Charter Digital Television Conversion
San Luis Obispo - July-August 2014
Updated 11/04/2014
In July 2014, Charter San Luis Obispo converted to all encrypted digital with Local Broadcast Channels set to Copy Once on their CableCard (in violation of federal law - should be Copy Freely) making local network channels not recordable on a DVR (Digital Video Recorder). But good news, Charter has now (as of 11/3/2014) changed the broadcast, basic, expanded basic tiers to Copy-Freely (essentially digital with no DRM). Details of my experience and ultimately, happiness is detailed below. My fingers are crossed that my CableCard settings will never revert back during some system upgrade, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
BACKGROUND:
I'm a geek and like to play with computer toys. So, of course, I built my own DVR (digital video recorder) rather than rent one from Charter Cable. In the past, all broadcast, basic, and expanded cable channels on Charter were analog and unencrypted, so I built the DVR using a PC with a Hauppauge 1600 tuner card and SageTV software. Life was good until the Charter digital conversion in July 2014.
CHARTER CONVERSION:
The Charter digital conversion in San Luis Obispo County occurred in 3 phases - July 22nd for Paso Robles/Atascadero, July 29th for Grover Beach/Morro Bay, and Aug 5th for San Luis Obispo. After conversion, all channels are digital and encrypted -- it's the encrypted part that makes it difficult. So now it was time to learn all about CableCard. After a little Google Search, it became obvious that one of the top products for using CableCard to record television with SageTV is the Silicon Dust HDHomeRun Prime ($130). I immediately purchased one and picked up a CableCard (with tuning adaptor for the switched digital video) from Charter ($2/month). Of course there were problems getting it working but finally after numerous calls to Charter and lots of emails to SiliconDust, it was working and I was ready for a channel scan.
COPY PROTECTION PROBLEM:
After finally getting card validation between the HDHomeRun and the CableCard, I was ready to push the button for a channel scan. And I was very disappointed with the results. More than half of the broadcast/basic/expanded channels are marked with copy protection (Copy-Once) and therefore not recordable. All of the local broadcast channels are copy protected (Copy-Once) which are required by federal law to be free to copy. A complete channel lineup with copy protection status is shown below - this is a full list of all channels allowed by my cablecard and not a full list of channels available on our Charter system. All this means that there are very view options for recording shows -- Charter DVR (at $22 monhly fee), TIVO (typically $15 monthly fee after TIVO purchase), Windows Media Center PC with HDCP. Copy-once still allows recording on a fully compliant HDCP solution but any home-built DVR (SageTV, MythTV, etc) is not and therefore the only channel setting that can easily be recorded and watched is "Copy-Freely".
CHARTER CHALLENGE:
My reason for this page is to share my experience and information with others and also hopefully convince Charter to change the copy protection for at least the local broadcast channels in San Luis Obispo County. It is my understanding that the
FCC order specified that over-the-air broadcast television channels must be set to be Copy Freely (no DRM). And maybe Charter will even relax some of the other channels as well. As you can see in
this copy protection list, Charter historically does not protect/restrict most channels except for their Premium Content. I have heard that typically the channel flags are set by local administrators based on corporate direction. Please review the SLO channel list below and help me better understand the logic in their copy protection settings (if you can see some logic that I missed). I do not understand and hope that it was not well thought out by Charter. Please email me (
) with your opinions or ideas on how best to proceed -- I will keep updating this page as I get more info from others.
I have asked Charter level 1 tech support for assistance but beyond reprovisioning the cablecard, they appear to have little or no control. A recent phone tech admitted that he gets about one cablecard call per month and my only recourse is to escalate. I tried escalating and was told that all DRM settings are set by the network provider and not within the control of Charter. I asked if there could have been a programming error when they provisioned our digital conversion and she just repeated her statement that it was beyond her control and scope. Running out of options, I then submitted a complaint to the FCC and just last week received a phone call from a very supportive Escalation Assistant at the Charter Executive Offices who stated that she agreed that the channels did not seem properly configured and was referring the case to a local Charter Regional Executive. I have not yet heard from him but am hopeful that he will help --- we'll see and I'll let you know. Also I'm planning to contact the engineer at our local television station (KSBY) to see if he can assist or explain how this entire process occurs. The site to file a FCC complaint is http://www.fcc.gov/complaints.
UPDATE:
Today (November 3, 2014), I ran another channel scan (like I've done many times) and great news, all of my channels (remember I only have basic, expanded basic, and high def) are now DRM-Free copy-freely (with the exception of TV LAND which is OK with me). Since I don't have any of the Silver or Gold tiers or Sports packages I can't attest to how they work but I'm ecstatic and pleased with my setup now. The updated lineup details are shown below with the addition of the "DRM (now)" column.
Thank you Charter !
CHARTER SAN LUIS OBISPO CHANNEL LINEUP AND DRM:
CHAN
NAME
BROADCAST
DRM (was)
DRM (now)
COMMENTS
2
PUBLI
Copy-Once
none
Why would the Public Access Channel have DRM ?
3
KEYT
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
4
KSBY
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
5
KSBYC
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
7
QVC
Copy-Once
none
A Shopping Channel would not want DRM !
8
KQED
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
9
KCAL
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
10
CHRT
Copy-Once
none
11
KKFX
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
12
KCOY
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
13
MYTV
Copy-Once
none
15
HSN
Copy-Once
none
16
KPMR
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
17
KTAS
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
19
EDU
Copy-Once
none
20
CITY
none
none
21
PEG
Copy-Once
none
22
KSBO
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
24
TWCS
none
none
25
TWCD
none
none
26
KTSB
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
27
LIFE
none
none
28
A&E
Copy-Once
none
But A&E HD is Copy-Freely ???
29
TDC
Copy-Once
none
But DSC HD is Copy-Freely ???
30
TLC
none
none
31
HIST
none
none
32
TBS
none
none
33
TNT
none
none
34
USA
none
none
35
ESPN
none
none
36
ESPN2
none
none
37
FSWST
Copy-Once
none
38
FSNPT
Copy-Once
none
39
TWC
Copy-Once
none
40
CNN
Copy-Once
none
But CNN HD is Copy-Freely ???
41
HLN
Copy-Once
none
But HeadlineNews HD is Copy-Freely ?
42
CNBC
Copy-Once
none
43
MSNBC
Copy-Once
none
44
FNC
Copy-Once
none
45
FAM
Copy-Once
none
46
DISNY
Copy-Once
none
47
ANIML
Copy-Once
none
48
TRAVL
Copy-Once
none
49
TOON
Copy-Once
none
50
NICK
none
none
51
SPIKE
Copy-Once
none
52
STYLE
Copy-Once
none
53
OWN
none
none
54
E!
Copy-Once
none
55
HGTV
none
none
56
FOOD
none
none
57
MTV2W
Copy-Once
none
58
CMDY
Copy-Once
none
59
FXX
none
none
60
VH-1
Copy-Once
none
61
MTV
Copy-Once
none
62
TCM
Copy-Once
none
63
AMC
Copy-Once
none
But AMC HD is Copy-Freely ???
64
SYFY
none
none
65
INDIS
none
none
66
BRAVO
Copy-Once
none
67
NBCSP
none
none
70
FX
none
none
71
NGC
none
none
72
TRUTV
Copy-Once
none
73
TVLND
none
none
74
GOLF
none
none
75
MLB
none
none
80
SHPHQ
none
none
81
GSN
none
none
82
DISXD
none
none
83
BET
none
none
84
CMT
Copy-Once
none
85
ION
Copy-Once
none
86
JWLRY
Copy-Once
none
Jewelry Shopping Channel would not want DRM
87
HALL
Copy-Once
none
But Hallmark HD is Copy-Freely ?
89
OXYGN
Copy-Once
none
91
CSPN2
Copy-Once
none
But CSPN3 is Copy-Freely - why inconsistant?
92
CSPN3
none
none
93
CSPN1
Copy-Once
none
94
FBN
none
none
97
TBN
Copy-Once
none
99
INSP
Copy-Once
none
101
EWTN
Copy-Once
none
103
TVGUI
Copy-Once
none
118
OWN
none
none
119
JWLRY
Copy-Once
none
127
FBN
none
none
131
TVLND
none
none
138
INDIS
none
none
141
ESQTV
Copy-Once
none
154
CMT
Copy-Once
none
155
VH-1
Copy-Once
none
171
INSP
Copy-Once
none
177
CAL
Copy-Once
none
178
LOCAL
Copy-Once
none
182
PUBLI
Copy-Once
none
183
CITY
none
none
184
PEG
Copy-Once
none
185
EDU
Copy-Once
none
188
CHTRC
none
none
192
KCET
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
195
VME
Copy-Once
none
231
DISXD
none
none
232
TOON
Copy-Once
none
233
VME
Copy-Once
none
240
KSBO
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
257
TWCD
none
none
296
KPMR
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
297
KTAS
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
411
NBCSP
none
none
412
GOLF
none
none
413
MLB
none
none
418
ESPN
none
none
419
ESPN2
none
none
420
FSWST
Copy-Once
none
421
FSNPT
Copy-Once
none
422
SPEED
none
none
423
TWCS
none
none
679
NGCHD
none
none
681
TRUHD
none
none
686
GFHD
none
none
688
TCMHD
Copy-Once
none
689
ESQHD
none
none
691
MTV2H
none
none
693
GSNHD
none
none
695
DISXH
none
none
712
TBNHD
none
none
714
JEWLH
none
none
715
HDHSN
Copy-Once
none
724
OWNHD
none
none
729
SHQHD
none
none
735
ESPNH
none
none
738
BETHD
none
none
740
NICKH
none
none
741
OXGNH
none
none
742
MTVHD
none
none
743
VH-1H
none
none
744
CMTHW
none
none
745
LIFEH
none
none
746
FAMHW
none
none
747
FNCHD
none
none
748
CNNHD
none
none
749
HLNHD
none
none
750
CNBCH
Copy-Once
none
751
MSNBH
Copy-Once
none
752
E!HD
Copy-Once
none
753
SPKHD
Copy-Once
none
754
TRVLH
Copy-Once
none
755
SYFYH
none
none
756
AMCHD
none
none
757
TBSHD
none
none
758
DISNH
Copy-Once
none
759
SPDHD
none
none
760
HGTVH
none
none
761
FOODH
none
none
763
WTHRH
none
none
764
CMDYH
Copy-Once
none
765
TLCHD
none
none
766
ANPLH
none
none
767
DCVHD
none
none
769
PRIME
Copy-Once
none
772
ESP2H
none
none
774
FSWHD
none
none
775
DTHHD
none
none
776
TVLDH
Copy-Once
Copy-Once
779
CNHD
none
none
780
CWHD
Copy-Once
none
781
KKFXD
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
782
KCOYD
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
783
KEYTD
Broadcast
Copy-Once
none
784
KPMRH
Broadcast
none
none
785
HDQVC
Copy-Once
none
786
KSBYD
Copy-Once
none
787
TWCSH
none
none
788
TWCDH
none
none
789
KQEDH
Broadcast
none
none
790
KTASH
Broadcast
none
none
792
TNTHD
none
none
795
A&EHD
none
none
796
HISTH
none
none
798
HLMKH
none
none
803
TVGDH
none
none
810
USAHD
none
none
812
FXHD
none
none
827
FBNHD
none
none
829
MLBHD
none
none
835
NBCSH
none
none
838
IDHD
none
none
849
BRVHD
none
none
856
FXXHD
none
none
860
EWTNH
none
none
865
INSPH
none
none
881
CSPNH
none
none
882
CSP2H
none
none
883
CSP3H
none
none
890
UMASH
none
none
892
CNHD
none
none
893
DISXH
none
none
903
MC01
Copy-Once
none
Music Choice - makes sense that these might have DRM