[mythtv-users] mythtv newcomer.. need help setting up live tv

[Christopher Flynn]

On Wed, 20 Oct 2004 13:05:00 -0400, Evan Burrows <eburrows at gmail.com> wrote:
> One other thing on the point that i just made.  If the tv tuner on the
> pvr-350 can't handle digital cable then if i used the suggestion
> offered before to put the splitter on the output of my cable box
> wouldn't that mean that out of that splitter if one cable went to my
> tv and another went to my myth box that they would be forced to watch
> the same channel since it would be user the tuner in the cable box?
> So if the tuner in the pcr-350 only handles analog that would mean
> that i would have to go out and buy another tuner card so i could
> watch and record tv at the same time?

Yes, they would be forced to view the same channel and if you wanted
to record one thing and view another you would need both another tv
capture card as well as another digital cable box. Unless there is
some capture card that handles the digital signal and descrambles it.
(I'm assuming the digital signal is most likely scrambled yes?)
 
> Also the main selling point of the pvr-350 is its tv out, but in order
> to use this you would have to be using the tv tuner in the pvr-350
> (which is looking like i won't be able to), so essentially since i
> can't use digital cable on the pvr-350 tuner then i spent the extra
> money when i should have just gotten a pvr-250.

Well you still need to use the pvr-350 for some sort of input.
TV-tuner if you are using coax input but there may be a way (depending
on your cable box) to do s-video or something.

> Also say that i connect my coax cable from the cable box to my tv (and
> don't run one to my myth box) that would mean that I would be able to
> record shows because i can set that svideo connection as my cable
> input but that would mean that i would not have the mythtv interface
> on my tv unless I connected my graphics card to my tv since nothing
> would be running on the pvr-350 tv out.

Well in order to view recorded programs or take advantage of the other
functions (like pause live tv) then you will need to use the PVR-350
TV Out. Or a video card TV-Out... ie. some form of TV-Out from your
computer to your tv.
 
> I am making this harder than it needs to be because i am really
> starting to confuse myself
yes

Just think of it this way. In order to use mythtv, you need a tv
signal to go into the computer to record. (recording even happens when
watching "live" tv because it's recording a buffer) You then need some
way of displaying that recorded signal on your TV, the PVR-350 TV-Out
can be used for this. Now the issue that has been discussed in this
thread is that you can't just take a digital signal and put it into
the PVR-350 because the PVR-350 is expecting a analog signal and the
cable is digital. So you basically need some way of converting said
digital signal into an analog signal. It so happens the digital cable
box does this. It needs to so your TV can recognize the signal. So you
could put a Y on the output (or in some cases use the coax output for
the tv and the s-video output for the PVR-350) and send one to the TV
and one to the PVR-350. This way you can still watch cable just like
you do now and still get the signal to mythtv.

Now the issue becomes changing the channel. When using a cable box,
you have to change the channel directly on the cable box. This is
where the serial cable or ir blaster comes into play. So mythtv can
tell the digital cable box... tune to channel 5 so I can record the
simpsons. Now if you were watching regular TV when this happens, you
will suddenly be watching the simpsons. (because mythtv and the TV
share the same output signal from the digital cable box)

Now, it is my experience that once you get mythtv set up and running,
you will never watch live tv again except for news perhaps.

Also if your cable company send an analog signal alongside of the
digital signal you can hook the cable from the wall to the pvr-350 and
be able to record all those analog channels seperately from using your
digital cable box.

I hope that makes sense. Also anyone please correct me if I'm wrong.
-- 
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. - Gandhi