[mythtv-users] HD5000 now working with QAM256; not many channels

[Len Reed]

Thanks for you reply.  I was hoping to get some information of the type 
you provided.

Mplayer did note that there was AC3 sound in most of these streams, 
though I didn't bother to cable things up to see that it had actual 5.1 
content.  (The Sempron machine that I'm playing with this on doesn't 
have enough power to play things in MythTV; I scp'ed the *.mp2 to my 
Xeon workstation and played them there.)

You're right that the 4:3 content inside the 1080i frame looked way 
better than normal NTSC.  I attributed that, though, to getting pure 
mpeg2 instead of digital cable -> cable box -> composite NTSC -> PVR250 
-> mythtv.  It would seem that they could just send 480i or 480p 
digitially and get the same result, but maybe changing formats all the 
time isn't a good idea.

I'll try azap over the weekend and later firewire as I move toward 
implementing things.  I don't yet have an HDTV, but hope to do that 
soon.  I'm not going to drop the $1000s for it until I'm satisfied that 
I can control content.  (I'd rather watch NTSC when I want then HDTV as 
a slave to the networks.  Two years of MythTV and hundreds of Gigabytes 
of cheap disk space have spoiled me.)

Cheers,
Len



Steve Adeff wrote:
> On Thursday 17 November 2005 14:27, Len Reed wrote:
> 
>>I got my new HD5000 working last night.  (Thanks to those of you who
>>replied; my issue was that I had neglected to compile all the modules
>>needed.)  I'm using a very recent development version of mythtv for this.
>>
>>I have Cablevision digital cable in Gwinnett County, Georgia, USA.
>>Scanning found five QAM256 channels: local ABC, NBC, FOX, PBS, and WTBS
>>(which is a local over-the-air channel in Atlanta).  They all came in in
>>high-def format, even when the content was NTSC.  That is, the 4:3
>>content had black sides.  Actual high-def came in fine, so that Leno's
>>show looked great but was nevertheless still worthless IMO. :)
> 
> 
> They are still HD, still sent at 1080i, they just mix the NTSC onto the HD 
> format. Whats nice is this is the absolute best quality you will get from 
> that signal. Your getting the most of what the NTSC camera used can offer, so 
> it will look better (beyond being digital). Also, shows can come in at 5.1 
> for 4:3 video, so far I've noticed the FOX toons (Simpsons, Family Guy, 
> American Dad) have 5.1 audio tracks.
> 
> 
> 
>>I didn't find digital versions of other local channels (CBS, UPN, WB, a
>>couple of others) even though the cable company claims they provide them.
> 
> 
> try using azap and mplayer you'll find them.
> 
> 
> 
>>All the other digital channels, both low and high def, presumably are
>>scrambled and hence myth's scan feature doesn't find them.  By this I
>>mean ESPN, Comedy Central, etc., and HBO etc.
> 
> 
> yes, you won't find them with azap either. BUT try, cause I have about 20 
> digital channels I can pick up, nothing great, but they're there.
> 
> 
> 
>>Curiously, I found several clear digital signals above QAM256 channel
>>101.  These didn't correspond to anything showing at the time.  (The
>>Longest Yard, Cheaper by the Dozen, Rome, etc.)  My guess is that these
>>were my neighbors watching "video on demand".  (They were all 4:3; some
>>even with low resolution for NTSC.)  When I first saw "Rome" I thought
>>"HBO [which I pay for] in high def!"  Alas, no; not high def and not
>>even HBO.  I just deleted those channels.
> 
> 
> I have the same, at a lower channel number though, its funny, shows 
> fast-forward randomly and switch program id's randomly.
> 
> 
> 
>>I suspect that getting a DC6200 will give me these five channels (and
>>maybe the other local ones) on firewire, but probably not Comedy Central
>>and ESPN, and certainly not HBO.  I fear that time-shifting these means
>>NTSC composite into my PVR-250s (as I now do), or getting their "Moxi"
>>PVR/tuner.  For non-local channel HDTV off the cable, only the Moxi
>>seems doable.
> 
> 
> Check it out, some folks don't have 5C enabled on their 6200's, I get all my 
> basic cable with 5C=0, everything else is 5C=1, so its worth a shot. I'm 
> using a PVR150 (As soon as a buy a non-VIA 6306 firewire card), and I might 
> get a second box and use it for the 5C=0 channels.
> 
> Steve
>