Switching from Ceton - What to do with CableCard?

[Madcodger]

I just ordered a new HDHR Prime after too many problems trying to get my InfiniTV card to work reliably for a couple of weeks now. When it arrives, can I just pull out the Cablecard and pop it into the HDHR, or will I need to work with Verizon (FIOS) to do something else, first?

[Jay]

You'll need to contact Verizon to pair the card with the new tuner. There may be a way to do it online, but I've never had much luck with that.

[mdavej]

You have to call to get it paired with the new device. Host and Data will be different. I find it speeds up the process if you have the old numbers handy too. I always tell them I got a new TiVo. Mentioning SD or Ceton only confuses them.

[Scallica]

Verizon FiOS does not require pairing, but it is a good idea to do so. Let us know how the HDHR Prime works for you.

[Madcodger]

Thanks, All. Eager to see if it works better than the Ceton, which my new HTPC keeps "losing". Will try it with a Ceton Echo (still working on the IR, mdavej). May try a DMA2100 as well if all else can be worked out. But first need to get the basic tuner to a point that I have reasonable WAF. Far from that today!

[Jay]

Verizon FiOS does not require pairing, but it is a good idea to do so. Let us know how the HDHR Prime works for you.

Are you sure about that? I don't do a lot of tuner swapping, but I could have sworn to get the encrypted channels, you had to have it paired.

[Scallica]

Verizon FiOS does not require pairing, but it is a good idea to do so. Let us know how the HDHR Prime works for you.

Are you sure about that? I don't do a lot of tuner swapping, but I could have sworn to get the encrypted channels, you had to have it paired.

To receive copy-protected channels, pairing is needed. However, for unprotected channels, pairing is not needed with FiOS. The amount of copy-protected vs unprotected channels varies by location.

[blueiedgod]

Verizon FiOS does not require pairing, but it is a good idea to do so. Let us know how the HDHR Prime works for you.

Are you sure about that? I don't do a lot of tuner swapping, but I could have sworn to get the encrypted channels, you had to have it paired.

To receive copy-protected channels, pairing is needed. However, for unprotected channels, pairing is not needed with FiOS. The amount of copy-protected vs unprotected channels varies by location.

All of our channels, except locals, are encrypted, but none are copyright protected.

[richard1980]

CableCARDs are conditional access devices...they have nothing to do with copy protection.

[RyC]

For a few days I didn't pair my CableCARD, and the CCI flag wasn't coming down. Several recordings were marked copy protected through CGMA (that would normally be CCI Copy Freely). Once the card was paired, CCI took over. Kind of odd...

[richard1980]

CCI doesn't work on ClearQAM.

[RyC]

It wasn't clear QAM, it was Cartoon Network. All the channels except the premiums came in without the card being paired.

[richard1980]

Which means the channels that you were able to receive were not encrypted...aka ClearQAM.

[Scallica]

Verizon FiOS encrypts (not to be confused with copy-protects) everything except local broadcast channels. They do not enforce pairing. Which means if your CableCard is not paired, you can still receive encrypted channels that are marked copy-freely. You cannot receive encrypted channels that are marked higher than copy-freely, such as copy-once, without pairing. In most markets, copy-once is only used on a few movie channels.

[RyC]

What Scallica said. The channels were definitely, positively encrypted. Wouldn't it be great of all the channels came in HD unencrypted through clear QAM? This was on Charter though, not FIOS.

[mdavej]

All nit picking aside, to receive every channel the OP subscribes to, he needs to pair. Simple as that.

[richard1980]

Verizon FiOS encrypts (not to be confused with copy-protects) everything except local broadcast channels. They do not enforce pairing. Which means if your CableCard is not paired, you can still receive encrypted channels that are marked copy-freely. You cannot receive encrypted channels that are marked higher than copy-freely, such as copy-once, without pairing. In most markets, copy-once is only used on a few movie channels.

While it is true that you can receive content that is encrypted and marked CCI 0x00 without pairing, the CableCARD is required to pass a CCI value to the host device for all content it decrypts...which means any content that lacks CCI when it gets to the host was not encrypted on the wire. So either RyC's content wasn't encrypted, or RyC is incorrect in stating the CCI values were not passed and the host fell back to CGMS-A.

[RyC]

I don't know what to tell you, the Ceton tuner page clearly said CGMS copy protection on a non ClearQAM channel.

[richard1980]

I don't know either. The OpenCable CableCARD Copy Protection 2.0 Specification states, "The Card will deliver a CCI value to the Host for all programs it CA-descrambles." And the OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver specification states, "The OCUR SHALL NOT change the CCI value used to control content output except as instructed by the Card or when reset after a channel change. The OCUR SHALL detect the digital copy protection status of the selected digital program and protect in accordance with Annex A."

[Madcodger]

Well, we're gonna find out...

Amazon delivering HDHR Prime today. Sure hope it's better than the InfiniTV, or we're back to STBs from Verizon. WAF at major low (and even I hate it).