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 904 MC02 Copy-Once none 905 MC03 Copy-Once none 906 MC04 Copy-Once none 907 MC05 Copy-Once none 908 MC06 Copy-Once none 909 MC07 Copy-Once none 910 MC08 Copy-Once none 911 MC09 Copy-Once none 912 MC10 Copy-Once none 913 MC11 Copy-Once none 914 MC12 Copy-Once none 915 MC13 Copy-Once none 916 MC14 Copy-Once none 917 MC15 Copy-Once none 918 MC16 Copy-Once none 919 MC17 Copy-Once none 920 MC18 Copy-Once none 921 MC19 Copy-Once none 922 MC21 Copy-Once none 923 MC22 Copy-Once none 924 MC23 Copy-Once none 925 MC24 Copy-Once none 926 MC25 Copy-Once none 927 MC26 Copy-Once none 928 MC27 Copy-Once none 929 MC28 Copy-Once none 930 MC29 Copy-Once none 931 MC30 Copy-Once none 932 MC31 Copy-Once none 933 MC32 Copy-Once none 934 MC33 Copy-Once none 935 MC34 Copy-Once none 936 MC35 Copy-Once none 937 MC36 Copy-Once none 938 MC37 Copy-Once none 939 MC38 Copy-Once none 940 MC39 Copy-Once none 942 MC43 Copy-Once none 943 MC44 Copy-Once none 944 MC45 Copy-Once none 945 MC46 Copy-Once none 946 MC47 Copy-Once none 947 MC48 Copy-Once none 948 MC50 Copy-Once none 950 PPVB none none none = Copy-Freely BACKGROUND AND REFERENCE INFO: 1.   CableCard - Wikipedia 2.   Copy Control Information - Wikipedia 3.   Charter - Digital Copy Control of TV Programming 4.   Charter Copy Protection by City 5.   Charter - CableCARD Reference and Troubleshooting 6.   Consumer Affairs - Charter 7.   HDHomeRun Prime 8.   FCC Plug and Play agreement 9.   FCC CableCard "Know Your Rights" 10. FCC Complaints 11. DSLReports Forum With Similar Complaints Please contact me via email at:   Updated 11/04/2014