[mythtv-users] standard vs digital cable

Joshua Santelli santellij at yahoo.com
Mon Jul 14 14:35:29 EDT 2003


> Digital cable is not the same thing as digital
> television.  Digital
> television is when the broadcast data (from
> satellite, over-the-air or
> cable) complies with a particular digital broadcast
> standard.  Digital cable
> is not a standard.  It is simply a digital transport
> for the same old
> NTNTSCesolution TV picture.  Basically, the cable
> provider compresses the
> video feed into an MPMPEGtream so more channels will
> fit down the pipe (plus
> you don't get picture interference like with a
> purely analog broadcast).
> Each cable provider has their own implementation
> readable by only their own
> set-top boxes.  This is why you never see a 'digital
> cable ready' television
> set or a 'digital cable' tuner card... a set/card
> would have to be able to
> decode the signal from *your* particular cable
> company, and of course the
> cable companies have no incentive to enable you to
> use any device other than
> their own set-top box.
> 
> Bottom line:  the WiWinTV or any 'digital tuner'
> cards are useless for
> digital cable.
> 
> -JAJAC
That's what I was looking for... and what I was afraid
of.  It sounds like most people are in the same
situation.  Is the IR blaster (or serial -> serial, if
your set top box supports it) the only option?  

Are there any cases where people have used a Computer
to receive the "digital" cable signal?  

It looks like my cable box (Scientific-Atlanta
Explorer 2200) a USUSBort.  Is there any other way to
control this other than IR signal?

Anyway, I'veveeen told (by my soon to be wife) that TV
without HBO is not an option.  I guess it's back to
the IR Blaster plans.  

thanks all.

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!
http://sbc.yahoo.com


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list