[mythtv-users] Beginner Question

[Joseph A. Caputo]

On Sunday 19 December 2004 16:21, Gerald S wrote:
> JAC,  awesome info...it is really helping.  But theoretically, a
> solution that used an analog HD capture solution would get around the
> encrypted channel issue, correct?  I know the firewire connection
> would have better quality, reamaining digital, but likely be
> encrypted.
>
> I would think that as HD PVR gets more popular, more cable companies
> will start encyrpting the signal.  So the work around would be using
> the analog HD signal to do the recording, right?  Most people talk
> about firewire coming out (digital), and not component video
> (analog), what direction do you think it is heading?  Being with Time
> Warner, I know that they probably have (or will have) every channel
> encypted (and only unencrypt the commercials:) so the hope of using
> firewire for me will be small.

Again, AFAIK, there is no consumer-level HD analog capture solution.  
You can't capture HD over composite or S-Video, and a component video 
capture card would cost > $USD 1000.  So, *theoretically*, yes, an HD 
component video capture solution would get around the encryption issue, 
in the same way that composite/svideo capture currently gets around the 
encryption issue for SD (NTSC) digital cable content.  However, an 
analog HD capture solution would require that your PC (or capture card) 
re-encode the raw analog video frames into a digital form, which would 
require some serious horsepower.  Think about it: it takes a 2-3 GHz P4 
just to *decode* HD content for playback; to *encode* it in real time 
would take quite a bit more than that.  A hardware encoder card that 
would handle HD content would like be several thousand dollars.  It's 
just not likely to be a viable or cost-effective solution any time 
soon.

-JAC