[mythtv-users] Semi-OT: DVB in USA?

R. G. Newbury newbury at mandamus.org
Mon Apr 3 21:01:14 UTC 2006


Steven Adeff wrote:
> On 4/2/06, Kichigai Mentat <kichigai at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
>>Hello. I've been looking around the mailing list, and on the
>>internet, and I'm wondering, what's the story with DVB in the United
>>States? According to a map I found on the Wikipedia, DVB-T is
>>supported in the US, but I can't find anything else to back that up.
>>Finding a US version of a DVB tuner is rather interesting (though I
>>don't suppose they would be regionalized). However, I have heard a
>>few US residents on the list mention that they had experience with
>>DVB (don't know if it was while they were outside the US, or what).
>>
>>Does anyone know what the story with this is?
>>
>>Thanks for all the help.
> 
> 
> well, our OTA HDTV is captured using devices that use the DVB driver
> system. Also Dish Network and Bell (Echostar companies in the US and
> Canada) use DVB-S, as well as there are a few other FTA DVB-S
> satelites receivable here. I don't know of any DVB-T stations in the
> U.S. personally, but I've never really looked. I don't believe there

I think the equivalent here is: DVB-T = US/Canada OTA Digital and needs 
an HD3000 and antenna

DBB-S = US/Canada satellite, generally restricted to FreeToAir, of which 
there are lots of specialty channels available:  needs a receiver and 
(steerable) dish. Can receive the unencrypted channels from commercial 
sat providers such as Bell Expressvu and EchoStar (but not, I 
understand, DirectTV). In addition, apparently also needs an HD3000 
card...(makes no sense to me: I would have thought that the receiver 
would do that, but maybe not)
See lyngsat.com for available channels: There are both Ku and C band 
channels available. C band are the 3+ meter dishes.

DVB-C = US/Canada digital cable feed which will carry analog channels 
(SD only) and digital feeds (SD and HD feeds). The HD feeds will likely 
be encrypted and will need a set-top box+ firewire output feed to talk 
to MythTV. Unencrypted feeds (SD level and HD unencrypted) can be dealt 
with by HD3000.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong here. It *would* be nice to be sure that 
we are actually talking about the same thing, even if we use different 
words to express that meaning. (Winston Churchill's comment comes to 
mind: Two nations divided by a common language...)

Geoff





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