[mythtv-users] No More Free DTAs From Comcast

[Gary Buhrmaster]

On Tue, Sep 10, 2013 at 11:51 PM, Kirk Bocek <t004 at kbocek.com> wrote:
....
> Is this confirmed? Are there finally going to be "HD-DTAs" and not just the
> choice between the full-blow cable boxes or these really minimal,
> analog-only DTAs? It sure can't cost that much to add an HDMI port to
> something simple along the lines of one of these little boxes.

While nothing is sure until it happens, Comcast has been giving
out HD-DTAs elsewhere (by request, you have to ask, they
will not automatically send anything) as they encrypt limited basic.
These are not full-blown cable boxes, they are using the SCTE-52
encryption and are one-way devices, just like the existing SD
DTAs, but are using a new chipset that supports HD and HDMI
output, and therefore are only used for basic services (i.e.
not the "premium" channels, nor PPV, nor on-demand, etc.)
Comcast has a web page describing all the caveats regarding
how many "free" boxes you can get depending on what you
subscribe to and what equipment is already on your account:
http://customer.comcast.com/help-and-support/cable-tv/limited-basic-encryption/

As to cost, there is the material costs (it is "only" sand), and
there there are the licensing fees for the firmware.  Comcast
(well, Motorola^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^HArris and Pace and
Scientific Atlanta^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^HCisco)
has to pay the licensing/patent fees for all that IP that the
boxes contain, along with usual R&D amortized costs, and
of course "profit" by the manufacturers (never forget profit).

Gary