DanLee said:
Does anyone know why they cannot provide HD feeds through these converter boxes? Or is it that they don't want to?
The DTAs only have an RF. Ch 3-4 analog output on them.
The why of Comcast not providing a unencrypted digital feed breaks down to these points:
Clear QAM are considered unsecure. Hollywood channel contracts demands and require the channels be transmitted securely. Hollywood won't agree to an HD channel being carried without encryption. Comcast prides itself (to Hollywood) as having the most secure cable network. The head office where I live flags every non-OTA channel to be copyprotected (thereby locking the recording to the unit that recorded it) on the analog outs of every cable box.
QAM channel encoders are not cheap, nor are they small. If you want one as a consumer ZeeVee is the only company who will talk to you. Zpro 250 starts at $900.
The Zpro unit is the size of a 1U network switch.
EDIT: thanks for reminding me. Apparently Engadget missed the release of the Zbox 170. But It can only do one source and is limited to 720p60, no 1080i/p
The Zbox 150 was $700 at release I believe. However all the 150 did was put your PC monitor on a QAM channel.
The supposed good news:
The compromise the FCC and the cable co. Along with Dish and DirecTV are working on a standard to replace CableCard and tru2way with will be a server that outputs the channels over Ethernet unencrypted.
The bad news is like CableCard and tru2way (the naysayer in me says) it will take 10 years before anything will make it to demostrations like CES let alone go into production.