Comcast Digital Transport Adapter
Comcast is in the middle of their transition from analog to digital cable signals. This transition will affect many customers who are receiving cable signals directly from the wall, with no cable box in between.
Comcast is turning off a range of channels that are now available via
analog cable - a Digital Transport Adapter (another name for a cable
box) will be needed to receive them.
Comcast FAQ About Transition
For more information about using a Digital Transport Adapter with EyeTV, see this Comcast FAQ:
http://www.comcast.com/digitalnow/FAQs.aspx?map=all_faq_map
Here is some pertinent information from their website:
Customers may be affected if they:
• Subscribe to Comcast Standard Cable or Digital Cable; and,
• Have a TV connected to a Comcast service without a Digital Set Top Box.
Customers who subscribe to Comcast Basic Cable are not affected.
In this case, "TV" is the same as "EyeTV".
Channels beyond the Basic Cable range, but below the higher tiers of service, are affected:
Any TV connected directly to Comcast service without a digital device
will eventually lose access to some of the channels it currently
receives. You’ll keep the 15-30 Comcast Basic Cable channels, (local
broadcast TV stations, plus local government, education and public
access channels) But you'll lose all Expanded Basic channels, like
Disney, CNN, Lifetime and 30-50 others.
For users of Clear QAM (unencrypted digital cable, without a cable box):
Will I need equipment if I have a digital TV with a QAM tuner?
At the completion of the project, customers will need equipment on all
TVs to receive any channels above the Limited Basic level of service
This means that users of "all TVs", including EyeTV, will not have the same Clear QAM access as before.
Using a Digital Transport Adapter / Cable Box with EyeTV
If you’re using a Digital Transport Adapter, connected to
EyeTV via a coaxial cable, then Auto Tune using “Analog - Antenna”.
EyeTV will find the signal on channel 3 or 4.
When using a Digital Transport Adapter, you must change
channels manually using the cable box remote.
If you are in the United States, you can purchase a separate "IR
Blaster". Set it up with EyeTV. Then, EyeTV can tell the Digital Transport Adapter to change channels automatically.
These two articles will give more information about IR Blaster purchase and setup.
What IR Blasters can work with EyeTV for Set Top Box control? (US and Canada)
How do I configure EyeTV for Set Top Box support? (US and Canada)
Receiving Some Missing Channels Via Clear QAM
If Comcast has blocked certain analog channels in your area, then those channels may still be available on the digital portion of the cable line, as unencrypted (Clear QAM) channels.
If your EyeTV device supports Clear QAM channels, then unplug the Digital Transporter Adapter, and attach the coaxial cable directly to EyeTV. Then, Auto Tune again, and examine your channel list to see if any Clear QAM channels appear.
You can use the methods in this article to view each channel, and assign names to the ones that you recognize:
How do I setup Clear QAM channels with EyeTV?
In many cities, some of missing channels are available via Clear QAM, at least at this time.
Using EyeTV HD with Comcast
EyeTV HD is a good product to purchase, for users who are now forced to use a cable box.
It can connect to any cable box that offers Component (red, green and blue), Composite or S-Video output. It can let you watch and record any channel that a cable box offers, even the premium ones that you subscribe to.
It also has an Infrared Channel Changer cable (IR Blaster) built in, so it can automatically tell the cable box to change channels.
It can even receive HD signals from any cable box that offers such channels.
The only thing it can't do is connect to a cable box via a coaxial connection. Therefore, it can't work with a Digital Transport Adapter.
However, you can rent a higher-end cable box from Comcast that offers more than just coaxial output. Most every cable box besides the free Digital Transport Adapter will work with EyeTV HD.
See this article for more technical specifics about EyeTV HD:
How do I setup EyeTV HD?
