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Full Version: Support for Ceton Cablecard
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I am researching hardware for my "Ultimate XBMC" PC. If possible, I would like to add a cablecard, thus eliminating my cable box. Is there any future plans to support Ceton Cablecards or any cablecards for that matter? Thanks for your assistance and keep up the good work.Cool
It's not so much a matter of XBMC supporting cableCARD, as much as whatever PVR backend you're using supporting it. I think mythTV supports them, but I'm not sure. You would also need driver support. Shouldn't be a problem for a windows based box, but any other OS is doubtful.
The reason I ask is because I was thinking about using the XBMC live install. I could create a dual boot to Windows but I would like to keep it a "XBMC only" setup
Unfortunately even if a pvr backend like Myth or Sage supported it, there are still a lot of obstacles that would need to be overcome.

All cablecard certified software has to be able to handle microsoft drm. This right away means a live cd is out of question (as the main operating pc).

Also all cablecard certified software has to go through a certification process with cablelabs, and that costs upwards of 70,000 dollars. Sage is asking the FCC to remove software certification from the mandates, since drm gets applied at the hardware level.

Now certain cable providers set copy flags in their content which forces drm. If your provider does this you are pretty much hosed unless you crack the drm, or find a way to get linux to use it. the drm is microsoft licensed and costs money to use.

I have fios, which at this moment doesn't set copy flags, and I am waiting for the new HD Homerun Prime which will have cablecard support, manage recordings as a network device, and will hopefully work perfect with XBMC on windows 7.

Of course, it sadly will probably come down to these devices exclusively working under WMC control due to cablelabs restrictions anyway. I can guarantee that to be the case with the Ceton at first. I hope the HD Homerun will be different because they already have a relationship with Sage and Myth and others, or perhaps it will be easily hackable by those familiar with the older HD Homerun units.