

Bottom line is I decided it wasn't dependable enough especially since some broadcasts were encrypted. I find it odd that the locals are carried in unencrypted QAM and recordable with the HDHomeRun, but none-the-less some broadcasts on the same channels aren't available via firewire, and that some channels not available via unencrypted QAM, such as TNTHD, are not encrypted via firewire.

[zehd]

I don't think that I'm going to be getting a DVR STB, I don't even think that you can even access the drive or the videos on the DVR.
I at very lest want to be able to change the channel though the firewire interface, and hook up to the RCA outs and record.
What my hope is, I want to be able to record shows that are unencrypted on the firewire interface. I should be able to record local HD programing and maybe other channels that are on the digital signal part of my cable

I have never heard of being able to control channel changes through firewire. A while back while I was working at the cable company, I discovered several attempts at getting the serial port to change channels. But that was definitely disabled.

I believe with firewire you would have access to content off of a DVRs hard drive. I doubt that you would be able to get the Cable signal through the interface.

[bogyver]

This is where im getting my info from and it claims to be able to change channels thought the firewire
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthrea...did=403695

I will have to wait a few weeks to get a box with firewire, as the HDTV STB are backordered, so I cant test yet, but my installer told me that the HD STB's have firewire and that the port is enabled so that makes me hope full, now all i have to do is wait to see

[carpeVideo]

Tipster -

I record and change channels vs. firewire very reliably. One provider (Comcast) only had locals, local origination, and CSPAN unencrypted but in my area that's still 20 or so channels and I can then record local HD via cable.

My set up now is QAM, firewire and S-video capture (for the encrypted channels). I change channels for both firewire and S-video with the firewire cable as well.

You are NOT accessing the programs off of the Stb's hard-drive it's a live feed (in fact my STB is not a DVR so their is no hard drive)

CV

[bogyver]

Well I have some useful info regarding the regulations
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/tex....4&idno=47
is the site with the regulations
also i have some useful info about drivers and setup that i found
http://exdeus.home.comcast.net/stbfirewire/

Also carpeVideo
can you give me some info on what your setup is for recording over firewire, I'm kinda going into the dark on doing this an any info is appreciated