[mythtv-users] Cable Co. QAM via pcHDTV HD3000 vs. STB and Firewire

[Aran]

On Sat, 2005-04-09 at 00:05 -0400, Byron Poland wrote:
> I've been playing around with getting my cable companies (Comcast, New
> Castle Co. Delaware) QAM "free to air" broadcasts working with my
> HD3000 card using the dvb drivers.  I actuall am able to tune all the
> local HD channels, INHD 1&2 and a lot of simulcast digital std
> content.  The problem is that most of it comes out like crap.  lots of
> continuity errors, audio drop outs, and just lots of problem.  Pretty
> much non watchable.  In looking for channels, I did the tedious
> searching with dvbstream, and spliting up the stream with dtvstream
> (-tsprog in mplayer was unreliable).  In doing this I recorded 15-180
> second chunks and looked at them.  Things were decent at times, but
> still tons of continuity errors.
> 
> In recent years I've totally replace the wiring in my house with RG6
> Quad Shieled cable, and recently replaced my spliters.  Currently we
> subscribe to only regular analog cable, and have an onsite filter (on
> the pole) that gives up HBO (the good old days of onsite content
> scrambling).
> 
> What I'm getting at is what are the chances of getting good quality
> out of QAM (last thing I can thing to do is replace the wire from the
> house to the pole with RG6 QS).  Or will subing to digital cable and
> getting a firewire enabled cable box give me better / more reliable
> quality.

My local cable company only offers one(!) HD unencrypted QAM channel.
(It's an NBC affiliate.)  I have nearly maxed out signal strength using
my HD3000 with DVB drivers and no continuity errors that I can recall.
I can't say the same for my OTA 8VSB channels I tune with the Air2PC
card however.  

I wonder, what signal strength does azap or the mythbackend.log report?

-- 
Aran <spin667 at mchsi.com>