[mythtv-users] Digital cable and two tuner cards

[Richard Mixon (qwest)]

mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org <> wrote:
> I'm working on setting up a MythTV system with two tuner cards so I
> can do picture-in-picture, record two programs at once, or watch a
> different channel from what I'm recording.
>
> Anyway, I have digital cable, and I understand that to use it with
> MythTV (or any HTPC), I need to routh the signal through the digital
> cable box first, then use a serial cable or IR blaster to change the
> channel. That's the setup I intend to use with the first card, but it
> raises two questions I hope someone can help with:
>
> 1) If I do this, aren't the tuner capabilities of the PVR-250 and
> similar cards useless? Does any company offer an MPEG encoder card
> without a tuner (at a better price, of course). Am I wrong about this?
>
> 2) For the second tuner/encoder card, I intend to connect it directly
> to the cable. I realize this will prevent me from getting channels
> over 125 (or maybe 60, I've heard different reports). This is fine,
> since It will only be used if I want to watch a second channel. As
> long as I can get ESPN or CNN, or my girlfriend can find something to
> watch while I record the Bloodhound Gang's video back catalog on
> channel 700 (or whatever). Is there any reason why this wouldn't work?
> And if I later conned comcast into giving me a second cable decoder
> box, could MythTV handle changing channels on 2 boxes separately with
> IR blasters?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Nathan Richardson
>
> Setup (planned)
> Asus Pundit
> Celeron 2.4GHz
> Hauppauge 250 (x2, unless there is a cheaper solution as above)
> 512MB RAM

This seems like a pretty basic question - one, I would like to
understand also. Does anyone know the answer?

Thanks - Richard