DVico Fusion5 not receiving HD from digital cable

[acidsex]

I went with the DVico Fusion5 because I was told it could recieve the HD channels that my local cable company provides through my digital cable box.

Maybe I am missing something but when I autoscan my digital channels, I get three channels that are identified and I end up havign to use channel 3 on the Fusion card to get the video feed into my computer. So I tune to one of my HD channels (750) and select record expecting to record the transport stream. Thats what I get for thinking. Apparently this piece of shit card recorded an analog signal.

I talked to my cable company and also someone from DVico before I made this purchase confirming that this card would allow me to view HD on my system and both said yes. So now I blew another $150 on another HD card (already had a HDTV Wonder) and $15 for the extra HD channels that only can be viewed on my system as standard def.

Anyone have any idea?

edit: forgot to add that I am running the digital cable from the wall into my digital cable box and then into my HD card if that helps.

[acidsex]

Ok, just got off the phone with my cable company and boy are they freakin clueless. After I explained everything their tech told me on Friday, now they are saying that they cant support me because it is not a HDTV set. Then the chick told me I couldnt get HD through a coaxial cable.

Now think about that for a minute. I cant get HD from a coax cable that runs into my house from the lines outside. How else would I get it I ask her. Then she told me that it is impossible to get a HD signal through a coxial and when I explained that I have no problem receiving an HD signal from a coax cable connected to an antenna with my HDTV Wonder card she was speechless.

On Friday, I asked their tech guy if I HAD to use the composite connectors on the back of the cable box to receive HD or if I could just use the coax and run that into the Dvico card coax connector and he said I could use the coax. Is he right or is he full of shit?

Im pissed off and frustrated. Hopefully someone can help.

[CityK]

Ok, just got off the phone with my cable company and boy are they freakin clueless. Yes that unfortunately does tend to be the case with most companies CSRs/techs.

the chick told me I couldnt get HD through a coaxial cable....Now think about that for a minute. I cant get HD from a coax cable that runs into my house from the lines outside. How else would I get it I ask her. Then she told me that it is impossible to get a HD signal through a coxial and when I explained that I have no problem receiving an HD signal from a coax cable connected to an antenna with my HDTV Wonder card she was speechless.She's likely reading from a script that she doesn't understand....more on this in a minute

On Friday, I asked their tech guy if I HAD to use the composite connectors on the back of the cable box to receive HD or if I could just use the coax and run that into the Dvico card coax connector and he said I could use the coax. Is he right or is he full of shit?He's clueless too.

I went with the DVico Fusion5 because I was told it could recieve the HD channels that my local cable company provides through my digital cable box.Nope. No can do.

- HD content is packaged into what is known as a Transport Stream and is modulated onto a RF carrier for transmission
- Receivers (whether it be your STB or the Fusion PC card) demodulate the TS off the RF and then route the TS for decoding.
- In the case of the STB, the decoding will be done by it. In the case of a software decoding card like the Fusion, the TS is sent off to the host processor.
- Decoded signals are sent to the display device

Now, in regards to your Fusion card, it is perfectly capable of picking up unencrypted channels straight off the coaxial cable line running into your house - this is the manner its meant to work with cable! The number of unencrypted channels available varies from cable provider to cable provider. However, the vast majority have the premium channels are encrypted.

The only way you can hook up your Fusion card to the STB is through an analog connection - S-video or composite. The content coming out of the STB's analog connection is, of course, not HD.

Maybe I am missing something but when I autoscan my digital channels, I get three channels that are identified and I end up havign to use channel 3 on the Fusion card to get the video feed into my computer. So I tune to one of my HD channels (750) and select record expecting to record the transport stream. Thats what I get for thinking. Apparently this piece of shit card recorded an analog signal.As the above should tell, you missed something ;)

forgot to add that I am running the digital cable from the wall into my digital cable box and then into my HD card if that helps.As explained above, HD reception through pc cards doesn't operate that way. What you need to do is feed the cable line directly into the card (i.e. cut out the STB middleman). But again, all you will recieve is the unencrypted channels. The best you can do with the encrypted channels is run the cable line through the STB for decryption and decoding of the TS and then use s-video between the STB and the PC card to capture the set top's analog out put stream. Sorry, no getting around that one. i.e. Once the TS is decoded, the signal is huge in terms of bandwidth ....

You may link this fact to what the girl from the cable comapany told you -- she's reading a script that tells her you can't get HD out of the STB, and she's relating it back to you.

I talked to my cable company and also someone from DVico before I made this purchase confirming that this card would allow me to view HD on my system and both said yes. So now I blew another $150 on another HD card (already had a HDTV Wonder) and $15 for the extra HD channels that only can be viewed on my system as standard def. Unfortunate that your purchase was made on misinformation, unintentionally provided no doubt. You can still view the extra HD channels on your TV in HD straight from the STB, you just can't route the encrypted channels through to your computer in HD. What was wrong with the ATI card?

[acidsex]

Cityk,

Thanks for the reply. Ok, my question is there is no way I can record any HD off of HBO or showtime then? That was the whole reason for purchasing this card along with ESPNHD.

HDTV Wonder is a fine card except for the fact that it records everything to vcr files and then I am forced to convert it native mpeg. Oh, and the HDTV Wonder only does OTA.

I wonder if I am able to capture my HD channels through the firewire on my digital dvr box.

I just find it weird that I always see HD content that I know came from HBO/Showtime HD and these people are having to get it from somewhere. Perhaps DVHS? Those are still kinda expensive arent they?

I guess the plus side is now I have two HD cards so I can record more than show. Im just really disappointed. Guess I will try without the digital box and see what I can get.

[CityK]

is there is no way I can record any HD off of HBO or showtime then? That was the whole reason for purchasing this card along with ESPNHDSadly, not with not with the fusion...(unless the channels are still transmitted unencrypted by your cable provider (very very unlikely though))....however, one option you should look into is firewire capture from your cable stb. There are encryption issues that you'll have to review with this method too, but I hear there are ways to circumvent them, or in some cases, they don't exist. Anyways, I'm not the right person to be talking to about this (I'm ignorant about the finer details), but the basis to it is that the stb decrypts and demodulates the TS and then pipes it across the 1394, however, in some cases with 5c, to a firewire capture card on your computer...the signal is then routed to the host cpu for decoding (or to the disks for storage).

HDTV Wonder is a fine card except for the fact that it records everything to vcr files and then I am forced to convert it native mpeg. There is an 3rd party app available on AVS ... I think the authour is just about to release a version that does recording ... have a look into that.
Oh, and the HDTV Wonder only does OTA.Actually the hardware on the card is quite capable of recieving digital cable too, but the drivers and/or the apps don't support it.....still, like all other pc cards, it would only work with unencrypted channels anyways....cards that handle encrypted content will eventually come -- cablecard support.

I wonder if I am able to capture my HD channels through the firewire on my digital dvr box.Could be ;)

I just find it weird that I always see HD content that I know came from HBO/Showtime HD and these people are having to get it from somewhere. Perhaps DVHS? Likely, or 1394 or hacked Tivo type or the hacked sat boxes
Those are still kinda expensive arent they?DVHS probably, I 've never looked; 1394, no, just the price of a firewire card; Tivo somewhat I suppose; hacked sat box solutions, yes they are apparently pricey.

I guess the plus side is now I have two HD cards so I can record more than show. Im just really disappointed.You could probably easily sell the cards for very little loss ... live and learn I suppose in this case ... or is the moral of the story not to trust the csr monkeys at one's cable provider :D

Guess I will try without the digital box and see what I can get.Yes, that's the very first thing to check :) Good luck with it.

[Revgen]

The problem is not your card. It's the encryption. The Fusion card can only recieve unencrypted HDTV QAM signals. If your CC is encrypting the QAM signals then the Fusion card can't recieve the channels.