Unable to view all cable channels

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rgm0737

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Unable to view all cable channels

#1

Post by rgm0737 » Mon Feb 10, 2014 4:22 am

I think I know the answer but I have to be sure. After setting up my cablecard in the hd prime, activated it through time warner cable, now on WMC I can only watch a few cable channels, mostly the lower ones.It says channel is temporarily unavailable but it is all the time unavailable. Is this because Time Warner sets all channels to copy never? I am guessing this setup will not work. I had wanted to be able to watch the cable channels in my bedroom on a ceton echo but it gives me the same error message. And it would be cool to be able to record tv. I had a sagetv setup for years but I wanted a cablecard so I could record all my tv channels, not just the analog ones.

Mashman

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#2

Post by Mashman » Mon Feb 10, 2014 12:30 pm

TWC uses a technology called Switched Digital Video (SDV). How this works is, instead of sending every channel they provide at all times, which would be mapped according to industry standard, they systematically decide what frequency to send a channel on.

For example, you tune to ESPN, if someone in your area is already watching it, the cable company tells your cable box what frequency its on, and your cable box uses that frequency. If noone is watching already, the cable company will start broadcasting it to your area, and will send the box the frequency. This process is handled by the cable box, third party cablecard tuners, like th HD prime, or Ceton, or Tivo do not have this ability built in. But the FCC has required cable companies to provide a solution, these are called Tuning Adapters, and the cable companies are required to provide the free of charge.

Go to you local TWC and tell then you need a tuning adapter, and they will give you one. You need one per cablecard. They have an input for the coax, and a USB cable that connects to your Prime.

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